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