Big Cat Update - Maasai Mara, Kenya. April 25th, 2008

The continuing short rains are bringing back life to the Mara. Grass is sprouting all over, and the continued 'low traffic' is allowing the eco-system to replenish. Game is thriving, with mainly the Topi, Impala, water bucks, buffalo, elephants and giraffes resident. The weather is hospitable - warm during the day and a bit chilly at night, but our nightly camp fires and warm-water bottles are provided for your comfort. The plains roll out majestically as far as the eye can see, with only the distant hills to break your view in that inspiring way that only the African savannah can!

Lions
Game viewing has been dull for the last few weeks, ironically due to the onset of rains! Due to the rains, the grass in the Mara plains has grown tall and the animals have moved to areas where it is shorter to avoid predation and secondly look for more nutritious shoots.


Most lion prides are now highly mobile or have extended their territories to cover large ground where there is still prey. Some nomadic males have been seen roaming around trying to establish into other males' territories, with ensuing territorial turf wars between them and the dominant pride males.

Nevertheless, lion sighting would have been very poor were it not for the Olkiombo Pride still seen roaming the area to the east of Mara Intrepid/Explorer. The pride - 2 males, 7 females and 8 cubs - which took over the territory recently continues to stay despite the long absence of food. On the northern side of the reserve, our guests at Siana have enjoyed sightings of the Sekenani Pride just to the west of Sekenani Gate.

Leopard
Leopard sightings have never been better, with seven leopards regularly 'spotted' in our game viewing areas over the past 2 weeks! Bella, our female star is still around her territory where she asserts her presence by her roars at night and the few daily sightings.

A female whose territory is around Mara Intrepid was seen in broad daylight just across the river from tents 1 - 6 two days ago.

Meanwhile our guests at Siana Springs continued to enjoy the sighting of a couple of leopards around Kissinger area. Not natural open-ground hunters, the long grass has confined them up the trees scanning the plains for prey which they sneak up on.

Cheetah
Cheetah sighting has not been good lately owing to the long grass that makes it difficult for them to hunt. Most cheetahs have followed the herds outside the park, but we still get to see two females which got cubs recently, one to the east of Rhino Ridge and the other near the Mara River. In these areas are to be found small herds of gazelles, Impala and Topi, which they hunt during the difficult times.22-04-08%20MAP%20Issue%202.jpg

Big Cat Update, Maasai Mara and Samburu, Kenya, March 4th 2008

The only way to describe the Mara now is a jungle paradise! The current crisis in the country has been a blessing in disguise, with very few guests visiting the reserve allowing it to rejuvenate to its original wilderness state! Game viewing is also enjoyable owing to the little 'traffic', which is quite unusual in the Mara around this time, and the number of animals present in the reserve.

The short rains across the Mara plains recently have now left a carpet of lush green grass across the plains. At the onset of the rains, most of the remaining herds of wildebeest started migrating back to their usual calving grounds, leaving some of the Loita herds breeding in the Mara, which is quite unusual. The Mara predators have grabbed this opportunity to feed their young who would have otherwise been starving had all the migratory herds left as usual.

Lions:
All the lion pride prides in our game viewing territory are still around and actively hunting the resident herbivores. For the better part of the last month, the Ridge Pride has settled along Olare-Orok River, moving northeast to Double-Crossing area and back to Mara Intrepids' Olkiombo airstrip. However, they are split up, with one group found towards the Mara River and the other favouring the area near Mara Intrepids.

The Olkiombo Pride still roams along the Talek river. Two females from this pride have month old cubs. The two nomadic males from the Ridge Pride, Sala and Cheza have been spotted trying to take over this pride earlier in the month. This promises to be an interesting lion soap drama in the coming weeks!

Shonko Pride - with the two black maned lions - are still at Ol-Keju Rongai, from where they hunt the resident animals, mainly Topi, Impala and buffalo. Bringing down any of this requires cunning strategies since they stay in groups and are always on the look out, which the Shonko Pride has perfected. There are no small cubs in this pride currently, though some females are expecting.

Up north in the Samburu National Reserve, lion sighting is now almost guaranteed since the resident pride has stationed itself along the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River, where the animals would come for a drink in the heat of the day.



Cheetah:
Cheetah sighting has likewise been superb.

In the Mara a few individual cheetahs kept our guests enthralled by their sightings and hunting activities. The three brothers continue to roam around Rhino Ridge down to Burrungat Plains, where their hunting strategies leave everyone - guests and naturalists alike - stunned by their agility and determination. They have been hunting animals previously believed to be least on the Cheetahs menu, from adult Topi, wildebeest and Impala! What we are witness to is a remarkable change in animalistic behaviour, and we are proud to share it with our guests.

Our guest in Samburu have also been treated to cheetah kills, and we hope this will keep up in the coming weeks.



Leopards:
Leopard sightings have never been better. There are seven leopards around our game viewing area that we can now almost guarantee a sighting on every drive. Bella was seen two days ago at the junction of the Talek and Olare-Orok Rivers. She has lately extended her territory to Olkeju-Rongai where there is another young female with her mother in the same area.

Olive and her two cubs can be found between Mara Intrepids and the junction of the Talek and Olare-Orok. The cubs are now starting to relax in the presence of vehicles.
Guests have also been treated to regular encounters with two other leopards towards the Mara river, a young female and an adult male.

Leopard sighting at Samburu Intrepids is also almost guaranteed daily. The leopards here are not as shy as their Mara cousins, and live mainly along the river, where most animals are also found.



Watch this space for more breaking news from the world’s favourite felines!

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Migration Update, Maasai Mara, November 6th 2007

After another lively migration season, the majority of the wildebeest herds have finally left the Mara for the Serengeti. After a busy week at the Paradise crossing point, only a few isolated herds are still 'residing' on the Kenyan side of the border - principally in the Musiara area and the area outside the park to the north. But by next week, these last few herds should also have joined their brethren back in Tanzania.

Looking around the now barren Mara plains, it's easy to understand why most of the wildebeest have left. The combination of a dry spell and overgrazing has played a key role in the continuous southern movement of the herds over the past three weeks. The wildebeest will now be away until June-July next year, when they will be drawn back north by the Mara's rich pastures, transformed into a sea of grass after the long rains of April-May.

From now on, the Mara's predators will have to devise smarter methods of hunting for those grazers that remain in the reserve. At times they will go for longer periods between meals - another natural 'selection process' that will help to ensure that only the stronger animals survive.

Predators
The Mara cats have been having their last easy meals before the migration moves south. Many skeletons still lie across the plains as evidence of the big feasts enjoyed in the last 'season of plenty'. From now on, the lion prides will have to become increasingly mobile in their search for food - particularly those prides with new cubs. Some prides may go to the extent of splitting up to ensure there is more food to go around.

Over the past two weeks, the Ridge Pride has been roaming between the southern base of Rhino Ridge, Mara Intrepids, and the Double Crossing area. They have made some very successful if not easy kills while the wildebeest were all over their territory.

Bella, our female leopard star, is still around and continues to patrol her usual territory along the Talek River. She also took the opportunity when the migration was moving through her territory to capture a few young wildebeest, whose carcasses can still be seen in trees along the river.

Several guests have reported sightings of a cheetah with two cubs between Mara Intrepids and the Paradise Plains. She has been seen catching young gazelle fawns and letting her cubs use them for 'hunting practice'. Cheetah sightings have generally been excellent during this past season.

Wishing you all happy (visual) hunting from Heritage Hotels!

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels.
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Migration Update, Maasai Mara, October 4th 2007

The wildebeest are still in the Mara, although not in the same concentrations as two weeks ago. There are patchy herds in the north of the reserve, around the Musiara Gate and down towards Rhino Ridge. The other main concentration is gathered around Lookout Hill, from where the herds are now drifting south into the northern Serengeti.

The last fortnight has been dry and hot and most temporary pools have dried up, forcing the animals to converge at watering holes or streams during the day. The more concentrated herds are in areas that were not burned and still have a relative abundance of grass. The most dominant species of grass is the red oat grass, which regenerates quicker the more it is fed upon.


There has not been much activity at the Mara River either, with only a handful of animals crossing in either direction at the points near Lookout Hill and the Paradise crossing. Predation by crocodiles has dwindled, although a recent rise in the river level caused by rain in the Mau ranges caused several animals to drown – giving the crocs an easy meal. There are still piles of carcasses at the southern Mara Bridge, and the stench can only be endured by those with tough noses – or a heavy cold!

Most of the Mara’s antelopes – topi, hartebeest, impala and Thomson’s gazelles – are now having their young, providing the predators with more easy prey. Cheetahs with young cubs are the major beneficiaries of this birthing season. They normally catch and bring live gazelle fawns to their cubs to train them how to run after and bring down prey.

There are currently seven different prides of lions within our game-viewing territory, which are all being sighted daily by Intrepids and Explorer guests. Leopard sightings have also been good, with almost daily sightings of the female with two cubs and our star leopard Bella. Cheetah sightings have also been frequent, with some guests lucky enough to witness successful hunts. There is currently one female cheetah with two very young cubs near Mara Explorer. The mother with four surviving cubs, which had moved to the newly created Olare Orok Conservancy, is now back where her cubs were born last August, just east of Explorer.

Happy wildlife watching from all of us at Heritage Hotels – your home in the wilderness!

Paul Kirui, Lead Tour Guide Heritage Hotels.

Migration Update, Maasai Mara, September 17th 2007

Two weeks after tricking us into believing that they had returned to the Serengeti for good, the wildebeest migration has once again proven its capacity for the unexpected. Over the past 10 days, the concentration of wildebeest in the central part of the Mara has swelled to an enormous number. Although most of the herds had moved back over the border via the Mara Triangle, they then made a U-turn to re-enter the Mara around the Enkoikwateet salt lick, where some herds had originally entered in July.

In fact, the entire migration map now appears like a new beginning, with high concentrations of wildebeest on the Olorukoti and Paradise plains. Westbound herds have again spread out on the Topi Plains, while herds from the Mara Triangle have begun crossing the Mara River at the main Paradise crossing point. Over the past three days, our guests have witnessed many animals crossing around here. While many animals are crossing over from the Mara Triangle, just as in the early days, others are heading north, and a western concentration has built up around Serena and south towards the border. Most of the other areas south of the Talek River up to Keekorok Lodge have very few animals, as most herds are concentrated in the western and northern areas of the reserve.

Most herds have settled temporarily on the plains around Rhino Ridge, where there was extensive burning of grass, and which are now sprouting with short fresh grass – fed by the recent unexpected rains. The crossing points around Paradise Plains have been alive with activity, with hundreds of animals crossing back and forth. The water in the river is quite high here, making these crossings even more dramatic.

Predators
The return of the wildebeest has brought renewed vigour to the activities of the Big Cats, particularly among the lions. The Ridge Pride continues to roam in its territory, and has been regularly sighted between Intrepids and the airstrip over the past few days. Leopard sightings have also improved during the past week, with Bella frequently seen along the river west of Intrepids and Zawadi spotted several times with her two cubs close to Musiara Springs. Cheetah sightings have also been good, with the short grass in most areas making the elusive cats much easier to spot.


Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels
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Migration Update, Maasai Mara, August 31st 2007

The migration has changed dramatically in the past two weeks. All the herds from the eastern side of the Mara River have crossed back west into the Mara triangle - the western side of the park - and the area around Look Out Hill before heading south into northern Serengeti! This was a quick exit, since they were expected to stay in the Mara ecosystem till November at the least, as is always the case. Our guides attributed this to the change in the rain pattern - part of the global phenomenon - and the burning of the grass in northern Serengeti, as key to this change of events.




There is a high concentration of herds on the Serengeti side of the border on recently burnt plains. There is usually a massive burning of the grass in July in the northern Serengeti, - ostensibly to stem the migration from crossing into the Mara - and when the short rains come in August, these plains flourish with lush nutritious grass thereby attracting many herbivores including the migrating herds.

All indicators, though, are that the herds inside Serengeti are bound for the Mara again, and that this exit is temporary as shown by their movements. Once inside the Serengeti are heading west along the burn grounds, feeding as they move and entering the Mara again by the Engoikuatet salt lick area. Last week marked the beginning of a series of crossings when several herds crossed the Mara at the traditional points below Look Out Hill though in smaller groups. From the experience of the 1998 and 2005 migrations, where they made a come back in September indicates we might have a ‘Double-migration’ in the offing! However, the change in the rain patterns and the confusion brought by sporadic burning of the grass are either side of the border is expected to cause some changes in the concentration and duration of stay in the Mara. The recent burning of the grass around Rhino Ridge might also play a role in attracting the herds if we get some rain to make the grass grow again.

Most of the central Mara is now almost empty with a few herds only to the north around Musiara Gate and to the south around Look Out Hill.

PREDATORS

The cats are beginning to adjust to the situation brought by sudden departure of the large herbivores in most areas, which inadvertently has affected the expected ‘season of plenty’. Lion prides. cheetah, leopards and hyenas will, in true predator instincts, eat what they can as they await the re-entry of the herds. zebras, Thompson gazelles, warthogs and topis will make the diet for now.

Despite this there were good sightings of the major predators over the week. Bella can now be seen frequently along the Talek River near Mara Intrepids, and our guests have seen a number of kills. Cheetahs are also seen regularly, while the Ridge and Bila Shaka prides are in their respective territories.

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels

News from the Maasai Mara, August 7th 2007

The concentration of wildebeest in the past couple of weeks has increased remarkably, with large herds of zebra and wildebeest seen along the north of Sand River. This head of the 2007 migration has pushed further west to Roan Hill, where they have been joined by another herd of about two thousand wildebeest that crossed from the Serengeti around Naima Lumbwa Hills.

The traditional burning of the grass in northern Serengeti - normally done to slow the flow of the herds northwards in to the Mara ecosystem - was done earlier this year, and the rains have enabled new sprouts to shoot in these areas. It was, however, not as extensive, and therefore did little to slow the migration.

There have been crossings near Look-out Hill in the past few days, with herds moving onto the Mara conservancy. However, the numbers are lower compared to the same period last year. The Loita herds - predominantly zebras - have been crossing over to the Mara triangle in the last few days, increasing in numbers around Musiara gate, Double-Cross and Topi plains east of Rhino ridge.

Other sightings
The guides at Heritage's Mara Intrepids and Explorer confirm two large prides of lions now strategically positioned between Sand River and Keekorok Lodge. The pounding hooves of the herds, signaling the season of plenty, is an assurance that they can still live for another five months without going hungry.

The Ridge Pride has established itself around Double Cross area and south east of Rhino Ridge. The cubs, which survived the lean period, are now looking healthy. The guests at the Heritage camps have been treated to a few kills and attempted kills in the past week, most happening during the day when they were out on game drives.

The leopards too are not to be left out, with our main star, Bella, positioning herself strategically on the migratory route along the Talek River. Our guests have been treated to her regular kills, with the crocodiles in the rivers taking advantage of the easy opportunity to grab a few wildebeest as they cross the river.

The cheetah with four cubs has returned to the reserve after several months outside on Olare Orok conservancy. In what is an interesting twist of nature, she is now near Mara Explorer, in the area where her cubs were born one year ago - in what almost seems like a pilgrimage! She has been spotted making kills on a recently burnt area where there is a concentration of gazelles.

The game drives are now livelier, with this being just a tip of the ice-berg as the full migration is yet to get under way!

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels

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