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
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