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