Head Scout’s daily report

Reporting date:        25.04.2011

Although it has been raining heavily in many other parts of the Masai Mara game reserve, the areas bordering the reserve to the east are very dry due to lack of rain. The situation is the same in our conservancy. The few water points and pools are almost dead dry forcing the animals to share the remaining pools. Moreover, it was interesting watching the parchyderms making good use of such pools in the conservancy. The conservancy game scouts sighted a herd of 14 elepants having a mud bath at one of the pools. Owing to the dry weather and heat of the day, no one could blame the elephants for using their spare time to cool off and have fun as well. 

Head Scout’s daily report

Reporting date:         08.04.2011

The conservancy is now teaming with wildlife after the rains begun in the area. Daniel sighted lots of common game including impalas, Zebra, Topi, Wildebeests, warthogs, buffalos just to mention a few. Moreover, the highlight of his afternoon game drive within our private conservancy was the one horned giraffe which stood behind a bush and only his neck and head was visible. That is why his brocken horn was visible. The horn might have been broken during a fight with another male. Sometimes male giraffes fight each other to decide which is stronger. They lean their hindquarters against each other for support and swing their necks, using their horns like hammers to hit each other. The butting of necks and heads can be so loud and fierce. In fact one blow of their head could easily kill another. 

Head Scout’s daily report

Reporting date:         05.04.2011

A young elephant was spotted resting under a Sausage tree (Kigelia africana) by Daniel and his guests while on an Afternoon game drive. The young elephant which was seen mostly playing by himself was at one point seen rubbing his rear on the sausage tree. The sausage tree is known so because of its fruits which are huge, long and shaped like sausages and hang down from the limbs on long, ropelike stalks. The mature fruits dangle from the long stalks like giant sausages and may be up to 0.6 m long and weigh up to 6.8 kg.

Though known as the sausage tree, this tree is known for its use in making alcohol locally known by the Maasai as Muratina. The fruit is fermented and mixed with other herbs to create a strong spirit-like alcohol.

Elephants Love this tree and are sometimes seen shaking the tree to feed on the falling fruits and leaves. However, they also use the tree for sctatching to get rid of skin pests. Also after a mud wallow, the elephant needs to rub off the dry mud and the perfect tree for this is the Sausage tree as it has a rough bark. 

Head Scout’s daily report

Reporting date:         04.04.2011

The Oldest elephant in our conservancy passed on this week due to old age. The elephant, an adult male was a frequent visitor to the conservancy especially after the rains in the past year. Prior to his demise, he was seen in the conservancy for about 5 days. Every evening during our afternoon game drives, we passed by to see him. At one point Daniel, reported that he looked frail and limping. He spent most of his last days resting in the nearby croton bushes at Ntulele plot sometimes straying into Oloropa and Kirok Loirien plots. His behaviour was unusual at first as elephants move a lot in the day searching for food. In fact they spend three halves of their time eating. But when his body was found five days later in Kirok Loirien plot them, we knew that he must have been on his last days. 

Our scouts on patrol discovered the body lying in a bush where he must have struggled as he inhaled his last breath. His tusks were intact. His boby still fresh was opened by a pack of Hyenas who managed to rip open a small hole if the belly.

We invited the Wildlife authorities KWS and NCC who came and removed the tusks for safe keeping. Both tusks were estimated to weigh about 100Kg in total. May Ole Mzee rest in peace!