Greater Galago Night Survey — Laikipia Kenya
The greater galago (Otolemur crassicaudatus) — the largest of Africa's bushbabies at 1.5 kg, with cat-sized ears that locate insects by sound in complete darkness and enormous eyes that gather light in the darkest bush — is most reliably observed on night walks and game drives through the Laikipia Plateau's acacia woodland, where populations are dense enough to produce sightings every 100–200 metres of bush track. The galago's reflective tapetum makes its eyes shine orange-red in a torch beam from 30 metres — the sighting protocol is to spotlight tree branches and look for the reflecting eyes before attempting to locate the animal's body. Ol Pejeta and Lewa conservancies in Laikipia both offer night drives with reliable galago encounters alongside the more glamorous white rhinos, lions, and African wild dogs, and the galago's extraordinary 2-metre leaps between acacia branches in torchlight is one of the African night's most entertaining small mammal moments.
About this spectacle
Step into Laikipia's acacia woodland after dark and almost immediately the bushbaby hunt begins. Sweeping a spotlight along tree branches, you wait for the tell-tale flash of orange-red — the greater galago's tapetum lucidum catching the beam from up to 30 metres away. Once the glowing eyes are fixed, the animal resolves: a rabbit-sized creature with enormous satellite-dish ears and liquid brown eyes clinging to a branch. Then, without warning, it launches — a clean 2-metre arc between branches, limbs outstretched, landing with silent precision. In Ol Pejeta and Lewa conservancies, sightings come at roughly 100–200 metre intervals along bush tracks, making this one of Africa's most reliably encountered nocturnal mammals. Night drives run alongside encounters with white rhino, lion, and African wild dog, but for many visitors the galago steals the show with its acrobatic leaping, enormous eyes, and the eerie echo of its child-like cry drifting through the darkness.
When to go
Year-round
Getting there
Nearest airport: NBO. Nearest city: Nanyuki.
Booking options
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