News from the Maasai Mara Kenya, 21st July 2005

The concentration of wildebeests in the Mara has gone up even more since last week. The Loita herds have almost tripled up in number, and the Serengeti herds have doubled and are now beyond the main Keekorok/Mara bridge road. The zebras are still leading the way as usual and quite a handful has already got to lookout hill. The long grass in their way is still keeping them from moving fast across the plains.
There some light showers last week on Thursday and Friday mainly along the border of the Mara/Serengeti, and this has caused a higher concentration in northern Serengeti as the southern herds keep pushing north. The western front of the migration is also said to be north bound around fort Goma, north of Grumeti. Should they keep the same pace as the eastern front, then they will be in the Mara in a couple of weeks. However the concentration in southern Mara is already breath taking for first timers.
The Loita herds, besides increasing in number, has also pushed westwards across Olorukoti and paradise plains to the Mara river. A few crossings have been witnessed in the past few days. This has mainly consisted of zebras who were also the first to get this area as they lead the rest of the migratory herds. These crossing however, were not as dramatic because there is not much water in the river, but the crocodiles gave some life to the scenario as they try to grab one of the zebras swimming across in the shallow water.

PREDATORS:
The lions’ prides to the south and east are now reshaping their territories due to the arrival of the herds. Most prides had disintegrated during the lean period.
The Ridge pride which is one of the well established to the north east, have been roaming all the areas to the east of Rhino ridge including ntiakitiak and Ngorbob Rivers. They have been making a kill almost daily after the arrival of the herds. One morning last week our guests were treated to an interesting sighting of a duel between a pack of hyenas and the ridge pride over a wildebeest carcass. This happened at the edge of a pool of muggy water. The carcass soon fell into the pool and the lions tried retrieving it and got themselves covered in mud!
Bella was seen once last week and her son seen four times. We believe now with the arrival of the migratory herds she will be seen regularly as usual.
Kike can also be seen and so are her offspring, (the three former cubs)
Three other cheetahs can be seen in different areas.

Migration%20Map%2021-07-2005.jpg

News from the Maasai Mara, Kenya 13th July 2005

The second week of the Great Migration has seen a remarkable increase in concentrations of wildebeest and zebra across the southern Mara. The beginning of this week saw an additional 5,000 animals congregating around and to the north of Sand River Gate. The first herds, meanwhile, have pushed further west to Roan Hill and have been joined by another herd of about 2,000 wildebeest that crossed from the Serengeti around Naima Lumbwa hills. The increase in the past two days alone confirms our gut-feeling that the ‘main event’ has now arrived in earnest.


The burning of grass in northern Serengeti must have hastened the wildebeests’ pace from the south, as they usually associate such burning with lush shoots of new grass. This normally happens if we get some rains immediately after the burning. However, the burning may not be so extensive this time because the grass is still green from last month’s late rains.


With the wildebeest come their inevitable pursuers. Two large prides of lions have recently taken up strategic residence between Sand River and Keekorok Lodge. Alerted by the constant thump of pounding hooves, they are now very aware that the season of plenty has arrived – a reassuring sign that they will be able to survive the next five months without going hungry. The leopards are also becoming active; our guides at Siana Springs have spotted a leopard and cub with a zebra foal up a tree near Sand River.


The Loita herds of wildebeest and zebra, meanwhile, are also increasing in number across the central Mara, near Musiara Gate, around ‘Double Cross’ and the Topi Plains east of Rhino Ridge. At Double Cross, the Ridge pride of lions are looking in fine fettle, with their new cubs bouncing back to health after the lean season. Intrepids and Explorer guests have been treated to several kills close to camp over the past week, as well as several entertaining close calls. It all promises a season of non-stop action and excitement for at least the next two months.Migration%20Map%2013-07-2005.jpgMigration%20Map%2013-07-2005.jpg

Mara Big Cat Update: 7th June 2005

The Cats’ Cradle
News from the World’s Most Famous Felines

Maasai Mara, Kenya
Here’s what has been happening to your favourite felines since Heritage Hotels’ last update from the Cradle of Humanity (and Big Cats) back in April:

Lions
The month of May was reasonably quiet in terms of game viewing in the Maasai Mara. Following the rains in April, the grass has grown tall and – as is usually the case at this time of year – most animals have moved to areas of shorter grass to avoid predators and to look for more nutritious young shoots. Although lion sightings have been limited, the Ridge Pride has been out in force, with all 10 cubs still roaming together in a territory that has been expanded east of Rhino Ridge and the plains north and south of Mara Intrepids/Explorer. So expansive has their territory become that they have now displaced the Olkiombo Pride, which used to reside along the Talek River east of our camps. The two prides had a violent confrontation last month, which resulted in one of the Olkiombo females succumbing to her injuries. With only a month to go before the true season of plenty begins, the Ridge pride looks set to dominate the entire region. Although there are a couple of nomadic males still trying to inch their way into this territory, they have no chance as the two dominant males are at their prime and will see off any intruders with ease. The Sekenani Pride, meanwhile, continue to be regularly spotted by our guests at Siana Springs just west of Sekenani Gate.

Leopards
Leopard sightings have become scanty over the past month, with the long grass making it much harder to spot the elusive cats. You can easily drive past a leopard two metres from the road without knowing it. Our nearest and dearest star, Bella, is still around, and we often hear her roars at night. Her son, Chui, was seen only twice last month. Guests at Siana, however, were treated to several sightings of a female leopard and cub in the Kissinger area – particularly up in the taller trees, from where the mother is often seen scanning the plains for potential prey.

Cheetahs
Kike, our now legendary television star, continues to provide our guests with some fantastic close encounters. While most of the Mara’s other cheetahs have followed the herds outside the park, Kike continues her allegiance to Rhino Ridge, where she always seems to be able to find something to eat! Her cubs have also established themselves along the Talek River to the east of Mara Explorer and west of Talek Gate, where there are still some small herds of gazelle, impala and topi. Still together and even stronger, they are now chasing ever larger antelopes – and giving our guests a wild feast of experiences in the process!

Other Big Sightings
The female elephant with twin calves has moved towards Sekenani Gate, where they have treated guests at Siana Springs to several sightings over the past two weeks. Musa, Siana’s head guide, says this is the first time in living memory that a pair of elephant twins have been spotted in the world’s most famous game reserve.

Mara Big Cat Update:11th April 2005

Here’s what has been happening to your favourite felines since Heritage Hotels’ last wildlife update from the Cradle of Humanity (and Big Cats) back in early March:

Lions
With the onset of the eagerly-awaited long rains, lion sightings are expected to decline across the Mara, as the herbivores head en masse for areas of short grass. However, through March, lion sightings remained good for Intrepids and Explorer guests, including several exciting daylight hunts. With many cubs to feed, the pride females are having to work very hard to feed them. Some of the cubs have also begun to experiment with stalking the local zebras, creating some particularly amusing (and disproportionate) spectacles!
The Ridge Pride continues to roam the same territory to the east of Rhino Ridge and around the ‘Double Crossing’ area. There is still plenty of game in this area, including zebra and a few wildebeest from the remaining Loita population. The pride is expected to remain here for the foreseeable future, as the western end of their extensive territory is empty of food.
The Olkiombo Pride, meanwhile, has begun to regroup along the Talek River near the ‘Kichaka ya round’ bush east of Mara Explorer, where they have been seizing the opportunity for a few last ‘big meals’ before the end of the season of plenty. The heavy downpours that fell on the Mara Plains in mid-March raised the levels of the Talek River, effectively cutting off these lions from the south banks – to our guests’ great delight!

Leopards
Our predictions for declining leopard sightings this month were happily proved wrong, as our beautiful spotted stars continued to come out in force. Despite the longer grass making it harder to spot these elusive creatures, we were blessed with sightings of both of Bella’s daughters, Ntito and Olareorok, who now occupy different territories. Bella meanwhile ventured far from her territory past the Olareorok River, where she succeeded in making a kill but – alas! – was held hostage up a tree by some crafty lionesses from the Ridge Pride. This was not the only time Bella came up against stiff opposition; on another game drive, our guests were treated to the rare sight of her fighting with a pack of hyenas over a reedbuck she had killed near Mara Explorer. With the help of her almost fully-grown son, Chui, she managed to claim at least half of the spoils and haul it up a nearby tree. Chui’s uniquely long bond with his mother has now reached 20 months, surpassing any other relationship that we have known between a male cub and his mother. However, we believe that when a new suitor arrives – as is inevitable – Chui will eventually have to go his own way. On March 30th, Chui again proved his mettle, fighting off another pack of hyenas and warding off a second male leopard trying to move in on his latest kill.

Cheetahs
Although cheetah sightings were generally also good during March, we have not been seeing so much of our biggest TV superstar, Kike. Some of our guests did see her just west of Rhino Ridge earlier in the month, but with the decline of game, we have not been frequenting this area very much – leaving, we hope, the few gazelles and other small antelopes in the area all for the cheetahs!
Honey, our other star, has been much more in evidence, appearing at least every other day on the Topi Plains north of Rhino Ridge. Together with her sub-adult cubs, Honey has made several successful hunts in the area. She has also treated our guests to some spectacles that we more sensitive humans would call ‘cruel’ – catching gazelle fawns and letting her cubs play with them as a training tool. Sometimes this may go on for as long as 30 minutes, which is traumatising not only to the poor gazelle but also to the more tender-hearted guests in attendance. But this is nature, and it will happen whether we are around or not.
Kike’s two cubs are still living and hunting together, although at two years of age we think it won’t be long before they go their separate ways. They are currently to the east of Mara Explorer on the north bank of the Talek, and, with the high water levels, we believe they will hang around here for some time to come.

Other Big Sightings
One of our favourite female rhinos has just given birth to a healthy calf between Mara Intrepids and Lookout Hill. We know this rhino quite well as she charged and slightly dented one of our vehicles back in December! A family staying at Mara Explorer last week enjoyed a particularly rare sighting when they chanced upon a pair of serval cats mating. Proof, we think, that Explorer remains one of the most romantic settings in Africa!

Mara Bg Cat Update: 4th March 205

Maasai Mara, Kenya


Here’s what has been happening to your favourite felines since Heritage Hotels’ last wildlife update from the Cradle of Humanity (and Big Cats) back in early February:


Lions
The Ridge and Olkiombo prides are still very much in evidence in the main reserve, spurred on by the presence of so many wildebeest and zebra, which for some reason have decided not to return to the Loita Hills this year. Although February is traditionally the beginning of the toughest season for our lions, as migrating animals vacate the Mara and resident herds move to areas with shorter grass, this year has seen an unusually high presence of grazers on the Paradise Plains north of Mara Intrepids. Bolstered by this unexpected good fortune, the Ridge Pride recently brought down a giraffe, which kept them busy for five days! They have also killed a couple of zebra, which in these open areas requires the experience of the older members of the pride. The two adult males are both still around, with the one injured in a brawl with the females last month still limping. The female who arrived in the pride last month is now comfortable with the other females and, if she has already conceived with one of the males, will soon be cementing her place in the pride for good.

Leopards
The long grass around the Talek River has made leopard sightings tougher during the past month. However, Bella and her son Chui are both still around and both have made a few passing appearances. Although Chui is making all the signs of going his own way, the pair came together on February 28th after a long time apart. We believe the mother called to her son after picking up his scent in the area. We were watching the cub at the time, and – upon hearing his mother – he came bounding out of the bushes towards her. Rarely have we had the pleasure of witnessing such an emotional reunion between two animals. While they are together as we write, we know this is not destined to be for long – although, once again, it has been utterly delightful to witness two wild animals who share such a strong, expressive bond with one another.

Cheetahs
All of our greater spotted stars have been in evidence this month – like the lions, taking advantage of the unexpected extension to the last season of plenty. The ‘people’s star’ Kike continues to roam around Rhino Ridge, while her mature cubs have been seen crisscrossing the Talek River east of Intrepids. At two years, the cubs are still living and hunting together, although – like Bella and Chui – we think it won’t be long before Nature decides to separate them. Honey has ventured farther north and is currently roaming east of Musiara Gate, while the other female with her single cub has been spotted on the Paradise Plains. However, before the next gazelle fawning season, those cheetahs with cubs will continue to have to work particularly hard to succeed in their hunts. With the current rains, the grass is beginning to grow afresh, and the gazelles will soon be forced to move to more open ground. But, as always, the cheetahs will know where to find them when their hunger calls.

Other Big Sightings
We have enjoyed several more sightings of the female elephant with her twin calves, as reported in the last issue of The Cats’ Cradle. We have also been treated to regular sightings of a male black rhino just south of Mara Intrepids and Explorer. All in all, it’s been another big month for Big Five sightings!

Mara Big Cat Update: 7th February 2005

The Cats’ Cradle

News from the World’s Most Famous Felines





Maasai Mara, Kenya February 7th 2005





Here’s what has been happening to your favourite felines since Heritage Hotels’ last wildlife update from the Cradle of Humanity (and Big Cats) back in early January.



Lions

Sightings of lions in the Maasai Mara have never been so good. With the unexpected rains making the grass on the plains sprout early, herds of plains game have been congregating in areas where the grass is still short – providing easy hunting for the local prides, and easy lion-spotting for us! The Ridge Pride has now moved to settle just east of Rhino Ridge, where there are plenty of animals grazing on the higher ground. These lions have made several successful, mainly nocturnal hunts, before retreating to the streams while they wait for their unsuspecting prey to return. Their month’s tally includes a buffalo, which they fed on for four days, two zebras and two warthogs. There are now 11 cubs, after one was killed by a new female brought in by one of the pride males on January 28th. There was a fierce fight when the stranger arrived, with her fighting the four pride females before chasing the cubs, killing one and seriously injuring another. To the amazement of everybody, the mother of the dead cub then ate it – a strange and unusual sight. The pride is still in the same place and the females have now slowly started to accept the stranger.



Cheetahs

Cheetah sightings have also been good this month, with regular sightings of our famous star, Kike, who is still roaming the plains around Rhino Ridge and Mara Intrepids. The long grass in her old home range around Bila Shaka/Musiara has forced Kike to shift and make this new area her home, where she has bounced back to full health after losing her last litter to lions and suffering a serious bout of sacoptic mange (which was treated by a KWS vet). Her old cubs are still around, and have been seen crossing the Talek River and roaming the plains east of Mara Intrepids. Honey has also been regularly spotted in the area with her three sub-adult cubs, which are also perfecting Kike’s film-star antics – jumping onto car bonnets and trying to bite off mud-flaps. A third female, Mmoja, has also been seen in the area with a single cub aged around six months.



Leopards

With the grass growing taller along the rivers, we haven’t seen so much of our dear friend Bella this month. However, the Big Cat Week star continues to show signs of separating from her 18-month-old son Chui, and we believe the two will go their own ways very soon. (Leopards can usually take care of themselves after their first year.) We believe that Bella will be coming into oestrus very soon and will probably have a new litter this year. Our prayer? That she gives birth where she did in 2003 – just behind Mara Explorer. With unfavourable conditions near the rivers, it’s quite likely that the two leopards near our camps have been hunting further afield, or resorting to smaller prey such as birds, hares, lizards, mice, or even fish. These can usually keep them going until the next season of plenty.



Other Big Sightings

Since early January, a female elephant with twin calves aged about four months has been seen regularly on our game-viewing circuit. This is a very rare treat. We know that they are twins because their mother keeps breastfeeding them simultaneously. For guests to the Mara’s top two safari camps, this has indeed proved a twin blessing!





MARA INTREPIDS – MARA EXPLORER – SIANA SPRINGS

Three Ringside Seats for the World’s Greatest Game Show

Mara Big Cat Update: 7th January 2005

The Cats’ Cradle

News from the World’s Most Famous Felines





Maasai Mara, Kenya

January 7th, 2005





Here’s what has been happening to your favourite felines* since Heritage Hotels’ last wildlife update from the Cradle of Humanity (and Big Cats) back in early December.





Lions

The three prides of lions in our game-viewing territory were very active throughout December, although we were only able to keep track of two of them – the Ridge and Olkiombo prides – on a daily basis. The Ridge (also known as Maternity) pride has been roaming the area between Mara Intrepids, Rhino Ridge and the Mara River. With 12 cubs to feed, the females have been very active on the hunting front – even killing a hippo for the second time in two months! The passage of isolated herds of zebras from the Loita Hills have provided the pride with some relatively easy pickings – although once these herds have returned to the Loitas, much leaner times will begin.



With the belated end of an extraordinary migration season, the Olkiombo pride has also been hunting farther afield – extending its range north to the banks of the Ntiakitiak River. With the grass starting to sprout across the Mara, many of the adult lions are developing a habit of climbing termite mounds to look for their prey – making them much easier to spot. Although not much has been seen of the Shonko pride, they were sighted last week with some newborn cubs in tow. Watch this space for more news of the world’s boldest Big Cats!



Leopards

Our top television starlet, Bella, has been active in her territory for much of the past month. Her son Chui (also known as Kijana) has also been seen in the same territory, although he has been largely on his own for three weeks of the past four – a sure sign that he is at last beginning to go his own way. Chui has already begun to show a remarkable hunting prowess for his 17 months, killing a reedbuck on December 27th (although he later lost it to a hyena). A few days ago, he joined his mother in a successful hunt for a second reedbuck at the Mtamaiyo Lugga. They remain together as we write this. A second female leopard was also spotted at Olareorok very briefly one morning.



Cheetahs

The spotted stars of the small screen have also been out in force this month – particularly on the termite mounds from which they love scanning the horizons for prey (or enemies). The lovely Kike, who we expected to give birth sometime last month, disappeared for a time, only to reappear this week looking thin and with rashes on her ears. We believe she may have given birth and lost her cubs to the lions in Bila Shaka. However, we are not too worried about her own health, as she has proved her courage and tenacity on so many occasions in the past.



Kike’s three older cubs, meanwhile, are still together roaming the plains to the east of Mara Intrepids. On one occasion in mid-December, the male cub was confronted by another sub-adult male which tried to separate him from his sisters – but he was seen off by the three of them, who fought off the intruder in unison. Although they are clearly very close siblings, we know that Nature will one day force them to go their own way…



* A record number of viewers are expected to tune in to the sixth series of ‘Big Cat Week’, which is showing on BBC-1 at 7pm every evening of this week.