Masai Mara Occurence

Masai Mara look green the herbivore are all spread out but as the crass get taller in some parts of the park antelopes tend to maintain the level in in some areas. The migration from loita plain are still around as the north part of Mara is still dry and  owners have decide to fence making hard for residents migration.

BIRDS

Birds are enjoying allot of insects around, The wet ground make many worms and other insects come out of the soil to get sun and breath. The migrant are not left out white storks are all over the Mara.

LIONS

Lions are doing very well many of them have cubs some are breeding we hope there will be more lions in the next few months as the north migration will be staying around.

Ridge pride;  This is a famous pride because of their dominant males Blacky & lipstick, They are wondering from the ridge, Topi plain and Olare-orok river they have skilfully female hence make kill almost every night. They are very healthy at moment.

Nguyanai pride; This is another growing pride they have been very busy breeding for the last three months some of their female have cubs along Ntiakitiak river and Olorpabit was seen breeding yesterday with another female. Their territory goes to Olare conservancy.

Paradise pride; This is another happy pride as many times there is zebras and Topis at main crossing, they have been making kill after few days Buffaloes are in big herds in their territory making them gain skills of hunting them.

Rongai pride; in South of Mara Intrepids  are doing good kill almost every night they patrol all way to survey area, Their young ones are growing faster due to availability of food.

Mash pride; They are still apart but we hope they will be back together in their territory as the cows are no longer allowed in the mash as use to be, Their six male are seen patrolling towards the Topi plain and paradise plains.

ELEPHANTS

Since the migration from Tanzania left there have been big herds of Elephant around some having calf and some big male seem to be breeding. They are beautiful creatures to watch especially when wallowing in the mud, Availability of newly growing trees make them happy as compared to dry spell when they struggle to get the required kilos of food.

ELAND

This are the largest antelopes and used to be very few and shy because they were hunted for their game meet but as they are protected in the park there number is growing up in number they have many calf and no longer shy.

THOMSON GAZELLES

They are in group of small antelopes and now they are in big herds because they feed on the new shoots of the green crass, some are breeding while some have young ones they breed all year round depending on availability of food. There close Cousin Grant are fewer as they breed after two years but they co-exist together.

LEOPARDS

As the bushes become green it become more hard to get this elusive creatures but because of our professional guides all our client at  Mara intrepids have been following this famous leopards

Bahati -She is famous and she has been showing up at smelly crossing west of intrepids camp and going along the Talek to where Olare orok meet Talek she has been alone and we think that she might be on her way to leave the cubs on their own.

Kaboso female. She has been showing up after two or three days while she go for a hunt, the clubs are still very young and that why she has not brought out from her dent.

Lorian & luluka This are famous two which you would not miss by trying two or three days unless when they kill big antelope in the ticket they always wonder around Rongai river south of Intrepids camp.

CHEETAH

They are day time and they are happy due to presence of many small antelopes, they are mostly solitary but many times male get together to form a coalition.

Malaika our famous cheetah with her two sons are still around Mara intrepids camp eastern side along Talek river, She is a very successful hunter and now happy because of many gazelles along Talek river.

Rani (musira female ) she is on western side of Mara intrepids across smelly crossing enjoying after leaving her daughters.

Five male coalitions This cheetahs have now enjoy staying in a short crass area South east Mara intrepids at hammercop area where there are also big antelopes wildebeest, Coke hartebeests and Topis, They are very successful hunters.

   Compiled & written by Silas

Kenya's & Africa's Best Golf Hotel 2017

Great Rift Valley Lodge & Golf Resort won the Kenya's & Africa's Best Golf Hotels awards 2017. The dinner was held at the La manga club Spain on 25th November 2017.

World Golf Awards Managing Director, Chris Frost, said: "The fourth installment of the 2017 World Golf Awards has been the most successful to date, welcoming industry leaders to Murcia, Spain, for a weekend of golf, networking opportunities and our fabulous Gala Ceremony.

"It has been an honor to recognize so many world-class organization here this evening and I offer my sincere congratulations to all our winners."

In a unique presentation, the World Golf Awards Academy honored golf industry stalwart, Ian Baker-Finch, with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

One of the most popular and successful golfers and golf commentators, the Australian - who is known for his easy-going manner and his love for the sport - has more than 15 years in sports television and 17 titles under his belt.

Voting for the 2017 Gala Ceremony closed at the end of September, with a record number of ballots cast by leading golf industry tourism professionals.

These were tallied alongside the votes of hundreds of thousands of golf consumers around the world, with the winners revealed earlier this evening at the five-star La Manga Club - an unrivaled sports and leisure paradise in south-east Spain.

World Golf Awards serves to celebrate and reward excellence in golf tourism, world class courses and golf destinations.

While celebrating and rewarding excellence across golf resorts, courses and the golfing destinations throughout the world, the 2017 World Golf Awards strive to ultimately raise the golf tourist customer experience and stimulate both the domestic and international golf tourism market.

Votes are made by professionals working within the golf travel & tourism industry - senior executives, travel buyers, tours operators, agents and media professionals. Votes may also be cast by the pubic (golf tourism consumers).

Votes are submitted online via the World Golf Awards website.

The winners of each national category will go head-to-head with the winners of the other countries before the unveiling of the World Winners.

World Golf Awards is the sister organisation of World Travel Awards, currently celebrating its 24th anniversary.

Kenya's Leading Safari Camp Brand 2017

Heritage Hotels has scooped Kenya's Leading Safari Camp Brand at World Travel

Awards dinner held at the five star Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre last night

[10/10/2017]. The Sales Manager, Leisure, Alice Nanana was at the glittering ceremony

to receive the gong on behalf of the group.

Celebrating its 24th anniversary, the WTA brand is recognised globally as the ultimate

travel accolade, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire. “We

have recognised the leading lights of African tourism tonight and I wish to offer my

heartfelt congratulations to all of our winners." said Graham E. Cooke, chairman and

founder of the World Travel Awards.

Heritage Hotels has previously bagged the 2014 award, and the 2016 Eco-Warrior

Award for Host Organisation of the Year.

Heritage Hotels Kenya, 11th October 2017-Heritage Hotels Bags “Kenya's Leading

Safari Camp Brand 2017” at Glitzy Ceremony In Kigali.

KIGALI, Rwanda -- Heritage Hotels' Sales Manager - Leisure, Alice Nanana [middle] holds the World Travel Award gong for Kenya's Leading Safari Camp Brand at a glitzy cer​emony in Radisson Blue Convention Centre in Kigali. She's flanked by CNBC's George ​Ndirangu and DJ Makeda Mahadeo. Photo taken October 10, 2017. ©World Travel Awards

Mara Sights

Nature

It’s green everywhere and the herbivores are spread out. The local wildebeest and zebra migration from Loita Plains is in the northern part of Mara where it is still dry.

Birds

Many migrants from the north have arrived like the white storks.

Lions

Doing very well with many prides with cubs.  

Ridge pride  

With the dominant males Blacky and Lipstick, the pride is around the Topi Plain and Olare-orok River.  All are very healthy.

Nguyanai pride

This is another growing pride. Some females have cubs along Ntiakitiak River. Olorpabit was seen mating recently with another female. The territory extends to Olare Conservancy.

Paradise pride

This is another happy pride successfully hunting zebra and topi including buffalo.

Rongai pride

Doing well. Their young ones are growing fast due to availability of prey.

Marsh pride

We hope they will be back in their territory as the cows are no longer allowed in the marsh area. Their six male are seen patrolling around Topi and Paradise plains.

Elephants

Big herds of elephants with calves.

Leopards

Bahati

She has been seen alone and we think that her grown up cubs will soon leave her.

Kaboso female

Her clubs are still very young and she has not brought them out of the den.

Lorian and Luluka Been seen hunting big antelopes.

Cheetahs

Malaika our famous cheetah with her two sons are still around Mara Intrepids Camp hunting successfully.

Rani (Musiara female ) is alone after her daughters recently left.

Five-male coalition is extremely successful as hunters bringing down big prey like wildebeest.

Article written by Silas Siele

Ziwani Escapades

Weather

No rains the whole of last week. We hope this is a short rain break, because the animals still need a lot of rain to make the grass grow higher. If the rain stops now, then it’s not good for the animals because there won’t be enough food them.

There are a few elephant herds in the sanctuary which means that some of the natural dams in the park have dried up.

Temperature

16’c morning

31’c at midday

23’c at sunset

Our New Dam

Our dam has been renovated recently. From the western side, the view is magical with the sun’s rays reflected in it surrounded by the yellow fever acacia trees. Our guests tell me “You’re lucky to work here”.   

Just after the dam was finished, 90 per cent of the hippos and crocodiles returned including ‘Big Daddy’.

It’s breeding time for the crocs. We have seen several females finding suitable places to lay their eggs. Good mothers sleep on the eggs for 90 days without eating anything. Careless females lay eggs and leave, exposing their nests to Monitor Lizards and Banded Mongoose to dig out the eggs.

Bird life is doing well. The geese have migrated to the natural dams in the sanctuary. From the restaurant our guests enjoy watching helmeted guineafowl drinking water at the dam.

Predators

Lions

Four lions were spotted this week near sign number 43 on the way to Kitani River. No photos captured.

Cheetahs

 A female with one cub was spotted near Lake Solomon. The pictures were taken by phone, so not possible to get them.

Written by Stephan Lekatoo

MASAI MARA OCTOBER SIGHTINGS

Weather

Very hot days but cold early mornings.

Most parts of the park do not have much grass – nevertheless where there is some grass, the migrating herds of wildebeest and zebras are there.

Many seasonal rivers are almost dry. Only the permanent rivers inside the park are still flowing. Interestingly, the Mara River which was very low for most of the year now seems to have a lot more water which is an indication that there is some rain upstream at the Mau Forest that is the source of the river.

Wildlife

Lots of plains game concentrated around our camps.

At the end of September, there was a little rain and the grass sprouted which attracted the herbivores including big herds of the migrating wildebeest and zebras. We saw herds crossing at the Talek River heading south towards the Serengeti.

This is the traditional calving season for most antelopes like topi, Thompson gazelles and Grant’s gazelles, hartebeest, buffalos, elands and warthogs. A few giraffes have also given birth around Olkeju Rongai.

The elephants are slowly coming back into the park now that the migration is almost over.

Predators

Lions

The Rekero-breakaway Pride

It’s at Chemarta doing extremely well with several cubs of different ages. The Musketeers are the dominant males in the pride. The pride positioned itself strategically at the Chinese hill crossing point where it has made successful kills of animals trying to cross the river.

The Musketeers are also taking care of the Paradise pride. This pride seems to be expanding its territory across the Talek River into Maji ya Eland.

The Ridge Pride

It’s at Double-crossing and the Topi plains. It’s doing quite well with the two dominant males - Lipstick and Blacky - holding on to the pride and breeding with the females.

The cubs are doing very well and one of the older females has three new cubs that are about two months old. The older four cubs - the Mandevus - three brothers and one sister - are about three and a half years old. They seem to be slowly moving away from the maternal pride and may soon establish a new territory of their own.

The Enkuyanai Pride

Some females from Olare Orok conservancy are now at Chumvi Chumvi along the Ntiakitiak River.

The dominant males - Ololpapit and Olbarnoti - who took over the pride from Romeo2 and Mohican don’t seem to be very stable. They are sharing the girls with Blacky and Lipstick of the Ridge pride.

Strange though, the pride has three cubs who seem to be tolerated by the two sets of males – Blacky and Lipstick and Ololpapit and Olbarnoti. Ordinarily, if neither of them is the father, the cubs would have been killed by them.

Cheetahs

The five-male cheetah coalition is still moving around the park. It’s been seen to cover great distances in a day taking advantage of the wildebeest around, frequently killing both young and full grown wildebeest.

The two female cheetahs who are Imani’s cubs are still together and have moved from Paradise plains to Double Crossing where they killed an impala. But because of hyenas and the Ridge pride they could not stay long in the area. They are now in the Mara Triangle.

Malaika is doing well with her two cubs. They are fully grown. We expect them to cross over to Kona ya Were as there are many gazelle and topi foals to hunt.

Leopard

Bahati with her two cubs is doing great.  She killed three wildebeest next to the Mara Intrepids Camp football pitch where she stayed for four days.

Safarilink, the older of Bahati’s cub from the previous litter has moved out of the maternal territory and establishing his territory around Maji ya Eland. He has been seen with kills up the tree.

Kaboso and cubs are doing great too. The older male cub from the previous litter is still around and moving along the Olare Orok River. They have been seen with kills up in the tree in different locations and at different times

Written by By Raphael Koikai