Olive, The Queen Is No More

Weather: Cloudy, rain with sporadic bursts of sunshine and generally warm during the day.

Some of the river crossings, luggas and swampy areas are unmanageable with two wheel drive vehicles. Only 4x4 vehicles can cross them.

Everything is green with wild flowers in bloom. The plains animals like the topi, Thomson gazelle and warthogs and the predators like lions, hyenas and leopards are beginning to give birth. This is because the plains game has enough rich grass for females to produce milk for the young. For the predators there is enough prey to sustain the families.

   

THE GREAT MIGRATION OF WILDEBEEST AND ZEBRAS

The wildebeest and zebras are back from the west of Mara River after exhausting the ‘Mara Triangle’ plain along Oloololo escarpment’ following the rain and the rejuvenated grassland. They are on the eastern side, from Topi Plain to the border of Kenya and Tanzania. Posse Plain is holding a big concentration where the migrating animals are not in a hurry to cross the border.

For three consecutive days, the animals crossed to the east of Mara River where the river is high, making it hard for the animals to get to safe exit points. Many have been washed downstream and trapped in cliffs and steep walls while others have been caught in stampedes created by wildebeest and zebra toppling over each other.

The crocodiles are relaxed and attack at leisure or wait for those who have been overpowered by the strong river current.

     

  

          

PREDATOR SIGHTINGS

Predator sighting is great around Olkiombo by Mara Intrepids Camp.

LIONS

The Olkeju Ronkai pride and Olkiombo pride are the highlight of lion sighting in the Mara because of the young cubs. Notch and his bully boys are there to protect their offspring and territory. The rest of the prides are scattered.

     

LEOPARDS

Olive sadly was found dead three hundred meters from the river bridge at Mara Intrepids Camp with deep bites on the back of her head. We don’t know if this resulted from a fight with a lion bite or another intruding leopard. Bahati and Saba will be our future stars around Mara Intrepids Camp.

Pic courtesy Paul Kirui ©

Lerai is with her three-month-old cub who is very calm and friendly.  

Lorien is in the south along Olkeju Ronkai. To the west of the pump house is the female with her two cubs aged four months.

Olive. Video courtesy Gurgeet Chana

 CHEETAHS

Solitary cheetahs are common at the moment except Narasha (or Alama) who has not separated from her cubs.

Heritage Hotels (Kenya) manages two luxury camps in the Masai Mara - Mara Explorer and Mara Intrepids - in the confluence of the four game viewing areas of the Masai Mara. The camps are on the banks of the Talek River, with most tents spread along the banks.  Report by John Parmsau. Pictures by John Parmasau & Paul Kirui. Video by Gurgeet Chana.  ©Heritage Hotels Ltd, Kenya. http://www.heritage-eastafrica.com/