Reporting Date: 30.12.2011

Sundowner on the Kopje.

On a late afternoon game drive, we came upon some four lionesses having a sundowner on a huge rocky outcrop. One of them descended onto the plains below and walked casually into the nearby bushes while the other three remained. The setting sun was casting a golden yellow color on them while they relaxed as we slowly drove around. To them it was like we were not around as they were not at all bothered by our presence. These lions are part of the pride that resides the area near our camp.

Reporting Date: 29.12.11

Daniel was on his way to Sand River for a Bush Lunch when he bumped into these beautiful two male lions. Out of the two, there was one who never bothered even to look at up while the other was so fascinated at them especially the spotter Sammy. At one point he came towards the car, his eyes fixed at Sammy and the ranger Daniel had to move the car.

Lions of Sand River are not used to vehicles as there is less traffic there and as such they always seem more agressive than the other lions in the Mara.

Reporting Date: 28th December 2011
 

Sighting of leopard and cub.

About half an hour into our game drive this morning, our spotter’s sharp eyes caught a mother leopard and cub over a distance of about 200 meters watching the plains on top of a small rounded  rock. It was as if they were hunting as they kept on changing positions every so often. Thereafter they walked down towards a small riverine  forest and emerged out on the side of our vehicle and the guests had a good view of them.  As they headed towards a nearby Kopje, some monkeys began making a lot of barking and screaming noises in fear of them. The cub playfully walked behind the mother till they disappeared behind some huge rocks while the monkeys  kept  a watch from a distance.

Reporting Date: 26.12.11

While on a Full Day Game Drive around Talek plains, Daniel and his guests came across a sick, elderly bull elephant lying down on its side. It is pretty unusual for an old adult elephant to lie down. Daniel explained to his guests that the bull must  have been unwell. On looking closer, they realized that this elephant had a wound on its left front leg. The wound slowed him down and as a result he could not feed. Because of its weight it prefered to lie down to relieve pressure from the wounded leg. 

On realizing his predicament, Daniel informed the Park wardens who later sent a veterinary doctor to treat it. When daniel passed again through the area later in the day, he spotted the bull walking, although slow but it was a good sign that it will be well again. The Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kenya Governemnt department charged with the care and protection of wildlife in Kenya, has a special veterinary unit dedicated to treating injured or sick animals. More attention is often given to threatened or endangered animals as recorded in the IUCN Red list. 

Reporting Date: 25.12.2011

As we celebrate Christmas everyone eats their best meals, dresses in their best clothes and even better others go for holiday in their best holiday spots. Not for the lions whom we sighted in the reserve especially now when food is scarse. They looked feeble and hungry. They must have stayed without food for some days. They wished they could enjoy a meal like we all do right now. Inspite of their predicament, they are still beautiful to our eyes.

For the lions, their x-mass comes at the time of the Great Migration between July and October. During this period, lions like other cats feast endlessly. But when the wildebeests are gone they struggle to get a meal and some even starve to death as food becomes scarse.

Reporting Date: 24TH DECEMBER 2011

On a game drive this morning we came upon a family of black rhinos which consisted of a couple and an older calf which was about three years old. At first they were lying in a small pool of water by the side of the road and did not realize our approaching car, so this gave us the advantage of getting closer. They then woke up and slowly began to walk away as they grazed in the small thickets. After a little while, the male marked his territory by thrushing urine onto some bushes, this was so spectacular, then they continued moving and occasionally stopped  to look back at us. Black rhinos are usually solitary and most of the sightings in the serengeti have mainly been of single ones unless  with a calf which is usually  driven away when a new calf is born.

Reporting Date: 22.12.

Elephants generally sleep in a standing position, though they do sometimes lie down (bulls have been seen propping themselves up against termite mounds to snooze), but on this particular day Ranger Philip and his two guest came across a young calves generally sleeping lying dowm.

Adults spent 16 hours a day feeding, Interspersed with visit to suitable mud wallows after which they often shower themselves with dust and rub against trees or boulders, all of which helps to remove ticks and keep their skin in good condition.

Reporting Date: 21.12.11

Alex and Daniel had a fantastic Early morning and Full Day Game Drives respectively with their guests when they sighted the 'Big Five' in one hour. Of late the grass is overgrown making sightings a challenge but it was impressive to have had such a lucky morning. However, the climax of the morning were the three black rhinos who were sighted basking in the morning sun and eating together. Black rhinos are known to be solitary animals and finding the three was quite a sight to behold. Usually its possible to sight a mother and a calf as in this case but to have the male with them meant that the female could have been seeking a mate as the calf seemed old enough to give room for the mother to mate again.

Today on a late afternoon game drive we came upon a lioness that was relaxing in the sun on a rocky place behind some bushes. She was a lactating lioness with four cubs of about three months old. Her cubs were hidden behind  her on the bushes where she would constantly go in to monitor them. Normally the lionesses would leave the pride members for a secluded spot  for some duration to quietly  feed her cubs, but this is usually within their territory. She would later on introduce the cubs to the main pride. This lioness was part of a pride that we refer to as the ''river pride''which roams the area near the Mara river.

Head Scout’s daily report

Reporting date: 19/12/2011

For over one month now, every monday mornings Philip, Alex and Florence have been leading bird watching excursions around the camp to find out the avifauna diversity. We use physical observations as well as bird sound recordings to identify the different species of birds. Our bird sounds database has over 400 bird sounds recorded. So far we have recorded 83 different species. We hope that with subsequent bird walks more bird species will be recorded around the camp.  

Maasai Mara is known to host over 450 bird species.