'Getting out of the off-road vehicle and walking in the Tsavo is the last thing he should have done'.
KWS honorary ranger Adriano Ghirardello, who spoke to the unfortunate compatriot tourist on the phone and guided him through the dangerous darkness of the savannah (HERE THE ARTICLE AND INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA CORINI), explains why he was more than lucky and takes the opportunity to give advice to anyone wishing to embark on a 'do-it-yourself safari' in Kenya. 
'First of all, when entering the parks, it is necessary, I would say indispensable, to have a park map. Many parks sell it at the main entrances, but it is advisable to get it before leaving to be on the safe side,' Ghirardello explains.
"Secondly, take the phone numbers of the ranger units at the gates that are posted at each entrance or ask for them. Always carry a supply of water, biscuits and bananas in case you have to spend hours and hours waiting to be picked up.

And the most important thing: in the event of a breakdown or stranded car, NEVER leave the vehicle! If there is no signal where you had to stop, you should still wait for someone to arrive, trying to honk the horn at intervals. In the event of nightfall, switch on the car's headlights and engine. In the silence and total darkness, lights and noises are more easily heard'.
Ghirardello returns to the incident involving his compatriot.
"Andrea didn't realise at the time how careless and reckless he had been," says the honorary ranger from Malindi. "While he was crying, I had to tell him the fairy tale that there were no felines in the area where he was walking, to keep his spirits up, in the hope that the KWS, with whom I was keeping in touch, thanks to the indications he gave me, would be able to find him as soon as possible. I was then told that the off-road vehicle he had rented, a Toyota Rav4, had run into the sand a couple of kilometres from the lodge in Galdessa, run by the David Sheldrick Foundation. There is always someone passing through there and at worst, he could have been there in a few minutes, if only he had a map of the park. In that case the GPS counts for little'.