Weather
It’s
drizzling in the Mara. The grass on some plains is green and short and in other
parts it’s tall with the red-oat grass.
The
sunsets and sunrise are great. After sunset, it’s cloudy with showers of rain.
Temperature
17c
morning
27c
at midday
25c
after sunset.
Migration of Wildebeest and Zebras
The
annual migration of the wildebeest and zebras from the Serengeti in Tanzania
and the Loita plains in Kenya has arrived.
After
the prolonged drought in the country, the Mara region was greatly affected with
no grass for the cattle to graze. For the herds to survive, nocturnal grazing
was allowed in the eastern part of the Mara reserve, where they have consumed
three quarters of the grass.
Hence,
the migrating wildebeest and zebra do not have enough to browse on in this part
of the reserve. This has affected the usual grazing pattern where the zebras
come first followed by the wildebeest and gazelles.
This
has also affected their movement pattern. The herds are moving faster in search
of grass. This means that the spectacular Mara River crossing to the west of
the Mara to join the Mara Triangle conservancy may happen in the next few days.
The most likely places for the crossing could be at the Lookout Crossing and
Paradise Crossing which is west of Mara Intrepids Camp at Mara River.
The
Talek River crossing will likely be between Mara Intrepids Camp and the
junction of Talek and Mara River.
The
Posse and Meta plains south of Mara Intrepids Camp are full of wildebeest and
zebra.
The
wildebeest male are busy trying to establish their dominancy and mating rites.
Predators
Predators’
sightings have been good because of the abundant food.
Lions
The
prides of lions have started grouping themselves after a long period of
separation due to lack of prey. It’s a survival strategy to avoid competition
where the prides break into smaller family units of three or four depending on
the size of the litter.
The Ridge
pride now
consists of three groups - one of eight individuals, another with seven members
and another one of nine with Blacky and Lipstick. The males in the pride are
converging between Rekero and Mara Intrepids Camp.
Double-cross
pride went
through a lot of hardship due to no food and dominance from the new male lions
from Olare Orok pride. They came in and kicked out Mohican and Romeo2 from the
Double-cross pride.
The
old lioness with two cubs who had a deep cut on her back leg caused by a
warthog managed to escape with her cubs from the sub-adult male lions of the
Ridge pride – who most likely would have killed her cubs.
The
Double-cross pride had nine cubs. Six were killed by the new two new males who
came from Olare Orok conservancy (the same ones who chased away Mohican and
Romeo2).
Notch’s four bully boys - Roan, Ciza, Crimes
and Notch2 are at Olkejuronkai with the Shonko pride south of Mara Intrepids
Camp.
Cheetahs
Amani
and her four-month-old cub are at Survey, south of Mara Intrepids Camp by the
Olkiombo airstrip.
Cheetahs
tend to pave way for the wildebeest migration and rally behind them where the
grass has been crop down. This attracts the small antelopes like Thomson
gazelle which is the cheetah’s favorite prey.
Leopards
Leopard
sightings are more than cheetah ones especially along Olare Orok and
Intiakitiak Rivers. Saba and Jicho, the male leopard are at Olare Orok and
Lerai. Another female leopard is at Intiakitiak.
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| Saba, the last borne of (late)Olive, the famous female leopard at the junction of Intiakitiak and Olare Orok river |
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| Double Cross lioness with cubs of different ages cross suckling. |
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| Blacky, the Ridge pride male with a wildebeest kill at Shamarta west of Mara intrepids camp. |
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| Wildebeest crossing Talek River east of Mara Explorer Camp |
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Romeo2 at Double Cross during his last visit after he was chased out of the Double Cross pride and territory.
Report and pictures by John Parmasau –
Head Safari Guide, Mara Intrepids and Mara Explorer Camps.
©Heritage Hotels Ltd, Kenya. http://www.heritage-eastafrica.com/
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