Defying time and tradition, huge herds of wildebeest are still to be found in the northern Mara, where Kenya’s most celebrated visitors have continued to enjoy a busy ‘second migration’. With the rest of the Mara left largely bare of grass from the first migration in July/August, the northern area was spared – providing a handy grazing reserve for the wildebeest on their second run through. Over the past week, most of the herds have been congregating in the northern part of the ‘Mara Triangle’ near Oloololo Gate and the Olpunyata Plains. To the east, there are still some herds around Rhino Ridge, Paradise Plains and Musiara, while sporadic herds can also be seen in transit between the Talek River and Roan Hill.
Earlier this week, our visitors were treated to several mass river crossings at the Paradise point, with thousands of animals passing west into the Triangle in what is believed to be the first sign of a mass exodus. Although river levels are normal, the stampeding animals have left behind a lot of casualties, providing a feast for the few crocodiles that still have an appetite left over from August. There was a moment of drama when the river current swept a handful of wildebeests towards a pod of hippos, causing considerable consternation (but no casualties) among both parties!
Predators
With another season of plenty upon them, all of the big cats in our game viewing territory have been having their fill a second time over. The Ridge pride of lions recently killed 10 wildebeest near Mara Intrepids’ airstrip over two nights – a record for our area. The ever opportunistic hyenas and vultures also had a field day, giving rise to several fights between the lions and hyenas. Cheetah sightings have also been good, with several gazelle fawns falling easy prey to these fleet-footed cats. Bella and Chui the leopards have been very active, placing themselves strategically along the Talek River to ambush crossing animals. We have also witnessed a couple of daytime hunts, which is a rarity among these usually nocturnal cats.
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03 November, 2005
12 October, 2005
News from the Maasai Mara, Kenya Tuesday 11th October 3005
After one of the longest migrations on record, there are still some large wildebeest herds on the central and western Mara plains – with patchier herds towards the north of the reserve. The last two weeks have been dry and hot, forcing the animals to converge at the larger watering holes or streams to drink during the day. The higher concentration of wildebeest on the central plains is largely due to the availability of grass; unlike other areas, these plains were not burned during the dry season, thus sparing the grass for the hungry herbivores. The red oat grass that dominates the central plains also regenerates faster the more it is fed upon – definitely a beneficial relationship for all species!
Recent days have been quiet on the Mara River, with only a handful of animals crossing in both directions at the Lookout Hill and Paradise crossing points. Predation by crocodiles has also gone down, after the feeding frenzy that followed the recent mass drowning of wildebeest (fuelled by rising water levels after unexpected rains at the source of the river), which had given the crocs an easy meal. On dry land, the predators have been more fortunate, with the mass birthing of topi, hartebeest, impala and gazelles offering the Big Cats plenty of easy prey. The cheetahs have been particularly busy, with their habit of catching gazelle fawns and bringing them to their cubs to train them how to hunt.
The continuing presence of the migration will depend completely on the arrival – or failure – of the short rains, which are usually due in the next two weeks. If the rains come, more grass will grow and the animals will stay. If they don’t, the animals will probably move south in their constant search for fresh pasture.
Predator News
All of the lion prides in the Intrepids and Explorer game-viewing territories have been busy in their home ranges. In the past week, our guests have seen all three prides hunting, either for wildebeest, zebra or warthogs. A lioness from the Ridge pride gave us our sighting of the week, coming out in both the morning and the late afternoon to play with her four young cubs just 1km from Mara Explorer. Leopard sightings have also been excellent, with Bella providing a show de force for some Explorer guests when a herd of wildebeest came looking for shade beneath a tree in which she was resting – only for her to drop out of the tree straight onto a wildebeest calf. One guest who has visited us 30 times said this was the highlight of all his safari experiences to date!
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Recent days have been quiet on the Mara River, with only a handful of animals crossing in both directions at the Lookout Hill and Paradise crossing points. Predation by crocodiles has also gone down, after the feeding frenzy that followed the recent mass drowning of wildebeest (fuelled by rising water levels after unexpected rains at the source of the river), which had given the crocs an easy meal. On dry land, the predators have been more fortunate, with the mass birthing of topi, hartebeest, impala and gazelles offering the Big Cats plenty of easy prey. The cheetahs have been particularly busy, with their habit of catching gazelle fawns and bringing them to their cubs to train them how to hunt.
The continuing presence of the migration will depend completely on the arrival – or failure – of the short rains, which are usually due in the next two weeks. If the rains come, more grass will grow and the animals will stay. If they don’t, the animals will probably move south in their constant search for fresh pasture.
Predator News
All of the lion prides in the Intrepids and Explorer game-viewing territories have been busy in their home ranges. In the past week, our guests have seen all three prides hunting, either for wildebeest, zebra or warthogs. A lioness from the Ridge pride gave us our sighting of the week, coming out in both the morning and the late afternoon to play with her four young cubs just 1km from Mara Explorer. Leopard sightings have also been excellent, with Bella providing a show de force for some Explorer guests when a herd of wildebeest came looking for shade beneath a tree in which she was resting – only for her to drop out of the tree straight onto a wildebeest calf. One guest who has visited us 30 times said this was the highlight of all his safari experiences to date!
Migration%20Map%2011-10-05%20Issue%2011.jpg
29 September, 2005
News from the Maasai Mara, Kenya 29th September 2005
The Maasai Mara is continuing to witness the full wild glory of a comprehensive 'second migration', as sweeping herds of wildebeest and zebra paint the plains south of the Talek River a million hues of black, white, brown and grey. The crossing points on the Mara River below Lookout Hill have been the place to be in recent days, with thousands of animals crossing westwards into the Mara Triangle, often as early as 8am. With the grazing herds have predictably come the predators: lion prides basking in a new and unexpected season of plenty. The Olkiombo pride - named for the distinctive dominant male with a black foreleg, born near Mara Explorer - has been particularly busy, hunting in the Olkinyei area in full view of our guests.
With all the action in the southern Mara, the northern section of the reserve has slipped into a quiet period, with the area around Musiara Marsh hosting only a few wildebeest and the northern Mara Triangle virtually devoid of game. Indeed, most of the herds in the Triangle have recently been crossing en masse eastwards at the Paradise Crossing points. With the plentiful grass still covering most of the southern Mara, we expect most of the herds to stay on the Kenyan side of the border at least until early November.
Predators: Intrepids and Explorer guests have been spotting cheetah on an almost daily basis for the past two weeks. With the gazelles having their fawns in large numbers, the cheetah are having a good time - particularly the new mothers, who have been seen catching young fawns and bringing them to their cubs in an effort to train them how to hunt. Leopard sightings have also greatly improved, assisted by the crew of BBC’s Big Cat Week, who have been spending a lot of time with Bella and Chui in the past few weeks - and showing us just why the world's best leopard sightings happen right on our doorstep! The lions have also been busy, with the Ridge pride killing three wildebeest near our airstrip last week, and yesterday digging out a poor warthog from its hole.
In other recent sightings, two hunting dogs were seen 9km east of Mara Intrepids on our walking trail last week. It appears this beautiful animal is making a comeback in the Mara, with some local residents recently reporting a pup in an old den used by the dogs before they disappeared from this area in the late 1980s. This and other previous reports to the east of the Mara are a good portend of the return of this critically endangered species.
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With all the action in the southern Mara, the northern section of the reserve has slipped into a quiet period, with the area around Musiara Marsh hosting only a few wildebeest and the northern Mara Triangle virtually devoid of game. Indeed, most of the herds in the Triangle have recently been crossing en masse eastwards at the Paradise Crossing points. With the plentiful grass still covering most of the southern Mara, we expect most of the herds to stay on the Kenyan side of the border at least until early November.
Predators: Intrepids and Explorer guests have been spotting cheetah on an almost daily basis for the past two weeks. With the gazelles having their fawns in large numbers, the cheetah are having a good time - particularly the new mothers, who have been seen catching young fawns and bringing them to their cubs in an effort to train them how to hunt. Leopard sightings have also greatly improved, assisted by the crew of BBC’s Big Cat Week, who have been spending a lot of time with Bella and Chui in the past few weeks - and showing us just why the world's best leopard sightings happen right on our doorstep! The lions have also been busy, with the Ridge pride killing three wildebeest near our airstrip last week, and yesterday digging out a poor warthog from its hole.
In other recent sightings, two hunting dogs were seen 9km east of Mara Intrepids on our walking trail last week. It appears this beautiful animal is making a comeback in the Mara, with some local residents recently reporting a pup in an old den used by the dogs before they disappeared from this area in the late 1980s. This and other previous reports to the east of the Mara are a good portend of the return of this critically endangered species.
Migration%20Map%2029-09-05%20Issue%2010.jpg
13 September, 2005
News from the Maasai Mara, Kenya 13th September 2005
As we predicted last week, the wildebeest have made a dramatic comeback over the past eight days – filling the plains of the southern Mara in an amazing ‘second migration’. It appears that most of the herds have, in just over two weeks, made a complete cycle from the eastern Mara into the Mara Triangle, south into the northern Serengeti, and east from there before reentering the Mara near Sand River Gate – for the second time since July! In fact, the pattern of the whole migration appears as it did at the very beginning, with the westbound herds spreading out over the Central Plains and some animals already crossing the Mara River near Lookout Hill.
A few herds are also heading north, with the first ones now just south of Mara Intrepids. At Musiara Gate, the northernmost herds have settled on the short, previously burned grass on the border of the reserve, where they are grazing side by side with the local Maasai cattle. The unseasonal rains have played a crucial role in the sprouting of the grass here. Although the crossing points around Paradise Plains have been almost empty for the past week, if what is going on in the south is anything to go by, it is just a matter of time before these crossing points come alive again.
Predators
The brief absence of migrating herds from much of the Mara had not stopped the predators from their hunting, particularly the local lion prides, which had already started to adjust to lean-period hunting tactics. However, the return of the herds has brought a period of bounty back for these and the other Big Cats. The Ridge pride has remained in its territory; two days ago, they were seen between the airstrip and Intrepids – with the exception of two males, which have gone in pursuit of the females of the Olkiombo pride. This may place the Ridge pride’s cubs at risk should new males try to sneak in. Cheetah sightings were also fantastic, and Bella the leopard has also been performing like a true star, with regular appearances for most of our guests.
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A few herds are also heading north, with the first ones now just south of Mara Intrepids. At Musiara Gate, the northernmost herds have settled on the short, previously burned grass on the border of the reserve, where they are grazing side by side with the local Maasai cattle. The unseasonal rains have played a crucial role in the sprouting of the grass here. Although the crossing points around Paradise Plains have been almost empty for the past week, if what is going on in the south is anything to go by, it is just a matter of time before these crossing points come alive again.
Predators
The brief absence of migrating herds from much of the Mara had not stopped the predators from their hunting, particularly the local lion prides, which had already started to adjust to lean-period hunting tactics. However, the return of the herds has brought a period of bounty back for these and the other Big Cats. The Ridge pride has remained in its territory; two days ago, they were seen between the airstrip and Intrepids – with the exception of two males, which have gone in pursuit of the females of the Olkiombo pride. This may place the Ridge pride’s cubs at risk should new males try to sneak in. Cheetah sightings were also fantastic, and Bella the leopard has also been performing like a true star, with regular appearances for most of our guests.
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05 September, 2005
News from the Maasai Mara, Kenya 5th September 2005
The migration took a dramatic new turn at the end of last week. Most of the excitement at the crossing points died out when almost all of the wildebeest herds from the eastern side of the Mara River crossed over to the west – and turned south back into the northern Serengeti. It was a very speedy exit, as most of us had expected the wildebeest to stay in the Mara until November, as is usually the case.
We believe that the changing rain patterns and the burning of the grass in the northern Serengeti played a significant role in this change of events. Driving along the border showed a high concentration of animals on the recently burned plains, which last month’s rains have carpeted in nutritious new grass. Most of the central Mara is now almost empty of migrating animals, save for a few herds to the north around Musiara Marsh and to the south by Lookout Hill.
However, all is not lost! Many of the herds in the Serengeti may be bound back for the Mara, as some herds are already showing signs of returning via Sand River Gate once they have traversed the burned plains. Last Friday, in what may be the beginning of a ‘second migration’ like that witnessed in 1998, several herds crossed back into the Mara at the traditional points below Lookout Hill. However, the changes in rain patterns and the confusion brought by sporadic burning of the grass could cause yet more unexpected changes in the concentration and duration of the great migration.
PREDATORS
Although the sudden departure of the large herbivores from most parts of the Mara has had a calming effect on the Big Cats, we have still had some good sightings in the past week. Bella the leopard and her two-year-old cub have both been witnessed several times along the Talek River, while Kike the cheetah was also sighted a few times – and has been seen mating with a new male in the past two days. The Ridge and Bila Shaka lion prides, meanwhile, remain in their respective territories, where they are also undoubtedly hoping that fate will deliver a ‘second migration’…
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We believe that the changing rain patterns and the burning of the grass in the northern Serengeti played a significant role in this change of events. Driving along the border showed a high concentration of animals on the recently burned plains, which last month’s rains have carpeted in nutritious new grass. Most of the central Mara is now almost empty of migrating animals, save for a few herds to the north around Musiara Marsh and to the south by Lookout Hill.
However, all is not lost! Many of the herds in the Serengeti may be bound back for the Mara, as some herds are already showing signs of returning via Sand River Gate once they have traversed the burned plains. Last Friday, in what may be the beginning of a ‘second migration’ like that witnessed in 1998, several herds crossed back into the Mara at the traditional points below Lookout Hill. However, the changes in rain patterns and the confusion brought by sporadic burning of the grass could cause yet more unexpected changes in the concentration and duration of the great migration.
PREDATORS
Although the sudden departure of the large herbivores from most parts of the Mara has had a calming effect on the Big Cats, we have still had some good sightings in the past week. Bella the leopard and her two-year-old cub have both been witnessed several times along the Talek River, while Kike the cheetah was also sighted a few times – and has been seen mating with a new male in the past two days. The Ridge and Bila Shaka lion prides, meanwhile, remain in their respective territories, where they are also undoubtedly hoping that fate will deliver a ‘second migration’…
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26 August, 2005
News from the Maasai Mara, 26th August 2005
The wildebeest migration continued to intensify this week, as more herds crossed over from the Serengeti near Sand River Gate. Inside the Mara, the herds continue to fan out to the west and north, leaving the Central Plains looking emptier by the day. Many herds have crossed the Mara River west into the Mara Conservancy, or ‘Mara Triangle’, with particularly busy crossing-points at Paradise and west of Lookout Hill. Towards the end of last week, the crossings became a bit more adventurous, as water levels rose following rains in the Mau Hills. Sadly, several wildebeest drowned in suicidal attempts to cross the river on Thursday and Friday.
Most of the newly arrived herds have been concentrating on the recently burned areas of the Mara plains. On the Central Plains, the long, dry grass forced many animals to move on quickly, although last week’s unexpected showers may bring up some fresh new shoots over the coming days. In a typical mid-migration pattern, the herds are now all mixed up, and one can no longer tell the Loita herds from the Serengeti ones.
Predators
The plentiful wildebeest movements have been accompanied by the usual frenzy of hunting activity among the Big Cats, particularly the big lion prides. With dozens of untouched carcasses littering their territories, it seems a shame that our lions can’t store some of their kills for later! Bella the leopard and her son have only been seen once in the past week, although we know they are out there, busily hunting along the Talek River, close to the Mara Intrepids and Explorer camps. We have also been blessed with daily cheetah sightings – with up to three individuals spotted on some game drives.
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Most of the newly arrived herds have been concentrating on the recently burned areas of the Mara plains. On the Central Plains, the long, dry grass forced many animals to move on quickly, although last week’s unexpected showers may bring up some fresh new shoots over the coming days. In a typical mid-migration pattern, the herds are now all mixed up, and one can no longer tell the Loita herds from the Serengeti ones.
Predators
The plentiful wildebeest movements have been accompanied by the usual frenzy of hunting activity among the Big Cats, particularly the big lion prides. With dozens of untouched carcasses littering their territories, it seems a shame that our lions can’t store some of their kills for later! Bella the leopard and her son have only been seen once in the past week, although we know they are out there, busily hunting along the Talek River, close to the Mara Intrepids and Explorer camps. We have also been blessed with daily cheetah sightings – with up to three individuals spotted on some game drives.
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12 August, 2005
News from the Maasai Mara, Kenya 11th August 2005
There is only one adjective to describe the Mara at the moment, wildebeest. The migrating herds are now almost spread out across the whole reserve. The Serengeti herds have in the past week been streaming in from the south, crossing the Mara River at Look Out Hill. The leading herds are pushing further north wards and west wards into the Mara triangle.
The herbivores in the Mara ecosystem have come to associate the burning with fresh grass. However, this is only if there is some rain soon after the burning. Most of the Mara plains are still a wash with a sea of over grown red oat grass. To the herbivores, this is quite tough and rough for their digestive systems, and it explains why the herds have just been rushing through the reserve despite the abundant grass. The recently burnt grasslands on the Mara triangle are more alluring, attracting more herds.
It was a week full of excitement for our guests, some of whom have stayed whole days to witness the biggest natural phenomenon. The Paradise Crossing point has been busy over the last seven days as the Loita herds cross over from north east around Musiara Gate, to the west of the Mara River. They have been moving en masse across Paradise plain. Many have been dying from predation by crocodiles and others from trampling as they stampede in the river. Nature’s wonder is now with us!
PREDATORS
It has also been a week full of activities for the predators, with more lion kills witnessed now than in the past months. There wildebeest carcasses litter the plains, especially in pride territories. So much so, it appears even the proverbial greedy Hyenas have had enough, as carcasses remained untouched for long periods! Vultures have become selective, only eating the fresh carcasses.
Cheetah kills have been witnessed throughout the last seven days Bella the leopard, and her son were also spotted severally. Her son, now at two years and still with the mother, will excite some wildlife researchers since male leopards are known to be independent by the first year.
OTHER BIG SIGHTINGS.
The python mentioned in the previous update was seen again. It killed a male gazelle but again could not eat after it was harassed by a pair of jackals. This is a sighting of some note, especially coming barely a week after the last one. Pythons are known to feed once in a very long period, sometimes running to months.
Migration%20Map%2011-08-05%20Issue%206.jpg
The herbivores in the Mara ecosystem have come to associate the burning with fresh grass. However, this is only if there is some rain soon after the burning. Most of the Mara plains are still a wash with a sea of over grown red oat grass. To the herbivores, this is quite tough and rough for their digestive systems, and it explains why the herds have just been rushing through the reserve despite the abundant grass. The recently burnt grasslands on the Mara triangle are more alluring, attracting more herds.
It was a week full of excitement for our guests, some of whom have stayed whole days to witness the biggest natural phenomenon. The Paradise Crossing point has been busy over the last seven days as the Loita herds cross over from north east around Musiara Gate, to the west of the Mara River. They have been moving en masse across Paradise plain. Many have been dying from predation by crocodiles and others from trampling as they stampede in the river. Nature’s wonder is now with us!
PREDATORS
It has also been a week full of activities for the predators, with more lion kills witnessed now than in the past months. There wildebeest carcasses litter the plains, especially in pride territories. So much so, it appears even the proverbial greedy Hyenas have had enough, as carcasses remained untouched for long periods! Vultures have become selective, only eating the fresh carcasses.
Cheetah kills have been witnessed throughout the last seven days Bella the leopard, and her son were also spotted severally. Her son, now at two years and still with the mother, will excite some wildlife researchers since male leopards are known to be independent by the first year.
OTHER BIG SIGHTINGS.
The python mentioned in the previous update was seen again. It killed a male gazelle but again could not eat after it was harassed by a pair of jackals. This is a sighting of some note, especially coming barely a week after the last one. Pythons are known to feed once in a very long period, sometimes running to months.
Migration%20Map%2011-08-05%20Issue%206.jpg
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