Nairobi may be a noisy metropolis with classy restaurants and hotels and malls and such, but it is still in Africa. There are many daily details that remind us of that fact: the red dirt that sticks to your shoes, the roadside vendors hawking wares, ugali and beef stew in the cafeteria, the sound of Swahili mixed with English, and of course the wildlife. Here’s the start to an email I received on Tuesday from our security officer at school:
Good afternoon,
I’ve been informed that a leopard has been sighted in Loresho South. Two cows and a dog have been killed by the leopard. I’ve spoken to Kenya Wildlife Services who have confirmed that there is indeed a leopard in the area. They have rangers on the ground since yesterday trying to locate it, trap it and remove it from the area.
And that’s when you know with profound certainty that you’re not in Kansas.
Loresho South is a neighborhood near me where a large number of my colleagues live. It’s a quiet area and the houses have medium to large gardens and lots of trees. Perfect leopard hang-out territory. I’m sure some of my friends have had their binoculars out for the last few days in hopes of spotting it. Others are probably hoping it will do away with some of the noisier and/or peskier pets in the neighborhood. I for one am content in my apartment and will leave the leopard-spotting for safari.
Of Wonders & Wanders 
Leave a Reply