The wildebeest migration is still on in the Mara, and over the past fortnight the movement patterns have changed dramatically. Earlier in the month, the animals had begun heading back to the Tanzanian border and into the northern Serengeti, but over the past two weeks light rains across the Mara have persuaded many of the wildebeest to alter their southerly course.
During the past week, the Mara River has been the scene of great activity, with thousands of wildebeest crossing the river at different points. The herds have now spread out again over the Paradise, Rhino Ridge and Burrungat plains, where the lack of recent burning has spared a lot of grass for the hungry herbivores. The recent light rains have also caused a fresh sprouting of the highly-nutritious red oat grass, which is likely to keep the wildebeest here for the near future. Being a fast-regenerating species, the mass grazing is beneficial to both the grass and the grazers.
In the southern part of the Mara River, only a handful of animals have been crossing around Lookout Hill - although a rise in water-levels here has caused several drownings, providing an easy meal for the local crocodiles. The cats, meanwhile, have been enjoying a continuing season of plenty, with an increase in antelope numbers providing particularly easy prey. In their typical style, several cheetahs have been seen bringing live gazelle fawns to their cubs to train them in various hunting techniques.
The Predators
All of the lion prides in our game-viewing territory are still present in their home ranges. There were spirited sightings of these cats in the past week, hunting wildebeest, zebra and warthogs - much to the excitement of Heritage's guests. A lioness from the Olkiombo Pride gave us the sighting of the week, just 1km from Mara Explorer, with her three young cubs cavorting endlessly for our guests' cameras. You simply can't see time passing here.....
Leopard sightings have also been excellent over the past week, with our favourite star Bella killing two young wildebeest only to lose them to hyenas. Bella has been particularly easy to locate since the BBC's Big Cat Week team moved back into our area at the beginning of the month. Cheetah sightings have also been frequent, with several successful hunts witnessed by our guests.
It's no wonder so many wildlife aficionados continue to rate the central Mara as the best place for Big Cat watching on Earth. But don't take our word for it - come and see for yourself!
As usual, if you have any interesting accounts of wildlife activities in the Maasai Mara, please feel free to drop a line to our head guide, Paul Kirui, at: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke. From all at Heritage Hotels, we wish you happy migration watching!
27-09-06%20map%207.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment