Happy New Year, and welcome to our first Big Cat Update of 2006! There has been no shortage of predator action in the Maasai Mara in recent weeks – fuelled by the extraordinary wildlife movements caused by the drought currently gripping much of East Africa. In particular, there remains an unusually large number of wildebeest and zebra inside the reserve, which have returned from their usual grazing grounds in the Serengeti due to the lack of grass there. Most of the herds are currently concentrated in the Mara Triangle, as well as around Musiara Marsh, Rhino Ridge, the Central Plains and Sand River.
Lions
All of the lion prides in our game-viewing territories have been busy hunting through the high season – much to the delight of Intrepids and Explorer guests. We have seen many kills in recent days, particularly in the mornings and late afternoons when the sizzling daytime temperatures have cooled enough for the lions to engage in their high-energy hunts.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Ridge Pride has been roaming between the southern base of Rhino Ridge, Mara Intrepids and the Double Crossing area. There is one female with six-month-old cubs and one with four-month-old cubs. All of the lions had a productive festive season, preying on the large numbers of herbivores coming to the watering points to drink. With most of the plains now dry and bare, many of the herds are now also grazing along the riverbanks – and there is no more perfect place for lions and leopards to lay their ambushes.
Leopards
Bella, our female star, and her male cub are still together and continue to patrol their old territory along the Talek River. They have also been busy targeting the wildebeest that come down to the river in large numbers to water. Ntito, Bella’s female cub from her last litter, has also been seen quite regularly between Mara Intrepids and Explorer. It is encouraging to see that she is becoming more relaxed at the presence of vehicles. She treated us to an eventful morning one day last week, playing hide-and-seek with a female cheetah that had inadvertently wandered into her territory.
Guests at our Siana Springs camp over the Mara’s eastern boundary have also been enjoying regular sightings of a female leopard with a sub-adult cub in the Kissinger area, as well as one of the largest Mara lion prides in the Keekorok area.
Cheetahs
Kike, our beautiful female cheetah, who also plays a starring role in the BBC’s Big Cat Week, has been spotted only occasionally in recent weeks – leading some guides to speculate that she may have given birth. We will try to confirm this rumour for you in our next Update. In her absence, three male cheetahs have given us several sightings in the recent past – showing themselves to be daring hunters, targeting large ungulates such as topi. We are hoping that this year will continue to offer the record-breaking cheetah sightings of the past season.
Thank you for following the antics of our favourite animals with us over the past year, and please keep us posted of any interesting sightings you may have had while on safari in the Maasai Mara. Emails may be sent to our head guide, Paul Kirui, at pkirui@mitsuminet.com.
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