Karura Forest #39: 'Minilope' Suni
The cache, a small black-taped flip-topped plastic pot, is hidden at about chest height in a small twisted tree just at the side of the Muhugu trail, and close to where, after hearing a rustling noise, I spotted a mini-antelope quietly browsing in the bush - a suni.
The suni (Neotragus moschatus) is a very small species of antelope found in south and east Africa in dense underbrush. They are around (30–43 cm) high at the shoulder and weigh 4.5–5.4 kg. They are usually reddish brown, darker on their back than their sides and legs. The belly, chin, throat and inside legs are white. Nostrils are prominent red, and there are black rings around the eyes and above the hooves. Males have horns 8–13 cm long, that are ridged most of their length and curve backwards close to their heads. Females do not have horns. They can make weak barking and whistling sounds.
They feed (browse) on leaves, fungi, fruits and flowers, and need almost no free water. They are shy, most active at night, and sleep during the day in a shady, sheltered area. They are social but males defend a territory of about 3 hectares. They scent-mark the boundaries with secretions from their pre-orbital glands. There may be an individual or communal
dung pile on the periphery of the territory. A male usually takes one mate, but other females may share his territory. A single calf is born weighing about two pounds, after a gestation of 183 days.
Lions, birds of prey, snakes, and other meat-eaters prey on suni. For protection, they are well camouflaged in dry grass and keep very still. When a predator is almost on top of them, they spring out and bound away into the underbrush.
See here for a short video of two male suni sparring for domination.
See here for background info on the forest and useful links and here for Karura maps.
How to reach the cache location:
Enter the forest at Gate C (Sharks Gate) off the Kiambu Rd @ S01 14.395 E36 50.644. After paying the entrance fee & parking you car, head north to the Junction with the eastern end of the Muhugu trail @ S01 14.253 E36 50.607. This is the start of an 8-cache Muhugu trail - Tara Path circuit.
If you take the clockwise option: head left (west) here and follow the Muhugu trail along the south side of the river as far as the junction @ S01 14.788 E36 49.713. Turn right (north) here and head down and across the Ruaka river and up the other side to join the Tara Path. Follow the path along the northern edge of the forest until you descend to cross the river again to compete the circuit. Distance = 6km, time required (including cache/rest/photo stops = approx 3 hours.
Cache sequence:
1. GC6B9C8 Karura Forest #39 'Minilope' Suni (this one)
2. GC6BAFH Karura Forest #38 Muhugu Trail Stump
3. GC54GT5 Karura Forest #13: Huruma Beezone
4. GC5YP4N Karura Forest #33: Lantana Land
5. GC5YP89 Karura Forest #34: Aloe Aloe
6. GC5YPE5 Karura Forest #35: What a load of (bul)bul!
7. GC54GYH Karura Forest #14: East Side
8. GC5YPRJ Karura Forest #36: Ruaka River Swamp
If you take the anti-clockwise option: head straight on and compete the caches in the reverse sequence.