Wildlife Update, Kenya 24th November 2008

Overview:
With the exit of the wildebeests from the Mara, we shall keep you abreast of with how the Big Cats in the Mara cope through the lean period till the herbivores return next year. Our updates will also focus on the cats and other interesting sightings across our units as reported from our field staff.

We have had two weeks of life-bringing rain in the Mara from the beginning of the month, which is quickly grassing the plains with a fresh carpet of lush green shoots. The herbivores are now congregating into small herds in areas that are dryer, normally for two reasons: to avoid fungal infection in their hooves and maximize their vigilance of the predators.

There were active river crossings at paradise at the beginning of the month just before the rains, with many zebra from the Loita migration were crossing from the Mara triangle heading east to the Loita plains. Almost all the migrating herds have now left the Mara. There are only a handful of zebra and wildebeest from the Loita herds still on the edge of the park to the east.

Big Cats:
The Mara big cats are now adjusting to the sudden decrease in the food supply following the departure of the migrating herds. They will now have to go for long periods without food., which is normal for them, except that the wildebeests left very abruptly this year, giving them little time to adapt.

All our lion prides - Marsh, Ridge and Olkiombo - are still holding their territories, even though they are now becoming more mobile as they look for food. Hunting at this time requires energy and well executed hunting strategies since the remnant animals are few and much more vigilant, and the plains are yet to be fully grassed.

Shakira, our female cheetah star has now moved to the area near Mara Intrepids where she has been for the last one month. This place has proved convenient for her to bring up the cubs as she has little harassment from hyaenas when she makes a kill. She has been making kills here regularly and the cubs are doing well.

Olive, the female leopard and her cubs Ayah, Binti and Kali are still in their usual area at the confluence of the Talek and Olare-Orok Rivers. Binti keeps more to herself, while the others stay together.

Bella is now better in health than in October when she was frail and sickly. She come to Mara Explorer on 12th November and stayed for two hours from 7.00 am in front of the restaurant, drinking and even trying to hunt some of the resident waterbucks. Ironically, this was unfolding when our guests were out on an early game drive - looking for leopards! The only two guests present, Stephen and Heather from England, who did not go the drive enjoyed the sighting all to themselves! This was a nice send off for them as they were leaving that morning.

Paul Kirui. Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration and other animal sightings in the Mara
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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya October 29th 2008

The final herds of migrant herbivores are now exiting the Mara. The short rains that washed the plains over the last couple of weeks have just stopped, and it is drying up fast.

The herds can now be distinguished between the Loita from the Serengeti ones from the direction of their final exit. The Loita herds are heading east, while the Serengeti bound herds are heading south. There is still a concentration south of the Mara Triangle, south towards the Mara Bridge, and along the Mara-Serengeti border around the salt lick area. There is a high concentration of zebra around Paradise crossing point that is coming from the Mara Triangle heading east across the Mara river. All the herds seen between Talek and Sekenani Gates are heading east, meaning these are the Loita groups. There are also small herds between Talek and Sand Rivers all heading south into northern Serengeti.

The departure of the wildebeest from the Mara this month is normal, albeit a little earlier than usual. They will be away till June-July next year, when they will come back again to new pastures. After the long rains of April-May, the Mara plains will be transformed into a sea of grass just before the arrival of these natural mowers, and then once again it will be another season of plenty for all, herbivores and predators alike.

From now onwards the Mara predators will have to devise smarter methods of hunting for the elusive resident animals. At times they may have to go for longer periods between meals, but they easily adapt to this though the weak ones may never make it to the next season. This is a natural selection at its best!

Big Cats Update:
The Mara cats are having their last easy meals before the last of the herds leaves. Many skeletons still lie across the plains as an evident of a big feast that was in the last season. Lion prides will be highly mobile in search for food especially the ones with cubs. This is also the time when the larger herds will split due to competition for the few available resources.

The Olkiombo pride was seen regularly over the past two weeks along the Talek River east of Mara Explorer. We are going to follow them keenly to watch how they adapt to the lean period, especially considering the pride is quite large with about six cubs that require regular meals.

Olive, our female leopard star is still at the junction of the Talek and Olare-Orok Rivers with her cubs Kali and Ayah. Binti, her older sub-adult daughter, is seen regularly near the same location hunting and keeping to her own.

Shakira, the female cheetah has now settled near Mara Intrepids with her three cubs, who have survived many dangers from lions and hyaenas. The present location is safer since there are fewer hyaenas that would normally pose a threat to the cubs and also steal her kills. The three brothers (Honey’s cubs) are also in the same area and were seen yesterday killing a full grown wildebeest.

This is the last issue of the Wildebeest Migration. We hope it has been enthralling to you as it has been for us. All pictures featured were of the actual characters taken by Paul Kirui. We look forward to keeping you informed on how the Big Cats cope with the this exit, and more importantly, other interesting sightings of all the other wildlife within the Mara Reserve, Samburu National Reserve, Tsavo West and Naivasha in the Rift Valley.

Paul Kirui, Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration and other animal sightings in the Mara

News from Maasai Mara, Kenya October 15th 2008

The past week has seen the wildebeests slowly exiting from the Mara and heading back to northern Serengeti. Most of the plains are now empty with only a handful of herds in isolated pockets in the reserve.

The nourished herds have left plains are bare of grass in their wake. A change in the rain patterns in the region has been a factor that contributed to the endless mass movement across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Overstaying in a place results in exhausting of the grass and hence a migration into new areas becomes necessary.

Many animals crossed the river at Paradise crossing point over to the Mara conservancy. From here the herds head towards the border around Engoikwateet salt lick. The herds on the eastern side of the river have split up, taking two directions. The Serengeti ones are heading south, while the Loita ones have taken the usual eastbound route - both going to their calving grounds.

There were other crossings at the lower Mara Bridge over the past week. However, these were not as spectacular as it was earlier, since they only involved a handful of animals each time. This is expected to continue in the next couple of weeks before the herds finally leave the Mara. This exodus has come a little earlier than expected, but Mother Nature works in her own unique way, and we just take a comfortable front-row seat to appreciate her marvels!

Big Cats Update:
The Big Cats have started preparing for the imminent departure of the herbivores, as they face another difficult period of food scarcity. The past week was full of predatory activities as these super predators took the last chance of the season of plenty to feed. They will now have to survive on whatever is available and adapt to the tough hunting strategies if they have to live till the next season of plenty.

Olive, our female leopard star who featured over the week on BBC Big Cat Live was always around Mara Intrepids over the whole filming period (www.bbc.co.uk/bigcat/animals/leopards/index.shtml) . On some of the days, she and her cubs were just barely a hundred metres from the tents next to the river, where they have been seen every day for the last three weeks. Currently this location is a popular landmark for many driver guides in the Mara looking for leopards, with some traveling up to 90 kilometres just to get here.

Lion prides were also quite active over the past week. Our guests and guides witnessed three cubs escape death from some marauding males that found them east of Mara Explorer along the Talek River. Other lions in our game viewing locations treated our guests to plenty of shows with hunts and their social interactions.

Our cheetahs were seen over the past week. However, there was an unfortunate incident where one cheetah female, Shakira, lost two cubs to hyaenas.

Paul Kirui, Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration and other animal sightings in the Mara

News from Maasai Mara, Kenya October 4th 2008

Just as our guides had reported last week, the herds have now started streaming back into northern Serengeti. The concentration of animals on the Central plains decreased remarkably in the last few days. River crossings have reduced as the herds now concentrate on feeding, but even with a few animals, it still is interesting for first timers.

The second exodus of the migration could mark the end of their stay in the Mara, albeit a little earlier than usual. Most years the final exit is in November. It is not known if these animals will return for a third time, but there are still a few animals on Paradise plains and scanty concentration in various areas

There have been sporadic showers across the plains in last few days. If this continues, then all the overgrazed areas will soon be teeming with new and lush shoots of grass. This in return will also bring forth flowers mainly, cycnium tubulosum (tissue paper flowers), scadoxus mulitflora (fire ball lilies) and crinum macowani (pyjama lilies). This ushers in the season of regeneration, when the plains are carpeted with flowers as far as the eye can see. It is also the best time for birders since the migratory birds from the northern hemisphere are usually resident in the Mara at this time for a period of about four weeks.

Big Cat Update:
Predation activities by the big cats hunts were reported throughout the past week. Most of the prides have to hunt to feed their young. All the lion prides in our game viewing areas have now settled in their usual territories. With food in plenty, they are expected to maintain their territorial space until the migration ends.

The deaths of many cheetah cubs from being trampled by buffalo have not affected the survivors. Our guest at Mara Explorer and Intrepids witnessed a lot of hunting activities over the past week, with varying degrees of success. With young cubs, which are now learning hunting skills, the mothers have to be busy. A female cheetah normally catches gazelle fawns and brings it to the cubs to play with as they hone their hunting skills. Many gazelles, especially Thomson’s, are giving birth this month, and this will provide a good training opportunity to the cheetah cubs.

Leopards were also seen throughout the week. Our main characters, Olive, Ayah, Binti and Kali were seen regularly near Mara Intrepids camp. In fact some days they were just 50 metres from tent 29 & 30 when the BBC Big Cat Live team were filming. This is the location where they were filmed for four consecutive days in the past week. The three were seen walking together most of the time, a rare sight for leopards.

The Big Cat Live program will be on air from the 6th-12th October and will be showing these characters filmed just next to our camp and whom we see regularly.

Paul Kirui, Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration and other animal sightings in the Mara
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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya September 26th 2008

The Mara is still teeming with wildebeest but in smaller concentrations. There are patchy concentrations in the north of the reserve, around Musiara Gate down to Rhino Ridge, and southwards around Look-Out Hill into the northern Serengeti. However, the herds on the central plains and south to Sand River are still high compared to other areas of the reserve.

Our guides have observed the mannerisms of herds that might suggest an imminent exit from the Mara. Just a few days after coming back, some of the animals have been streaming south from the Talek River towards the central plains where they have congregated heavily.

There were very little activities at the river, with only a handful animals crossing in either direction at the main points near Look-Out Hill and Paradise crossing points. The predation on the crossing herds by the crocodiles has gone down because most crocodiles are full from the feeding frenzy the past couple of months.


Big Cats Update
There were more lion and cheetahs kills in the past week than we have witnessed this season! Binti, one of Olive's sub-adult cub was seen killing a young Topi, in what could be her 'maiden' kill. Her mother Olive and the other two cubs, Ayah and Kali, were together for the whole of last week when she made a couple of kills at the confluence of the Talek and Olare-Orok Rivers.

Our guests at Mara Intrepids saw five other different leopards over the past week, confirming the location around Mara Intrepids as a special leopard zone in the Mara.

The two female cheetahs with cubs were seen regularly with their surviving litters. The one that had six cubs now has three, while the one that had four now has one. It is unfortunate that mortality among cheetah cubs is quite high in the their first 1-5 months.

Meanwhile, the Olkiombo and Ridge prides next to our camps are our main lion attractions at the moment. With the wildebeest now back in their territory, these cats never waste an opportunity, as the herbivores that returned to the Mara have been finding out! All the cubs in our lion prides are doing well, and with plenty to eat, they are just growing really fast!

Other sightings
Our guests at Voyager Ziwani camp in Tsavo West got a rare treat recently when they saw a pack of wild dogs near the camp. These endangered predators have disappeared from the area for many years and the recent sighting was a welcome to all.
In our camp Samburu Intrepids in the Northern Frontier district, our guests were treated to a week full of cat sightings, with leopard, lion and cheetah seen regularly.

Paul Kirui, Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration and other animal sightings in the MaraMigration%20Map%20-%20Sept262008.jpg

News from Maasai Mara, Kenya September 16th 2008

Nature has once again confounded us, and the wildebeest migration has proven why it is thrill to millions all over the world! Just a few days after we reported in our last update of the departure of the wildebeests from Masai Mara, the migration has a new twist - the herds have returned! In the last couple of days, the concentration in the south of the reserve swelled to an enormous number. Most of the herds as per our previous update have made a complete cycle in the past two weeks. Most herds moved from the eastern part of the river, crossed west onto the Mara Triangle, then south into northern Serengeti and east from there before re-entering the Mara around the Sand River Gate - exactly as they did in July when they first came. In fact everything now is just like at the beginning - a double migration!

There is a higher concentration on Burrungat, central and Meta plains. The westward bound herds have spread out on the central plain, while others have started heading towards Look Out Hill. In the next few days these are expected to cross the river onto the Mara triangle and some, the Talek River northwards to Rhino Ridge.

The plains above are now teeming with large herds of zebra and wildebeests. This area was not burnt earlier and there is still plenty of grass, which might slow the movement somewhat. The unseasoned rains have played a crucial role in the sprouting of the grass in the recently burnt areas, carpeting these areas with lush green savannah vegetation.

Big Cats
The Big Cats in the Mara experienced a brief food shortage when the herds departed, but supply lines are back to normal! True to their predatory instincts, lions were already starting to adjust to lean-period hunting tactics. Over the last couple of days, our guides have seen the Olkiombo pride position themselves on the south side of the Talek River, where they are now hunting the animals coming across to the north side. The high number of cubs in this pride, eleven in all, means the females have to hunt a lot just to feed them.


The cheetahs in our game viewing area have been unlucky in the last few days. There was an unfortunate incident at dawn on 14th September when a herd of buffalo went through one female cheetah’s hideout. She had four cubs, two of which were killed instantly, while a third one died later due to injuries. She is now with only one cub. The cheetah with six cubs is now left with three, and it is not known how or when the other three disappeared.

There was a rare leopard sighing 3 days ago when four leopards were seen together. These were Big boy, Olive, her 18 month old daughter, Ayah and 6 month old son Kali were at the junction of the Talek and Olare-Orok rivers on the south side. It is very rare to see this number of leopards together, but we have been treated to such unusual sightings lately, we are barely coming to terms with the wild.

Paul Kirui, Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration and other animal sightings in the Mara

News from Maasai Mara, Kenya September 12th 2008

The migration took a dramatic change in the past week, confounding even seasoned observers! The Mara plains are now almost empty of wildebeests after almost all the herds from the eastern side of the Mara River crossed west. This was a quick exit, since they were expected to stay in the Mara till November, as is always the case. Once on the Mara triangle (which lies in the western side of the park), most herds headed south into northern Serengeti. The herds on the central, Burrungat and Meta plains headed south as well, and crossed the Sand River into northern Serengeti.


The northern Serengeti ecosystem experienced short rains in August. The grass on these plains was burnt in June and when the short rains came, they were replenished with lush nutritious shoots, thereby attracting many herbivores including the migrating herds.

There are however plenty of general game on the Mara ecosystem. There remains some wildebeests inside the park south of the Talek River towards Roan Hill, and others around Engoikwateet salt lick on the Mara triangle.

The situation in the Mara now is exactly similar to how it was in 2005, when we experienced a trend coined "double-migration". Looking at my archive of past updates, everything this year is the same as in that year. Because of this, we expect the wildebeest to come back again in another 2 - 3 weeks. We have just got rains across the Mara now as we compile this update and it is expected to reverse the current trend. This can only heighten the experience, since the wildebeest and zebra cross the river twice to-and-from the Serengeti, instead of once as is norm!

Big cats
The Olkiombo pride, teaming with eleven cubs of different ages, was our main attraction over the past week. They made several attempts and successful kills along the Talek River when the wildebeests crossed south onto Burrungat plains. The scene of the previous week’s crossing still smelled from the carcasses of wildebeest that died from stampede.

Cheetahs were seen throughout the week. The mothers of the small cubs have not yet led them out of their hiding place, but routinely comes out of this places to hunt. It was very unfortunate when one of the female cheetahs lost some of her cubs to a python on the central plains. Most cheetahs now have cubs. There are about five female cheetahs with very small cubs in our game viewing area.

Leopards were also seen regularly. Olive with her three cubs were seen many times at the confluence of the Talek and Olare-Orok rivers just two kilometres from Mara Explorer.

Paul Kirui, Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration and other animal sightings in the Mara
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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya September 4th 2008

The last week has seen the migration taking a new twist reminiscent of the migration situation in 2005, only with more herds this year! The wildebeests that had congregated on Paradise plain have all crossed the river onto the Mara conservancy. There was a massive concentration on the central Mara triangle earlier in the week, but the herbivores have now drifted southwards towards Engoikwateet salt lick on the border of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystems.

While this was happening, the herds on the eastern side of the Mara have moved northwards. Almost all the wildebeests and zebra that were all over Musiara and Olorukoti plains have headed south and settled on the central and Meta plains. There is only a handful left on Topi plain and along the Talek River between Mara Intrepids and Talek market.

While the herds were heading south, guests in the Mara witnessed the largest ever crossing on the Talek River, when thousands of wildebeests crossed the river at a meander on the river - where they ended up crossing the river three times without knowing! At the end of the crossing, there were about 300 dead wildebeest that succumbed to injuries from the stampede. The river here is almost dry but the rush-through was so intensive, our experienced guide, Paul Kirui, last witnessed such a crossing twelve years ago at the Sand River.

The availability of carcasses on the open river beds have led to some of the highest congregation of vultures ever witnessed in the recent past.


Big Cats
Big Cats' sightings over the past week could not have been better. There were good sightings of lions actively hunting during the day, which resulted in a few kills. The Olkiombo pride has settled along the Talek River east of Mara Explorer from where the launched the hunting. The alpha female in the pride has two cubs, about two months old. She took advantage of the animals crossing the river near where she is staying with her cubs, and has killed more than any other lioness in the pride.
The other prides in our game viewing areas are still easily seen.

The two cheetahs with cubs near Mara Explorer continue to be seen hunting during the morning on the recently burnt area, where there are some gazelles and Topi. It is expected that they will move the cubs out of the thicket any time soon, and there is heightened anticipation of the new cubs. The gazelles are giving birth from next month and this is when the mother cheetahs catch the gazelle fawns to let their the cubs play-act with them to gain and hone their hunting instincts.

Leopards are also seen daily near our camps. Bella, Olive (inset) and her two cubs, Big-boy, Pump-house female and two other unidentified leopards were all seen in the past week.


Paul Kirui. Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration
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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya August 29th 2008

The last week has been very enthralling for crossing enthusiasts, with our guests getting their holiday's worth! Very many wildebeests crossed the Mara River at Paradise point for three consecutive days, with the crossings lasting up to ten hours each day! Another crossing point commonly called cul de sac, or Kichinjio by the guides in the Mara, was also very active with many wildebeests and zebra succumbing to crocs, and many more dying from being trampled.

These same herds had crossed about three weeks ago from the Mara Triangle just below the same point for ten hours one day, east onto Paradise and Olorukoti plains and Rhino ridge. Some of them had pushed further north outside the park into Koiyaki and Olare-Orok conservancies.

Some light rains in some areas across the park have triggered random movement by the wildebeest, but our guides expect the herds to be around for a while.

Predators:

If ever there was a good time to catch predators in action in the Mara, then the past week was! Our guests saw very many hunts - attempted and successful - in broad daylight as the lions, cheetahs and leopards couldn't resist the temptation of going for one more wildebeest - even though they had just fed or had caught another recently.

Just yesterday, the Olkiombo pride made a record by killing eight wildebeests in one afternoon - and four more overnight! The wildebeests were crossing the Talek River, which is almost dry but in such a rush that many died in the stampede and others suffered broken limps.

Olive the leopard killed three wildebeest over the past week, which she feed on with her three different litter cubs - a sub-adult female born late 2005, two 18 months-old cubs that are still with her, and a 5 months-old. The family has showed an extraordinary interaction that is now drawing considerable attention from wildlife enthusiasts and experts, as it is a rare occurrence. Fortunately for our Mara Intrepids guests, the happy family is occasionally spotted strolling past the bar area across the river in the evenings.

There are four cheetahs with very small cubs at the moment in our game viewing area. Two of these are not far from Mara Explorer, and still have their cubs hidden in thicket. One has four cubs and the other has six. Our informed guides expect them to move the cubs out any time in the coming two weeks. The third female is in Musiara area, while the fourth is near Look-Out Hill. The latter has already moved her cubs from the thickets and can now be seen moving across the plains with them.

Paul Kirui. Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration
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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya August 22nd 2008

Our guides in the Mara report crossings have heightened activities in the reserve. The northern and central parts are the epicenter, with most of the herds crossing from the Mara triangle and spreading out over Paradise and Olorukoti plains. Others have gone beyond the borders of the reserve, all the way to the neighbouring game dispersal areas.

There are high concentrations of wildebeests, zebra, Topi and buffalo around Rhino Ridge, Paradise, central and Meta plains, and all the way to Look-Out Hill. Such a huge gatherings were last seen in 2000 migration season, and is in part due to the amount of grass the animals found when they arrived. The grass in these areas was not burnt leaving plenty of grass for the numerous herbivores. The amount of grass available for the animals may slow their movement, making them prefer to settle longer in particular areas than move around.

However some animals have started crossing the river back onto the Mara triangle. They started this today at around 2.30pm. We later had some showers in the afternoon along the crossing points and this is expected to increase the pace at which the animals will cross back. We are therefore looking forward to more activities in the coming week as thousands of animals cross back


PREDATORS
It was another week full of predatory activities, as the different lion prides swung into action and killed many herbivores. There are wildebeest carcasses littered the plains around areas where prides of lions are found, a reason being most of the prides have now come together, and their territories are teeming with herbivores. There has never been a nicer time to witness hunts, as many of our guests have seen!

The cheetah with the little cubs is still where she was last week and her cubs are still safe. We are just a bit worried because the Olkiombo pride has settled nearby. Our guides hope they will not discover the little cubs since they will be killed instantly. There are other cheetahs seen around as well at this time. The three brothers - Honey’s cubs - are now actively hunting even young wildebeests!

Leopards sighting was good, and we kept seeing all the individuals in our territory.

The wildebeest and zebra with all their attendant animals have really brought life to the Mara, and it is a joy to bear witness to it all!

Paul Kirui. Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration

News from Maasai Mara, Kenya August 11th 2008

There is only one word to describe the situation in the Mara at the moment, ‘It is all wildebeest’. The past week characterized the highlight of the migration in the Mara. There were intensive crossings at the Mara River at the Paradise and Pump-House crossing points in large herds that were last witnessed in 1996 and 2001. To the utter amazement of seasoned Mara guides, there were so many animals converging before crossing, the crossings - especially at the Pump-House point - went on for almost 10 hours!

There’s an air of excitement for the guests who have been planning their trips in advance to witness this event, and for them, it’s been worth it! The wildebeest have been moving en masse from the Mara triangle onto Paradise Plain. Many have died from predation by crocodiles, others from being trampled during the stampedes at the river crossings, and predation from the Big Cats and hyaenas.

The concentration of the migrating herds is now almost spread out across the whole reserve, with more trooping in in their thousands from the Serengeti. The highest concentration currently is towards the central and north plains. Some rains earlier in the week have in a way hastened the movement, with temperatures were somehow low in the mornings but the mid day was fine.


PREDATORS
The last was also quite active for the predators. There were more lion kills witnessed in one week, than in the past couple of months! Wildebeest carcasses littered the plains around pride territories, with even the so called “greedy hyaenas” having their full - as carcasses remained untouched for long periods!

Cheetahs were seen through out the week, with kills and attempted hunts witnessed a number of times. There is a cheetah with 6 four days old cubs, just one kilometre from Mara Explorer along the Talek River. The area had to be sealed off to reduce incidents of the cubs being ran over by vehicles. This same female had a similar litter two years ago, with four of these cubs surviving to adulthood.

Bella the leopard was seen a few times and on two occasions seen with Ntito - one of her daughters - and her 7 month old cub. It was nice to see this very rare occurrence, three generation of leopards interacting!


Paul Kirui. Chief Safari Guide
Kindly contact: safariguide@mara-intrepids.co.ke for comments or inquiry on the migration and other animal sightings in the MaraMigration%20Map%20-%20August112008.jpg

News from Maasai Mara, Kenya July 31st 2008

The wildebeest migration continues to thrill guests to the Mara. For the past week the herds of wildebeest and zebra continued in their traditional migratory routes into the Mara. The herds which have been crossing the Mara river near the lower Mara bridge are now massed up on the recently burnt section on the south Mara triangle. More herds have kept crossing over from Serengeti into the Mara and these are still near Look Out Hill and some have spread out on the central and Burrungat plains.

The animals continued crossing near the lower Mara bridge onto the Mara triangle in the past week, though in reduced numbers. In contrast, there were many wildebeest and zebra crossing at the Paradise Point, where there has been a lot of action with crossings in both directions.

The crocodiles at the Mara River have increased slightly, but the crocodiles have never ceased taking the opportunity. There are many animals snapped by the ever-hungry reptiles during the crossings, with our guide once counting upwards of 30 crocodiles in a feeding frenzy on one wildebeest carcass! With more animals on the Mara triangle now moving east, there are now more than one crossing points at the river - which increases chances of one seeing a crossing while reducing over-crowding.

Predators
The lion prides in areas where the migrating animals have reached are now hunting daily. So much so, that when there are easy pickings, even full-bellied lions will hunt just for the fun of it! This has heightened the excitement during the game drives.

There were good leopard sightings over the past week. Even in areas where leopards are known to be shy, there was evidence from carcasses in trees. A young female - christened Penda by Mara Intrepids guides - can still be found at Olkeju-Rongai area. In the past two days, she has been seen actively hunting in the middle of the day.

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels

Sighting of the year!

There was a rare sighing in the Mara yesterday of an unusual visitor - a rare lesser Kudu! Spotted by our guide, Aggrey Angogo at around 4.00pm yesterday (29/7/08) just east of Mara Explorer, it was excitement all around. He generously shared this information with other tour guides, and in one hour almost a quarter of the Mara guests were here to see for themselves. Though commonly seen in other areas like Tsavo east and west, and other parks in eastern Kenya, the lesser Kudu is scarce in the Mara. It is believed a few of these animals occurred in these parts before the1940s, and nobody remembers ever seeing one in the past few decades.


Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels

News from Maasai Mara, Kenya July 24th 2008

The Mara River has been active in the past week, with many wildebeests and zebra crossing the river near Look Out Hill onto the Mara triangle. As reported last week, the herds then head west and northwards, settling on Burrungat plains across the river from Mara Intrepids. The main crossing at Paradise point was not very active, but our guides expect it to be the highlight of activities in the coming weeks when the herds will cross at this traditional point over to Paradise plains.

The water in the river is still low, making the crossing for the wildebeest just an easy walk across, with the crocs snapping at every opportunity for a meal. The herds have now seemingly settled down, especially along the lower side of the Mara River. The Loita herds have now joined with the Serengeti ones south of Mara triangle, where the grass is sufficient to sustain them through the migration season.

Looking down into Serengeti, herds of wildebeests and zebra on the recently burnt areas along the border can be seen nibbling on new shoots of grass growing in these area after some light rains swept through there the previous week.

Predators:
For the predators, the season of plenty has finally arrived! Lion prides south of the Talek are now very active, responding to the herbivores moving into their territories. The same is to cheetah and leopards in the area.

Our guests at Mara Intrepids witnessed a few kills by lions at Olkeju-Rongai and Look Out Hill area. There have been a lot of attempted and successful hunts by the Shonko pride between Mara Intrepids and Olkeju-Rongai stream.

Other notable predators have also been on the prowl. The hyaena clan living on Burrungat plains – traditional scavengers - took to an active hunting when the herds got to their territory. The vultures that accompany the migrating animals are now a common sight in the lower Mara section. They are the clean-up gangs that clear the mess left by the predators or carcasses of animals succumbing to diseases/injuries.


Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels
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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya July 17th 2008

The light showers that swept across the central Mara over the last week have drawn more herds from the northern Serengeti. The Mara River, about 3 kilometers north of the south-Mara bridge, has been the main arena over the past few days. Heavy crossings have taken place as thousands of the Serengeti herds crossed west on the Mara Triangle. The river is still low, making the crossing a bit easy for the animals. Once in the Mara, these herds have taken a traditional route splitting into two, with one group heading west and crossing over the Mara River while the other, north into Meta and towards Burrungat plains - just south of Mara Intrepids.

Our guests had a week full of excitement on game drives due the close proximity of the herds from our camps - Mara Intrepids, Explorer and Siana Springs - and we are assured of even better things as the migration progresses!

The northern (Loita) and the southern (Serengeti) herds have now merged on the south Mara triangle. The converging point is a recently burnt area where new nutritious shoots are beginning to sprout after the recent light showers. An interesting phenomenon we have witnessed in the last two years, some of the Loita herds are starting to cross back at Paradise crossing point onto the eastern side of the river - where they had crossed the just previous week! The remaining animals from these herds have over the past week been streaming in small numbers towards Paradise Plains, with some crossing westwards onto Mara conservancy.

PREDATORS:

Lion sightings were remarkably high over the past week. There are not many lion cubs at the moment, but some females are expected to give birth over the next couple of months. Olkiombo Pride has settled east of Mara Explorer about 1.5kms along the main road from the airstrip. The Ridge Pride is still very active, with many attempted hunts being witnessed during the day in the past week. There concentration of the herds is however still lower in their territory.

Encounters with cheetahs have now become more frequent than in the previous weeks. Leopards are also starting to get active and their sightings have improved remarkably. There were more leopard sightings over the past week as well. Bella, our Big Cat Diary star is now seen more regularly, while Olive, Penda and Tito among others were seen at least once over the past week.

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels

News from Maasai Mara, Kenya July 10th 2008

The concentration of the herds has increased more rapidly than first expected. A survey by our guides along the border yesterday established that there are many animals crossing the Sand River into the Mara. Light showers that swept across the southern swathes of the Mara have drawn the herds across from the northern Serengeti. They had briefly settled on the recently burnt areas, but there has been insufficient rainfall to make the grass sprout.

Once in the Mara, the herds appear to take two distinct directions, northwards towards the Central and Burrungat plains, and westwards towards the Mara River. A few hundreds have gone as far as Look Out Hill, with a few of these crossing west of the Mara River to a recently burnt patch of grassland. The crossings here are not yet dramatic due to a hand full of animals crossing and the low water levels, but the crocodiles as still making a meal of it!

Meanwhile, the Loita herds (that make-up the northern migration) are now spreading south of Mara triangle where grass was recently burnt. They have been streaming in in small numbers over the past week from Paradise plains, crossing westwards into the Mara conservancy. These herds still have a higher ratio of zebras to wildebeest.

PREDATORS:

The rumbling hooves of the oncoming herds have not gone unheeded, with lions regrouping once again for the season of plenty. A few kills have been witnessed over the past couple of days along the Sand River’s north bank, where a large pride of lions has stationed itself to take advantage of the herds going through their territory. This pride - claimed to be the largest pride in the park in the recent past - once numbered 32 strong! The lean period had seen them separating into smaller groups, which later turned into sub-prides over the years.

To the north, the Ridge pride is still very active, with many attempted hunts being witnessed - some in broad daylight - in the past week. Our guides inform us that the old Bila shaka pride, whose territory is north of Rhino Ridge, is also regrouping. It seems the pounding hooves of the migrating herbivores has reawakened the lion prides from their slumber - and literary, brought life to the Mara!

Cheetahs were encountered more frequently in the last week than previously. Leopards are also starting to get active and their sightings have improved remarkably. Bella, our Big Cat Diary star seems to have settled just next to Mara Intrepids, where she’s spotted regularly in the past week.

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels
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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya July 3rd 2008

Our guides can now confirm - the migration has officially started! The stage in the Mara is now set for the world's most fascinating wildlife spectacle. A herd of almost 2,000 wildebeest have crossed the border from the Serengeti near Sand River gate, with a similar number seen crossing today at a place known to the Mara guides as Roots Crossing. This head of the southern migration was this afternoon taking their traditional route towards Roan Hill, while others entered the central Mara plains via the western side of the hill.

The weather has played havoc with the traditional migration this year. Intermittent rain in April grassed the plains in green, which soon dried due to the dry spells in May and June. This dry and overgrown grass is now expected to slow the migration's movement northwards.

Looking into the Serengeti from the Sand River, herds of zebra and wildebeest on eastern and western sides of Naima-Lumbwa Hill can be seen heading northwards. The higher concentration is south of the Mara River and Sand River confluence, with the recently burnt area being the main attraction. As this report was being compiled, the Mara had just received some rain, which will replenish the burnt shoots and is expected to hasten the northbound movement of the herbivores. Meanwhile, the Loita herds of wildebeest are settling around the recently burnt area on the Mara triangle, just across the river opposite Look-Out Hill.

While their numbers are still low, our guests have enjoyed being the first to witness the start of the 2008 migration, and we are proud to take them to the best viewing spots.

Other sightings:

The past week was a highlight of big cats sightings. All the lion prides in our game viewing areas were seen, and they seem to be responding to the distant pounding of hooves, which announces the oncoming herds - and season of plenty!

Leopard sightings could not have been better, with several individuals spotted. Our guests at Mara Intrepids even saw one making a kill, and we expect more adventures as the herds settle around.

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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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya June 27th 2008

Over the past week, the Loita herds of mainly zebras have now spread out over the recently burnt area in the south Mara triangle. Some herds are still around Musiara Gate, Olorukoti plain and on the Koiyaki - Olare-Orok Conservancy areas. The migration this year has been gradual unlike in the past. The herds coming from the Loita plains will keep entertaining us before the imminent arrival of the main Serengeti herds from the south.

The Mara River has been active, with some zebras crossing onto the Mara triangle. The crocodiles are still enjoying a feeding frenzy, creating huge photo opportunities on what are normally deep waters. The less-than-normal rainfalls have left the water levels on the rivers lower than at this time of they year, and crocodiles are easy to spot as they drag their unfortunate prey into the deeper waters.

Other sightings:
One of the most spectacular sightings of the past week was that of six nomadic male lions on Paradise Plain near the migration crossing point. It has been many years since such a coalition of males was seen together. Nomadic males will only come together to consolidate their strength, to ward-off competition for food and to increase their chances of taking over a new pride and territory - whose dominating males will not let go easily.

Some of our repeat guests at Mara Intrepids, Valmik Thapar and Chandu Shah with their families, got bonus experience for their week's stay. The Ridge Pride killed a wildebeest at Olare-Orok River in their full view! Chandu's daughter, Sonal, an upcoming photographer on her first stay at Mara Intrepids was very excited. In her own words, "In 8 days, we sighted 10 leopards, including one complete leopard kill which was amazing"!!!!

There was an improved sighting of leopards over the week, with a sighting every day. Bella who has been our main star over the last few years, and Olive, who we have been covering lately, were spotted along the Talek and Olare-Orok Rivers. There is a new leopard along Ntiakitiak River with two small cubs. She was seen for a few days at the same place near the Double Crossing point with a kill up in a tree, while another young female was seen at Paradise Plains with a kill near the main crossing.

Cheetahs were the most elusive the past week, with our guests seeing only a few. However, our guides promise things will improve with the expected arrival of more animals into the park.

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels
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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya June 20th 2008

Our guides at Mara Intrepids have reported the head of the migration is still streaming in, albeit at a slow pace, over the past week. Traditionally, zebras lead the rest of the migratory herds, and as we are reliably informed, it won't be long before the official migration is on. Our guests have witnessed a few crossings in the past few days. Low water levels and fewer herds have not stopped the crocodiles from trying to grab the zebras on the shallow waters.


Once across the river, they enter the Mara triangle, spreading out southwards onto the recently burnt area of the conservancy. While most other areas are still teeming with grass, this area still requires some rain for the new shoots to sprout. If the grass on the Mara plains is not burnt, then the herds may spend more time here. What remains to be seen is whether they follow their natural instincts to move on - that natural calling that abounds above all else.

PREDATORS:
Lions:
Lion sighting was reported throughout the past week. Long grass on the plains is forcing them to go up vantage points to spot their prey and survey their territories.
Shonko Pride has moved north of the Talek River towards the junction with the Mara River. This is normally part of the Ridge Pride's territory, but they have also moved east towards the border of the reserve with Olare-Orok Conservancy. The scarcity of prey has forced the pride to split into three small groupings.

Olkiombo Pride has settled to the east of Mara Intrepids and Explorer camps. They are now in two groups, one with five adult females with six cubs and another with three adult females with four cubs. Lion cubs have a rare survival rate, especially during the drier seasons where food is scarce. We hope these cubs will survive till the arrival of the main migration herds when food shall be in plenty.

Leopards:
Our guests at Mara Intrepids saw Olive twice over the past week. In one of the times, she was seen carrying a carcass of a gazelle for over a kilometre, and our guides believe that she may have small cubs - watch this space for confirmation in the coming days!

Bella has not been seen for the past one week, but the Rekero male was spotted once near the Mara River.

Cheetah:
There were few cheetah sightings over the past week, with the long grass being the main cause. They are mainly to found in areas where the grass is short with an abudance of game. There was one female seen near Double Crossing area and another one with a cub at the Topi plains. Two sub adult males were also seen near Ntiakitiak River.


Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage HotelsMigration%20Map%20-%20June202008.jpg

News from Maasai Mara, Kenya June 16th 2008

Migration Update:
The mini migration which we reported last week is still ongoing, with many more zebra and a few wildebeest seen moving into the reserve from the east. However, this is not the main migration from the Serengeti ecosystem, but a ‘localized’ group from Loita moving into the reserve. When traveling to or from Narok, one can see herds of wildebeests heading into the park from as far Maji moto area.

The recently burnt grasslands south of the Mara triangle, coupled with the rains has been the catalyst for this movement. The herbivores in this ecosystem have come to associate the burning with fresh lush shoots, which is an irresistible delicacy - especially for the wildebeest! Most of the Mara plains are still awash with a sea of over grown red oat grass, which most herbivores find quite tough and rough for their digestive systems. This explains why the herds have just been rushing through the reserve when there is plenty of grass.

There were crossing activity at the Paradise crossing point over the week as herds cross over to the west of the Mara River. These were mainly the Loita herds from the north east around Musiara Gate, moving across Paradise Plain to the river and crossing westwards. Water levels at the rivers are still low and this makes crossing easy, but it hasn’t deterred the crocodiles from getting their meal.

The coming weeks will witness a lot more activity, and we shall be there to report from the frontline!

Big Cats:
Lion:
The lion prides in our game viewing territory can still be seen in their respective locations. The Olkiombo Pride has settled to the east of Mara Intrepids over the last few days. Our guests at Mara Intrepids witnessed them killing a wildebeest a few days ago near the main Talek - Musiara Road. Shonko Pride is still thriving at Maji ya Eland, where they have split to maximize on the prey – in this case Topi and other resident antelopes concentrated in this location.

Leopard:
Leopard sightings have been good over the last few days. Even though the grass is still long, they were seen hunting on some clear patches. Olive was in her territory near Mara Intrepids, while two others females and the Rekero male were seen towards the Mara river.

Cheetah:
Cheetah sightings have been rare over the last few days. However one female was seen regularly on Paradise Plain where there is a concentration of gazelles and other herbivores. There was also one female seen with one cub, but she moved into Olare-Orok conservancy.

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 HotelsMigration%20Map%20-%20June162008.jpg

Big Cat and Migration Updates - Maasai Mara, Kenya. June 6th, 2008

The month of May was significantly wet, and the sprouting grass made it harder to spot animals. Nevertheless, recent weeks have been promising, and Heritage will continue to update you regularly on the changing weather conditions across the Mara ecosystem.

Lions:
Lions sightings were reportedly poor during the month of May, mainly due the rains in April. Most animals have moved to areas where the grass is shorter to avoid predation and to look for more nutritious shoots. The Ridge Pride has been highly mobile lately, combing larger territories in search of food.

Shonko Pride has been seen at their territory near Olkeju-Rongai over-lapping all the way to Maji ya Eland area where food is available. There are three adult males currently, and an intriguing battle with a couple of nomadic males is brewing – this promises to be interesting! Our guests at Siana Springs have enjoyed regular sightings of the Sekenani Pride, just to the west of Sekenani Gate and another pride near Keekorok airstrip.

Leopards:
Leopard have become elusive, with only a few reported sightings over the month. The long bushes along the river banks and tall grass on the plains make them quite difficult to spot. Olive and Bella are still around their territories and they have been seen though irregularly. The male that is found beyond Rekero has established his territory, and has been seen there quite a few times.

Meanwhile our Siana Springs guests continued to enjoy the sighting of a female leopard around Kissinger Area and another one just after Sekenani Gate in the typical ‘leopard pose’ up the trees scanning the plains and open ground for action

Cheetah:
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 a female with a single cub near the hippo pool at the main Mara River, our guests have been treated to several encounters with a female to the northeast of the Intrepids and Explorer camps.

MIGRATION UPDATE
The first sign of the greatest wildlife spectacle this year, the wildebeest migration, is now evident - a large herd of resident zebra migrants from the Loita Plains moving into the reserve from the east. Their entry into the park around this time is usually an indication that the southern migration is eminent. These herds of zebras were seen moving across Olorukoti and Paradise Plains, crossing the Mara River at the main crossing point onto the Mara triangle. Our guests have witnessed a lot of predation at these crossings as the crocodiles welcome their season of plenty.

Watch this space for our updated Migration reports from the frontline.

Big Cat Update - Maasai Mara, Kenya. April 25th, 2008

The continuing short rains are bringing back life to the Mara. Grass is sprouting all over, and the continued 'low traffic' is allowing the eco-system to replenish. Game is thriving, with mainly the Topi, Impala, water bucks, buffalo, elephants and giraffes resident. The weather is hospitable - warm during the day and a bit chilly at night, but our nightly camp fires and warm-water bottles are provided for your comfort. The plains roll out majestically as far as the eye can see, with only the distant hills to break your view in that inspiring way that only the African savannah can!

Lions
Game viewing has been dull for the last few weeks, ironically due to the onset of rains! Due to the rains, the grass in the Mara plains has grown tall and the animals have moved to areas where it is shorter to avoid predation and secondly look for more nutritious shoots.


Most lion prides are now highly mobile or have extended their territories to cover large ground where there is still prey. Some nomadic males have been seen roaming around trying to establish into other males' territories, with ensuing territorial turf wars between them and the dominant pride males.

Nevertheless, lion sighting would have been very poor were it not for the Olkiombo Pride still seen roaming the area to the east of Mara Intrepid/Explorer. The pride - 2 males, 7 females and 8 cubs - which took over the territory recently continues to stay despite the long absence of food. On the northern side of the reserve, our guests at Siana have enjoyed sightings of the Sekenani Pride just to the west of Sekenani Gate.

Leopard
Leopard sightings have never been better, with seven leopards regularly 'spotted' in our game viewing areas over the past 2 weeks! Bella, our female star is still around her territory where she asserts her presence by her roars at night and the few daily sightings.

A female whose territory is around Mara Intrepid was seen in broad daylight just across the river from tents 1 - 6 two days ago.

Meanwhile our guests at Siana Springs continued to enjoy the sighting of a couple of leopards around Kissinger area. Not natural open-ground hunters, the long grass has confined them up the trees scanning the plains for prey which they sneak up on.

Cheetah
Cheetah sighting has not been good lately owing to the long grass that makes it difficult for them to hunt. Most cheetahs have followed the herds outside the park, but we still get to see two females which got cubs recently, one to the east of Rhino Ridge and the other near the Mara River. In these areas are to be found small herds of gazelles, Impala and Topi, which they hunt during the difficult times.22-04-08%20MAP%20Issue%202.jpg

Big Cat Update, Maasai Mara and Samburu, Kenya, March 4th 2008

The only way to describe the Mara now is a jungle paradise! The current crisis in the country has been a blessing in disguise, with very few guests visiting the reserve allowing it to rejuvenate to its original wilderness state! Game viewing is also enjoyable owing to the little 'traffic', which is quite unusual in the Mara around this time, and the number of animals present in the reserve.

The short rains across the Mara plains recently have now left a carpet of lush green grass across the plains. At the onset of the rains, most of the remaining herds of wildebeest started migrating back to their usual calving grounds, leaving some of the Loita herds breeding in the Mara, which is quite unusual. The Mara predators have grabbed this opportunity to feed their young who would have otherwise been starving had all the migratory herds left as usual.

Lions:
All the lion pride prides in our game viewing territory are still around and actively hunting the resident herbivores. For the better part of the last month, the Ridge Pride has settled along Olare-Orok River, moving northeast to Double-Crossing area and back to Mara Intrepids' Olkiombo airstrip. However, they are split up, with one group found towards the Mara River and the other favouring the area near Mara Intrepids.

The Olkiombo Pride still roams along the Talek river. Two females from this pride have month old cubs. The two nomadic males from the Ridge Pride, Sala and Cheza have been spotted trying to take over this pride earlier in the month. This promises to be an interesting lion soap drama in the coming weeks!

Shonko Pride - with the two black maned lions - are still at Ol-Keju Rongai, from where they hunt the resident animals, mainly Topi, Impala and buffalo. Bringing down any of this requires cunning strategies since they stay in groups and are always on the look out, which the Shonko Pride has perfected. There are no small cubs in this pride currently, though some females are expecting.

Up north in the Samburu National Reserve, lion sighting is now almost guaranteed since the resident pride has stationed itself along the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River, where the animals would come for a drink in the heat of the day.



Cheetah:
Cheetah sighting has likewise been superb.

In the Mara a few individual cheetahs kept our guests enthralled by their sightings and hunting activities. The three brothers continue to roam around Rhino Ridge down to Burrungat Plains, where their hunting strategies leave everyone - guests and naturalists alike - stunned by their agility and determination. They have been hunting animals previously believed to be least on the Cheetahs menu, from adult Topi, wildebeest and Impala! What we are witness to is a remarkable change in animalistic behaviour, and we are proud to share it with our guests.

Our guest in Samburu have also been treated to cheetah kills, and we hope this will keep up in the coming weeks.



Leopards:
Leopard sightings have never been better. There are seven leopards around our game viewing area that we can now almost guarantee a sighting on every drive. Bella was seen two days ago at the junction of the Talek and Olare-Orok Rivers. She has lately extended her territory to Olkeju-Rongai where there is another young female with her mother in the same area.

Olive and her two cubs can be found between Mara Intrepids and the junction of the Talek and Olare-Orok. The cubs are now starting to relax in the presence of vehicles.
Guests have also been treated to regular encounters with two other leopards towards the Mara river, a young female and an adult male.

Leopard sighting at Samburu Intrepids is also almost guaranteed daily. The leopards here are not as shy as their Mara cousins, and live mainly along the river, where most animals are also found.



Watch this space for more breaking news from the world’s favourite felines!

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