Old Donyo Lodge – Part II

Wildlife at the Hides

Ol Donyo has a feature unlike almost any other safari camp (Meno a Kwena has one on the Boteti River)we have been to in 12 trips. That feature is the hide – or more correctly the hides. These consist of an above ground hide with seating and a bar type counter above ground level, and a second sunken hide with the bar-type counter essentially at ground level. Both are side by side with a direct and close view (estimated about two meters) of a water hole that is basically the only water source within miles of the lodge.

One Ton Tribute

We came to see super tuskers. We saw a famous one named One Ton (and one or two others growing into the super status) virtually every day we were at Ol Donyo. He appeared to be vitally alive at the time, but within two weeks of our stay he passed away of natural causes near the Lodge. One Ton was first spotted in 1996 by conservationist Richard Bonham. Originally shy and wild, he eventually grew to trust humans. He carried massive ivory tusks and was highly prized by poachers. However decades of protection by rangers and conservation groups allowed him to live a full life, At his death his age was estimated to be in the fifties, typical for these giants. Here is a small catalog of our images of One Ton. RIP.