News from Maasai Mara, Kenya June 27th 2008

Over the past week, the Loita herds of mainly zebras have now spread out over the recently burnt area in the south Mara triangle. Some herds are still around Musiara Gate, Olorukoti plain and on the Koiyaki - Olare-Orok Conservancy areas. The migration this year has been gradual unlike in the past. The herds coming from the Loita plains will keep entertaining us before the imminent arrival of the main Serengeti herds from the south.

The Mara River has been active, with some zebras crossing onto the Mara triangle. The crocodiles are still enjoying a feeding frenzy, creating huge photo opportunities on what are normally deep waters. The less-than-normal rainfalls have left the water levels on the rivers lower than at this time of they year, and crocodiles are easy to spot as they drag their unfortunate prey into the deeper waters.

Other sightings:
One of the most spectacular sightings of the past week was that of six nomadic male lions on Paradise Plain near the migration crossing point. It has been many years since such a coalition of males was seen together. Nomadic males will only come together to consolidate their strength, to ward-off competition for food and to increase their chances of taking over a new pride and territory - whose dominating males will not let go easily.

Some of our repeat guests at Mara Intrepids, Valmik Thapar and Chandu Shah with their families, got bonus experience for their week's stay. The Ridge Pride killed a wildebeest at Olare-Orok River in their full view! Chandu's daughter, Sonal, an upcoming photographer on her first stay at Mara Intrepids was very excited. In her own words, "In 8 days, we sighted 10 leopards, including one complete leopard kill which was amazing"!!!!

There was an improved sighting of leopards over the week, with a sighting every day. Bella who has been our main star over the last few years, and Olive, who we have been covering lately, were spotted along the Talek and Olare-Orok Rivers. There is a new leopard along Ntiakitiak River with two small cubs. She was seen for a few days at the same place near the Double Crossing point with a kill up in a tree, while another young female was seen at Paradise Plains with a kill near the main crossing.

Cheetahs were the most elusive the past week, with our guests seeing only a few. However, our guides promise things will improve with the expected arrival of more animals into the park.

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels
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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya June 20th 2008

Our guides at Mara Intrepids have reported the head of the migration is still streaming in, albeit at a slow pace, over the past week. Traditionally, zebras lead the rest of the migratory herds, and as we are reliably informed, it won't be long before the official migration is on. Our guests have witnessed a few crossings in the past few days. Low water levels and fewer herds have not stopped the crocodiles from trying to grab the zebras on the shallow waters.


Once across the river, they enter the Mara triangle, spreading out southwards onto the recently burnt area of the conservancy. While most other areas are still teeming with grass, this area still requires some rain for the new shoots to sprout. If the grass on the Mara plains is not burnt, then the herds may spend more time here. What remains to be seen is whether they follow their natural instincts to move on - that natural calling that abounds above all else.

PREDATORS:
Lions:
Lion sighting was reported throughout the past week. Long grass on the plains is forcing them to go up vantage points to spot their prey and survey their territories.
Shonko Pride has moved north of the Talek River towards the junction with the Mara River. This is normally part of the Ridge Pride's territory, but they have also moved east towards the border of the reserve with Olare-Orok Conservancy. The scarcity of prey has forced the pride to split into three small groupings.

Olkiombo Pride has settled to the east of Mara Intrepids and Explorer camps. They are now in two groups, one with five adult females with six cubs and another with three adult females with four cubs. Lion cubs have a rare survival rate, especially during the drier seasons where food is scarce. We hope these cubs will survive till the arrival of the main migration herds when food shall be in plenty.

Leopards:
Our guests at Mara Intrepids saw Olive twice over the past week. In one of the times, she was seen carrying a carcass of a gazelle for over a kilometre, and our guides believe that she may have small cubs - watch this space for confirmation in the coming days!

Bella has not been seen for the past one week, but the Rekero male was spotted once near the Mara River.

Cheetah:
There were few cheetah sightings over the past week, with the long grass being the main cause. They are mainly to found in areas where the grass is short with an abudance of game. There was one female seen near Double Crossing area and another one with a cub at the Topi plains. Two sub adult males were also seen near Ntiakitiak River.


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News from Maasai Mara, Kenya June 16th 2008

Migration Update:
The mini migration which we reported last week is still ongoing, with many more zebra and a few wildebeest seen moving into the reserve from the east. However, this is not the main migration from the Serengeti ecosystem, but a ‘localized’ group from Loita moving into the reserve. When traveling to or from Narok, one can see herds of wildebeests heading into the park from as far Maji moto area.

The recently burnt grasslands south of the Mara triangle, coupled with the rains has been the catalyst for this movement. The herbivores in this ecosystem have come to associate the burning with fresh lush shoots, which is an irresistible delicacy - especially for the wildebeest! Most of the Mara plains are still awash with a sea of over grown red oat grass, which most herbivores find quite tough and rough for their digestive systems. This explains why the herds have just been rushing through the reserve when there is plenty of grass.

There were crossing activity at the Paradise crossing point over the week as herds cross over to the west of the Mara River. These were mainly the Loita herds from the north east around Musiara Gate, moving across Paradise Plain to the river and crossing westwards. Water levels at the rivers are still low and this makes crossing easy, but it hasn’t deterred the crocodiles from getting their meal.

The coming weeks will witness a lot more activity, and we shall be there to report from the frontline!

Big Cats:
Lion:
The lion prides in our game viewing territory can still be seen in their respective locations. The Olkiombo Pride has settled to the east of Mara Intrepids over the last few days. Our guests at Mara Intrepids witnessed them killing a wildebeest a few days ago near the main Talek - Musiara Road. Shonko Pride is still thriving at Maji ya Eland, where they have split to maximize on the prey – in this case Topi and other resident antelopes concentrated in this location.

Leopard:
Leopard sightings have been good over the last few days. Even though the grass is still long, they were seen hunting on some clear patches. Olive was in her territory near Mara Intrepids, while two others females and the Rekero male were seen towards the Mara river.

Cheetah:
Cheetah sightings have been rare over the last few days. However one female was seen regularly on Paradise Plain where there is a concentration of gazelles and other herbivores. There was also one female seen with one cub, but she moved into Olare-Orok conservancy.

Please log onto our website for weekly updates on the progress of the migration (and local Big Cat action) over the next three months.
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Big Cat and Migration Updates - Maasai Mara, Kenya. June 6th, 2008

The month of May was significantly wet, and the sprouting grass made it harder to spot animals. Nevertheless, recent weeks have been promising, and Heritage will continue to update you regularly on the changing weather conditions across the Mara ecosystem.

Lions:
Lions sightings were reportedly poor during the month of May, mainly due the rains in April. Most animals have moved to areas where the grass is shorter to avoid predation and to look for more nutritious shoots. The Ridge Pride has been highly mobile lately, combing larger territories in search of food.

Shonko Pride has been seen at their territory near Olkeju-Rongai over-lapping all the way to Maji ya Eland area where food is available. There are three adult males currently, and an intriguing battle with a couple of nomadic males is brewing – this promises to be interesting! Our guests at Siana Springs have enjoyed regular sightings of the Sekenani Pride, just to the west of Sekenani Gate and another pride near Keekorok airstrip.

Leopards:
Leopard have become elusive, with only a few reported sightings over the month. The long bushes along the river banks and tall grass on the plains make them quite difficult to spot. Olive and Bella are still around their territories and they have been seen though irregularly. The male that is found beyond Rekero has established his territory, and has been seen there quite a few times.

Meanwhile our Siana Springs guests continued to enjoy the sighting of a female leopard around Kissinger Area and another one just after Sekenani Gate in the typical ‘leopard pose’ up the trees scanning the plains and open ground for action

Cheetah:
Cheetah sightings were not good at the beginning of May, but also improved markedly towards the end of the month. As well as regular sightings of a female with a single cub near the hippo pool at the main Mara River, our guests have been treated to several encounters with a female to the northeast of the Intrepids and Explorer camps.

MIGRATION UPDATE
The first sign of the greatest wildlife spectacle this year, the wildebeest migration, is now evident - a large herd of resident zebra migrants from the Loita Plains moving into the reserve from the east. Their entry into the park around this time is usually an indication that the southern migration is eminent. These herds of zebras were seen moving across Olorukoti and Paradise Plains, crossing the Mara River at the main crossing point onto the Mara triangle. Our guests have witnessed a lot of predation at these crossings as the crocodiles welcome their season of plenty.

Watch this space for our updated Migration reports from the frontline.

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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