Life Thrives In the Mara

It’s cloudy in the Mara, a sign that the short rains are due. The temperatures for are cool in the early and late day. The grass has changed from brown to green after a recent spell of rains.

As usual, during the migration it does rain a few days during which the topis, warthogs and Thomson gazelles drop their young ones. It’s a good time for them to do so for the grass has been cropped down by the wildebeest and zebra making it easy for the antelopes to scan the horizon and take their young ones to safety in case of predators. The new shoots also provide healthy grass for lactating females to produce milk for the young.

    

 THE GREAT MIGRATION OF THE WILDEBEEST AND ZEBRAS

The Loita migration (Kenyan one) of the wildebeest and zebras is on and the animals are everywhere. Large groups are congregating at Olkiombo Plain, Topi Plain and Paradise Crossing close to the Mara Intrepids Camp.

The Loita Plain is still dry and hence the grazers are reluctant to go back to their home ground, which is favorable for calving mothers in the month of February when the grass is short and safe for the hapless calving females.

The ranting season is over and the wildebeest females are expectant. There’s no more chasing and fighting by the males for mating rights.

The crossings are taking place at Paradise Crossing with the wildebeest moving west to the Mara Triangle.

All the grazers are enjoying the lush grass and fresh water in the natural water pools. In two months the zebras will begin to drop their foals after the topis, warthogs and Thomson gazelles have had their turn.   

   

 

   

PREDATOR SIGHTINGS

LIONS

It was one of the best sightings recorded close to Mara Intrepids Camp at Smelly Crossing.

The wildebeest were crossing Olare Orok River to the Rhino Ridge, when a lioness came out of the bush and got a wildebeest in the middle of the dry river bed. While a struggle ensued, a troop of baboons alerted Olive the leopard from her hideout and chased her towards the lioness with a wildebeest kill. The lioness dropped the kill and chased Olive away.

The Ridge Pride has settled between Talek and Olare Orok River waiting for the wildebeest to cross to Rhino Ridge.

The Notch group of five males is now mating with the Olkiombo lionesses east of the Mara Explorer Camp. A lioness from this pride has two cubs aged three months. Notch will still stay with them until they are old enough to look after themselves. Notch loves cubs and has always been a good father. The Marsh Pride has 11cubs and the Paradise Pride has two.     

LEOPARDS

Olive and Saba are patrolling between Talek and the Olare Orok River, close to Mara Intrepids Camp.

Bahati is independent on the side of food, but still shares the hunting grounds with her mother. She has started spraying on the bushes, a sign that she’s ready for a mate.

CHEETAHS

Cheetah sightings have been good around Mara Intrepids Camp, with Alama and her two cubs aged three months seen between Intiakitiak and Olare Orok River.

Malaika went south of Mara Intrepids Camp and joined another cheetah with four cubs aged five months.