News From the Maasai Mara, Kenya 3rd August 2005

The numbers of wildebeest has increased considerably in the past week. More herds crossed the border during the week, pushing the previous groups further north and west to Burrungat, Meta and Central plains. The first groups have already crossed over to the Mara triangle. The past few days have seen a few crossings on the traditional route, just below Look Out Hill with most herds heading westwards.

The Serengeti herds have meanwhile split into two groups. One group is heading north towards the Mara Intrepids and Rhino Ridge to join up with the Loita herds, while the other is heading west into the Mara triangle. The northern groups have been crossing the Talek River between Talek gate and Mara Intrepids. An earlier assumption that the amount of grass in their way would slow their pace has proven wrong. These Serengeti herds are part of the eastern migration that came right from the central plains in the Serengeti into the Mara. The western wing herds are yet to cross into the Mara. Normally these would come through the south western side of the Mara around Ngiro-are and Engoikwaatet Salt Lick. From all appearances, the concentration will be even higher this year when all these herds merge.

The Loita herds have spread out over a wider area in the past week, with some crossing the Mara River into the Mara triangle, and others headed south wards to join the Serengeti herds. If the grass on the Mara plains is not burnt, then the herds may spend more time here this year although their natural instinct to move on normally goes beyond anything else.

PREDATORS
Lion prides in the Mara are now re-grouping and going on a feeding frenzy as the herds go through their territories. The Ridge Pride, our feature over the lean period, has now become a major attraction. Their hunting skills leave a lot to be desired, what with a few older cubs overzealously trying their stalking skills even on larger animals! It is laughable to see them retreat for dear life when confronted by buffalo. But nothing to lose here; it is all part of the training and that is how hunting skills are honed.

The three main prides near Keekorok Lodge have been a daily attraction our guests from Siana. Leopards’ sightings have also become a daily occurrence. Bella, our main feature star has been spotted along the Talek and Olareorok Rivers over the past week, with her son Chui a bit rarer. With more herbivores spread across the plains, cheetah activity has increased considerably, with guests getting daily treats to spectacular hunts.

OTHER INTERESTING SIGHTINGS.
Our guests were treated to a rare sighting when a python killed a gazelle, fought off a pair of jackals, only to lose it to a lion that appeared from nowhere. The lion had only seen the dead gazelle. She proceeded to pick it and had carried it briefly when she noticed the snake wrapped around it. Dropping the prey hastily, the lion was in luck when the disturbed python unwrapped from the gazelle and slithered into the bush.

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News from the Maasai Mara, Kenya 26th July 2005

The Great Migration enters its third week, with wildebeest and zebra herds increasing fast. The light rains that swept across the southern Mara have drawn the herds from northern Serengeti. They had briefly settled on the recently burnt areas, but insufficient amounts of rain in those areas were not enough to make the grass sprout.

Some crossing has been noted on the Sand River, with many animals moving into the Mara from Serengeti. However, it’s not yet dramatic since only a hand full of animals are crossing, and low water levels making it just a walk-across. The herds have now spread out between Keekorok plains and Roan Hill, and as far as Look Out Hill.

Meanwhile, the Loita herds of wildebeest and zebras are now spread across from Musiara Gate, down to Ntiakitiak River and south to Talek Gate. Over the past seven days, they have been streaming in small numbers towards Paradise Plains, with some crossing westwards onto Mara Conservancy. Guests at the Explorer and Intrepids have enjoyed a week full of excitement and first class viewing of nature at its best, and the fun is just beginning!

PREDATORS:
The lion prides along the north bank of the Sand River’s have regrouped for the season of plenty. Known to be the largest pride in the park, they have been on a strict wildebeest/zebra diet since the herds came into their territory two weeks ago.

To the north, the Ridge pride is still very active. Our guests have witnessed many kills, even during the day in the last seven days, as the pounding hooves of the migrating herbivores keeps awakens the lions from their slumber. The old Bila Shaka pride to the north of Rhino Ridge is rejuvenated, with 9 very young cubs now.

Lately it has become easier to spot Cheetahs than has been the case in the previous weeks. Leopards are also starting to get active and their sightings have improved remarkably. Bella, the Big Cat Diary star, can still be seen around with her cub. True to our prediction, with more prey around, she is being seen more regularly
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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.

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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!