News from the Maasai Mara, Kenya Saturday 26th November 2005

Just as we had expected, the wildebeest began trickling back into the Serengeti earlier this month, leaving only a handful of herds on the Kenyan side of the border. Looking around as you drive across the Mara, this is hardly surprising: most of the plains are now almost devoid of grass. A combination of poor rains and overgrazing has meant little grass on this side of the border, and encouraged the herds to continue their great march south.

The wildebeest will now be away from the Mara until next June at the earliest, when the long rains will once again have coated the plains in lush new grass. In the meantime, the Big Cats and our other famous predators will have to devise new and smarter means of tracking down prey from their thoroughly depleted menu. They will also have to go for longer between meals, although they have proved themselves easily adaptable to this challenge. Once again, Nature will bring its ‘survival’ processes to bear, for it is only the fittest predators that will survive into the next season – ensuring the passage of the strongest genes to the next generation...

Predators
Over the last fortnight, the Mara cats have been having their last easy meals before the final migrating animals leave. Many wildebeest and zebra skeletons still litter the plains in evidence of the last season of plenty. From now on, the lion prides will become more mobile in their search for food, particularly those with young cubs. In recent days, the Ridge pride has been roaming around the southern base of Rhino Ridge, Mara Intrepids and the ‘Double Crossing’ area. One female has four-month-old cubs in tow, while a second has a one-month-old litter.

Bella, our female leopard star, is still together with her cub, and the pair continue to patrol their usual territory along the Talek River - much to the delight of Intrepids guests. Kike, our female cheetah star, is still around and looking ever more pregnant. There is also a second cheetah on the Paradise Plains with three very small cubs, which have provided our guests with record sightings this season.

Migration%20Map%2026-11-05%20Issue%2013.jpg