The Migration is On!
The guides at Heritage Hotels' Intrepids and Explorer camps are today confirming that the first of the Serengeti wildebeest are entering the Maasai Mara - and the world's greatest wildlife migration is officially underway! The first herds can be seen along the sand river that winds north from the Tanzanian border. All indications suggest that this is the head of the 2007 migration into the Mara.
Four weeks ago, several herds of zebra passed through this area heading west. These were the Loita herds, which normally pass by here en route to the northern Serengeti or the Mara Triangle. These herds are often confused with the main Serengeti herds - raising premature hopes of an early migration…
The herds now entering the Mara are the onset of the real migration. Most people in the Mara were expecting a late arrival this year due to the amount of grass in the way of the migrating herds. Reports from the Serengeti also confirm extensive burning of grass on the central plains, which, due to the recent rains, has provided plenty of the short lush shoots that the wildebeest find irresistible. This was predicted to delay the herds, but - as Nature has shown so often in the past - the instinct of the animals to move is stronger than any meal or obstacle in their way!
That said, the onset of the migration this year is likely to be slowed by the sheer quantity of grass on the central Mara plains, which is likely to slow down the northward progress of the main herds.
OTHER SIGHTINGS
Since our last Big Cat Update, we have seen a lot more activity on the lion scene than in earlier months. Most lion prides are now coming together, sensing that a new 'season of plenty' is just around the corner. Guests at the Intrepids and Explorer camps have been blessed with daily lion sightings over the past two weeks.
Cheetah sightings have likewise improved over the past fortnight, with near-daily sightings by our guides and guests. Leopard sightings have also been fantastic, and will definitely improve with the arrival of the main wildebeest herds.
Please log onto our website for weekly updates on the progress of the migration (and local Big Cat action) over the next three months.
Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels
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20 July, 2007
03 July, 2007
Big Cat Update, Masai Mara, Kenya July 3rd 2007
The Mara plains were pounded by rain in the first half of June, making game-viewing quite difficult - and putting several places temporarily off the human map! However, the weather is now clear again, and things are slowly getting back to normal. We've had several large herds of zebra here in recent weeks, moving in from the east and southeast of the reserve - usually a sure sign that the migration is about to begin. However, the herds moved swiftly across the Mara plains and most crossed the river west into the Mara Conservancy, from where they proceeded into the northern Serengeti. Despite the 'false alarm', reports from the Serengeti indicate that the main migration is now between the central plains and heading into the western corridor. It may be another three weeks before they arrive in the Mara, particularly with the thick grass that lies in their way. We will let you know as usual as soon as we confirm their arrival.
Lions
Lions were seen throughout June, with many prides now pulling back together. Although there is still little to hunt, these agile cats always adapt easily by changing their hunting tactics or going for unusual prey. Last week, the Olkeju Rongai pride killed a giraffe and another pride brought down a second giraffe east of the Topi plains. The Ridge pride is still in the Olare Orok Conservancy, occasionally moving into the northern part of the reserve in the Double Crossing area. The Olkiombo pride is still roaming the area north of the Talek River, where our guests have been viewing them almost every day.
Leopards
Leopard sightings have been really good - particularly sightings of a new female with two cubs around the rocky outcrops near the Mara River crossing point. Our guides have named her Rocky because of her preference for this rocky terrain. Hopefully, her two cubs will make it into adulthood to provide us with plenty more viewing in the future. Luckily for her, the Paradise pride of lions have crossed the river into the Mara Triangle, and may not come back too soon as the water in the river remains high. (One big male and a female with one cub can be seen in the Olkeju Rongai area.) Bella continues to entertain guests on an almost daily basis in the area between Mara Intrepids and Rekero, which she appears to have made her new home due to the high concentration of gazelles and topi.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings remain relatively good, with regular sightings of three young brothers that have settled just south of Mara Intrepids. The female with four cubs is still in the Olare Orok Conservancy. It is great to see her with four of her six original cubs, as most new mothers would generally lose a higher number than this.
Happy 'big gaming' from all of us here at Mara Intrepids, Explorer and Siana Springs!
Lions
Lions were seen throughout June, with many prides now pulling back together. Although there is still little to hunt, these agile cats always adapt easily by changing their hunting tactics or going for unusual prey. Last week, the Olkeju Rongai pride killed a giraffe and another pride brought down a second giraffe east of the Topi plains. The Ridge pride is still in the Olare Orok Conservancy, occasionally moving into the northern part of the reserve in the Double Crossing area. The Olkiombo pride is still roaming the area north of the Talek River, where our guests have been viewing them almost every day.
Leopards
Leopard sightings have been really good - particularly sightings of a new female with two cubs around the rocky outcrops near the Mara River crossing point. Our guides have named her Rocky because of her preference for this rocky terrain. Hopefully, her two cubs will make it into adulthood to provide us with plenty more viewing in the future. Luckily for her, the Paradise pride of lions have crossed the river into the Mara Triangle, and may not come back too soon as the water in the river remains high. (One big male and a female with one cub can be seen in the Olkeju Rongai area.) Bella continues to entertain guests on an almost daily basis in the area between Mara Intrepids and Rekero, which she appears to have made her new home due to the high concentration of gazelles and topi.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings remain relatively good, with regular sightings of three young brothers that have settled just south of Mara Intrepids. The female with four cubs is still in the Olare Orok Conservancy. It is great to see her with four of her six original cubs, as most new mothers would generally lose a higher number than this.
Happy 'big gaming' from all of us here at Mara Intrepids, Explorer and Siana Springs!
04 June, 2007
Big Cat Update, Masai Mara, Kenya June 4th 2007
Although the long, rain-swollen grass across the Mara made it difficult to spot game during much of May, our guests have been enjoying more regular sightings of all the Big Cats in recent days. The fairly consistent rain has also made access to several parts of the reserve a big challenge, although all of the main roads and tracks remain usable. Some of the marshier areas, however, are very difficult to negotiate, particularly following the heavy rains of the past week. Heritage will continue to update you regularly on the changing weather conditions across the Mara ecosystem.
Lions
Lion sightings were not good at the beginning of May, but improved significantly towards the end of the month. Most of our lions had split up and were highly mobile, due to the widespread lack of food. However, conditions have improved and the main lion prides have now regrouped. Several zebras have started to move into the reserve from the Loita Plains in recent days - normally a sure sign of the imminent onset of the migration.
The Ridge Pride had relocated to the new Olare Orok Conservancy but is now slowly moving back into its original territory. The Olkiombo Pride had also extended its territory to overlap with that of the Ridge Pride in the north. It was good to see them all in good health a few days ago. Normally, the Mara's lions are close to starving at this time of year, due to a shortage of food following the departure of the larger herbivores.
A group of Intrepids guests witnessed some fierce fighting between the two males of the Shonko Pride and the three males of the Paradise Pride. Despite being outnumbered, the two dominant males would not let the intruders move onto their turf, and - with the help of their females - managed to see them off.
Leopards
Bella, our star leopard, has been seen almost daily over the past two weeks in her new territory between Mara Intrepids and Rekero Camp. Although she appeared to be very thin in early May, the new concentration of plains game in the area has clearly helped to restore her health, and we are now hearing her regularly during the night. Guests also reported seeing Pili with a kill up a tree, while our guides discovered a third female with a seven-month-old cub near the Hippo Pool on the Mara River. Meanwhile, guests at Siana Springs continued to enjoy regular sightings of the Kissinger female and her grown cub, which have moved to the north side of the Sekenani-Talek Road.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings were not good at the beginning of May, but also improved markedly towards the end of the month. As well as regular sightings of three male cheetahs in the Maji ya Fisi area, our guests have been treated to several encounters with a female to the northeast of the Intrepids and Explorer camps.
Happy Big Cat hunting from all at Heritage Hotels!05-06-07%20Issue%20Map%203.jpg
Lions
Lion sightings were not good at the beginning of May, but improved significantly towards the end of the month. Most of our lions had split up and were highly mobile, due to the widespread lack of food. However, conditions have improved and the main lion prides have now regrouped. Several zebras have started to move into the reserve from the Loita Plains in recent days - normally a sure sign of the imminent onset of the migration.
The Ridge Pride had relocated to the new Olare Orok Conservancy but is now slowly moving back into its original territory. The Olkiombo Pride had also extended its territory to overlap with that of the Ridge Pride in the north. It was good to see them all in good health a few days ago. Normally, the Mara's lions are close to starving at this time of year, due to a shortage of food following the departure of the larger herbivores.
A group of Intrepids guests witnessed some fierce fighting between the two males of the Shonko Pride and the three males of the Paradise Pride. Despite being outnumbered, the two dominant males would not let the intruders move onto their turf, and - with the help of their females - managed to see them off.
Leopards
Bella, our star leopard, has been seen almost daily over the past two weeks in her new territory between Mara Intrepids and Rekero Camp. Although she appeared to be very thin in early May, the new concentration of plains game in the area has clearly helped to restore her health, and we are now hearing her regularly during the night. Guests also reported seeing Pili with a kill up a tree, while our guides discovered a third female with a seven-month-old cub near the Hippo Pool on the Mara River. Meanwhile, guests at Siana Springs continued to enjoy regular sightings of the Kissinger female and her grown cub, which have moved to the north side of the Sekenani-Talek Road.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings were not good at the beginning of May, but also improved markedly towards the end of the month. As well as regular sightings of three male cheetahs in the Maji ya Fisi area, our guests have been treated to several encounters with a female to the northeast of the Intrepids and Explorer camps.
Happy Big Cat hunting from all at Heritage Hotels!05-06-07%20Issue%20Map%203.jpg
30 April, 2007
Big Cat Update, Masai Mara, Kenya April 23rd 2007
The long rains earlier in the year have converted the Maasai Mara into a sea of grass. Although the length of the grass on the plains can make game-spotting quite a challenge, the extent of wet, marshy areas has forced many animals to move to particular areas of higher ground. Needless to say, our guides' deep local knowledge usually ensures that guests will find most of the animals they have come so far to see!
Lions
Despite the long grass and absence of prey, lion sightings have been very good over the past two weeks. The lions from the Ridge pride have now split up into small groups, with the larger group now on the northern edge of the park bordering the Olare Orok Conservancy. The Olkiombo pride has also split, with two groups roaming on either side of the Talek River east of Mara Explorer. The tendency of prides to split up is a survival technique caused by an absence of larger prey sufficient to feed the whole pride. Our guests at Siana Springs have also been enjoying sightings of a pride at Maji ya Fisi, which have given us some delightful encounters with their eight small cubs.
Leopards
The long grass has forced most of our leopards to take to the taller trees to scan the plains for prey - giving us plentiful opportunities to see them. Bella, our most famous leopard, has lately moved to the area between Rekero and Mara Intrepids on the south side of the Talek River, where there is a lot of game grazing on the relatively short grass. Bella's son, Chui, has not been seen too often, although he has been briefly viewed to the west of Intrepids, downstream from where his mother has settled. Our other female leopard, Pili, has also been seen roaming her territory to the east of Mara Explorer on the north side of the river.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings have been intermittent over the past few weeks. Our only regular sightings have been of a female with sub-adult cubs at Maji ya Fisi, which appears to have separated from her cubs about a week ago - leaving the cubs in the same area. We will keep monitoring this family for you over the coming months.
From all at Intrepids and Explorer, happy game-watching!
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Lions
Despite the long grass and absence of prey, lion sightings have been very good over the past two weeks. The lions from the Ridge pride have now split up into small groups, with the larger group now on the northern edge of the park bordering the Olare Orok Conservancy. The Olkiombo pride has also split, with two groups roaming on either side of the Talek River east of Mara Explorer. The tendency of prides to split up is a survival technique caused by an absence of larger prey sufficient to feed the whole pride. Our guests at Siana Springs have also been enjoying sightings of a pride at Maji ya Fisi, which have given us some delightful encounters with their eight small cubs.
Leopards
The long grass has forced most of our leopards to take to the taller trees to scan the plains for prey - giving us plentiful opportunities to see them. Bella, our most famous leopard, has lately moved to the area between Rekero and Mara Intrepids on the south side of the Talek River, where there is a lot of game grazing on the relatively short grass. Bella's son, Chui, has not been seen too often, although he has been briefly viewed to the west of Intrepids, downstream from where his mother has settled. Our other female leopard, Pili, has also been seen roaming her territory to the east of Mara Explorer on the north side of the river.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings have been intermittent over the past few weeks. Our only regular sightings have been of a female with sub-adult cubs at Maji ya Fisi, which appears to have separated from her cubs about a week ago - leaving the cubs in the same area. We will keep monitoring this family for you over the coming months.
From all at Intrepids and Explorer, happy game-watching!
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04 January, 2007
Big Cat Update, Masai Mara, Kenya, Tuesday 2nd January 2007
Firstly - and most importantly - a happy new year to you all! Despite the torrential rains that have made much of the Mara impassable during the last three weeks, the three Heritage camps - Mara Intrepids, Mara Explorer and Siana Springs - have all managed to escape relatively unscathed. The swollen waters of the Talek River stopped short of reaching the Intrepids bridge and Explorer's dining deck, and all of our occupied tents remain dry! Needless to say, the sunshine that arrived on Sunday has been a very welcome sight - and promises to let us extend our game-driving territory over the coming days.
Lions
Despite the rains, lion sightings have been very good and several of our guests have enjoyed close-up hunts. The Ridge Pride kept our guests enthralled throughout December, hunting animals that had been stranded between the Talek and Olare Orok rivers by the floods. The Olkiombo Pride stayed further east to avoid confrontations with their main Ridge rivals. The Shonko Pride also continued to give us exciting sightings with their three tiny cubs. Our guests at Siana meanwhile enjoyed the sight of a new pride with eight small cubs at Maji ya Fisi. Full of life, the cubs play continuously and can keep you entertained forever.
Leopards
Bella, our superstar leopard, has been prowling the southern banks of the Talek over the past week, dodging the Olkiombo lions that share her territory. An encounter with these lions a couple of months ago left her with an injured tail. For the past two weeks, we have enjoyed several sightings of her at the Mtamaiyo Lugga, often with kills. Bella's son, Chui, has not been seen regularly over the past two weeks, although Pili, our normally shy female, has been seen several times just east of Mara Explorer - usually feasting on a recent kill in a tree.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings have been intermittent this season. One female was seen for about a week near our camps, while a male came through the area but after crossing north over the Olare Orok River was prevented from returning by the floods. The three males we usually see south of the Talek are still around, but the floods have prevented us from reaching their territory in recent days.
Watch this space for more breaking news from the world’s favourite felines!
"Lately there has been no better place to film leopards in the Mara than the area around Mara Intrepids and Explorer. Since we first filmed Bella here in 2003, 90% of our filming of leopards for Big Cat Week has been done within 5km of the same location"
- Nigel Pope, Producer, Big Cat02-01-07%20%20Map%201.jpg
Lions
Despite the rains, lion sightings have been very good and several of our guests have enjoyed close-up hunts. The Ridge Pride kept our guests enthralled throughout December, hunting animals that had been stranded between the Talek and Olare Orok rivers by the floods. The Olkiombo Pride stayed further east to avoid confrontations with their main Ridge rivals. The Shonko Pride also continued to give us exciting sightings with their three tiny cubs. Our guests at Siana meanwhile enjoyed the sight of a new pride with eight small cubs at Maji ya Fisi. Full of life, the cubs play continuously and can keep you entertained forever.
Leopards
Bella, our superstar leopard, has been prowling the southern banks of the Talek over the past week, dodging the Olkiombo lions that share her territory. An encounter with these lions a couple of months ago left her with an injured tail. For the past two weeks, we have enjoyed several sightings of her at the Mtamaiyo Lugga, often with kills. Bella's son, Chui, has not been seen regularly over the past two weeks, although Pili, our normally shy female, has been seen several times just east of Mara Explorer - usually feasting on a recent kill in a tree.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings have been intermittent this season. One female was seen for about a week near our camps, while a male came through the area but after crossing north over the Olare Orok River was prevented from returning by the floods. The three males we usually see south of the Talek are still around, but the floods have prevented us from reaching their territory in recent days.
Watch this space for more breaking news from the world’s favourite felines!
"Lately there has been no better place to film leopards in the Mara than the area around Mara Intrepids and Explorer. Since we first filmed Bella here in 2003, 90% of our filming of leopards for Big Cat Week has been done within 5km of the same location"
- Nigel Pope, Producer, Big Cat02-01-07%20%20Map%201.jpg
06 December, 2006
Big Cat Update, Masai Mara, Kenya, Wednesday 6th December 2006
With the long rains finally here, the Mara is already flooded in several places. This has begun to change the animals' behaviour, with the wildebeest returning back to their usual calving grounds in Tanzania. Many wildebeest had their young in the Mara earlier this year, in an unusual occurrence associated with the prolonged drought. Over the past two weeks, the Mara plains have changed radically, from dusty bare earth to a carpet of bright green.
Lions
All of the lion prides in our game-viewing territory are still around and actively hunting. The Ridge Pride has settled near Mara Explorer over the past week, moving between the Double Crossing area and the Intrepids Airstrip. For some time now, they seem to have avoided confrontations with the Olkiombo Pride, which had earlier cost the l ives of one member from each pride. The main cause of these fights was the two Ridge males, which have taken to shifting between the two prides. One of the Olkiombo females now has two small cubs sired by one of these males. The Shonko Pride with the two black-maned males, meanwhile, is still at Ol Keju Rongai. Its three cubs are doing well, although from now on their survival will depend upon the agility of the pride’s females to hunt the resident topi, impala and other plains game.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings have been rather poor over the past week, due to the high levels of the local rivers, which have impaired the cats' access. One female cheetah has kept our guests entertained while hunting to the east of our camps. Our main star Kike has, however, not been seen for the past two weeks.
Leopards
Bella was seen two days ago at Kichaka ya Round, along the Talek River, while her son Chui has settled between Mara Intrepids and Rekero camp. Another leopard, a two-year-old female, has been spotted regularly at the seasonal stream just north of Mara Explorer. She had a kill stored up a tree, where she stayed for at least four days last week.
Please visit our website at www.heritage-eastafrica.com for more information on the wild comings and goings around our camps.
"Lately there has been no better place to film leopards in the Mara than the area around Mara Intrepids and Explorer. Since we first filmed Bella here in 2003, 90% of our filming of leopards for Big Cat Week has been done within 5km of the same location"
- Nigel Pope, Producer, Big Cat
6-12-2006%20Map%209.jpg
Lions
All of the lion prides in our game-viewing territory are still around and actively hunting. The Ridge Pride has settled near Mara Explorer over the past week, moving between the Double Crossing area and the Intrepids Airstrip. For some time now, they seem to have avoided confrontations with the Olkiombo Pride, which had earlier cost the l ives of one member from each pride. The main cause of these fights was the two Ridge males, which have taken to shifting between the two prides. One of the Olkiombo females now has two small cubs sired by one of these males. The Shonko Pride with the two black-maned males, meanwhile, is still at Ol Keju Rongai. Its three cubs are doing well, although from now on their survival will depend upon the agility of the pride’s females to hunt the resident topi, impala and other plains game.
Cheetahs
Cheetah sightings have been rather poor over the past week, due to the high levels of the local rivers, which have impaired the cats' access. One female cheetah has kept our guests entertained while hunting to the east of our camps. Our main star Kike has, however, not been seen for the past two weeks.
Leopards
Bella was seen two days ago at Kichaka ya Round, along the Talek River, while her son Chui has settled between Mara Intrepids and Rekero camp. Another leopard, a two-year-old female, has been spotted regularly at the seasonal stream just north of Mara Explorer. She had a kill stored up a tree, where she stayed for at least four days last week.
Please visit our website at www.heritage-eastafrica.com for more information on the wild comings and goings around our camps.
"Lately there has been no better place to film leopards in the Mara than the area around Mara Intrepids and Explorer. Since we first filmed Bella here in 2003, 90% of our filming of leopards for Big Cat Week has been done within 5km of the same location"
- Nigel Pope, Producer, Big Cat
6-12-2006%20Map%209.jpg
27 November, 2006
Big Cat Update, Masai Mara, Kenya, Friday 24th November 2006
Lions
Lion sightings have reached a record high around Mara Intrepids and Explorer over the past month. The Ridge Pride, which has settled near our camps, has been giving guests thrilling daily sightings, with its 10 cubs - eight females and two males - regularly out and about. Over the past few weeks, the pride's territory appears to have expanded from around the Maternity Area south of Rhino Ridge towards the Talek River east of our two camps. This has brought them into occasional conflict with the neighbouring Olkiombo Pride, which once roamed freely along the Talek's banks, but now appears to have moved further east. Earlier this month, the two prides had a major confrontation, in which one of the Ridge females sustained serious injuries. The two dominant Ridge males have also been attending to the females from Olkiombo, which lost its dominant males last year. The pair has also seen off a couple of nomadic males that have also been trying to inveigle their way into the Ridge territory. These inter-pride battles are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, until both prides are taken over by new males. Our guests at Siana, meanwhile, continue to be blessed with regular sightings of the Sekenani Pride just to the west of Sekenani Gate.
Leopards
Leopard sightings have also been very good this month, with the unexpected return of the wildebeest providing improved hunting for Bella, Ntito and Kijana in their home ranges along the Talek. Guests at our two camps have been regularly entertained by their distinctive roars during the night. Guests at Siana, meanwhile, have continued to enjoy sightings of an unnamed female and her cub in the Kissinger area, where, due to the absence of larger prey, she has been seen hunting dik-diks and other smaller mammals. This female has also been seen several times in the typical - and very photogenic - 'leopard pose' on a high tree branch, scanning the plains below for potential prey.
Cheetahs
A coalition of three male cheetahs has been hunting on the plains around Mara Intrepids/Explorer in recent weeks, providing fantastic 'tours de force' for our guests. The trio, when locked onto a young wildebeest or topi, shows tremendous persistence in getting their catch. Other cheetahs have also been wandering in and out of our game-viewing area, providing us with welcome sightings. The female cheetah that we spotted with six cubs last month has now headed northeast into the new Olare Orok Conservancy, from where we hear from the guides that all the cubs are still doing well.
Other Predators
Three wild dogs were seen last week on the Aitong Plains - a sign that this rare and enigmatic predator may be making a welcome return to the Mara. We join local conservationists in praying that these members of this highly social and greatly misunderstood species will be allowed to establish themselves in their former stronghold on the Mara plains.
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!
"Lately there has been no better place to film leopards in the Mara than the area around Mara Intrepids and Explorer. Since we first filmed Bella here in 2003, 90% of our filming of leopards for Big Cat Week has been done within 5km of the same location"
- Nigel Pope, Producer, Big Cat
Lion sightings have reached a record high around Mara Intrepids and Explorer over the past month. The Ridge Pride, which has settled near our camps, has been giving guests thrilling daily sightings, with its 10 cubs - eight females and two males - regularly out and about. Over the past few weeks, the pride's territory appears to have expanded from around the Maternity Area south of Rhino Ridge towards the Talek River east of our two camps. This has brought them into occasional conflict with the neighbouring Olkiombo Pride, which once roamed freely along the Talek's banks, but now appears to have moved further east. Earlier this month, the two prides had a major confrontation, in which one of the Ridge females sustained serious injuries. The two dominant Ridge males have also been attending to the females from Olkiombo, which lost its dominant males last year. The pair has also seen off a couple of nomadic males that have also been trying to inveigle their way into the Ridge territory. These inter-pride battles are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, until both prides are taken over by new males. Our guests at Siana, meanwhile, continue to be blessed with regular sightings of the Sekenani Pride just to the west of Sekenani Gate.
Leopards
Leopard sightings have also been very good this month, with the unexpected return of the wildebeest providing improved hunting for Bella, Ntito and Kijana in their home ranges along the Talek. Guests at our two camps have been regularly entertained by their distinctive roars during the night. Guests at Siana, meanwhile, have continued to enjoy sightings of an unnamed female and her cub in the Kissinger area, where, due to the absence of larger prey, she has been seen hunting dik-diks and other smaller mammals. This female has also been seen several times in the typical - and very photogenic - 'leopard pose' on a high tree branch, scanning the plains below for potential prey.
Cheetahs
A coalition of three male cheetahs has been hunting on the plains around Mara Intrepids/Explorer in recent weeks, providing fantastic 'tours de force' for our guests. The trio, when locked onto a young wildebeest or topi, shows tremendous persistence in getting their catch. Other cheetahs have also been wandering in and out of our game-viewing area, providing us with welcome sightings. The female cheetah that we spotted with six cubs last month has now headed northeast into the new Olare Orok Conservancy, from where we hear from the guides that all the cubs are still doing well.
Other Predators
Three wild dogs were seen last week on the Aitong Plains - a sign that this rare and enigmatic predator may be making a welcome return to the Mara. We join local conservationists in praying that these members of this highly social and greatly misunderstood species will be allowed to establish themselves in their former stronghold on the Mara plains.
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!
"Lately there has been no better place to film leopards in the Mara than the area around Mara Intrepids and Explorer. Since we first filmed Bella here in 2003, 90% of our filming of leopards for Big Cat Week has been done within 5km of the same location"
- Nigel Pope, Producer, Big Cat
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