Big Cats of the Mara
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Issue 7
Lions
All the lion prides within our game viewing range have been hunting and fighting for new territories, with each pride trying to push the other out.
Four males from Notch’s gang are now with the Ridge Pride. The pride is usually seen along Mara River and Paradise Plains. It has a few females with cubs.
The Olkiombo Pride occupies the northern side of the Talek River, east of Mara Explorer. This pride has three big males, several females and young ones. Because of the nutritious grass available due to the recent rains, the area is teeming with herbivores and hence providing good prey for the pride.
The Paradise Pride roams the area along the Mara River, and also hunts near Rhino Ridge.
Leopards
Leopard sightings have been very good. Olive and her two male cubs are still near the crossing on the Olare-Orok River.
Another female leopard was also reported by our guides along Ntiakitiak River. This is the female who had two cubs two years ago. She is now reported pregnant
There were other unidentified leopards also seen by our guides
Cheetahs
We have been seeing cheetahs regularly over the past two weeks. We had one female with two cubs on Paradise Plains. Shakira is in the north just outside the park
Three fully grown males were seen for a few days around Rhino Ridge and three young males too were seen between Rhino Ridge and Talek River.
Because the grass is still short and many gazelles are born around this time, it makes hunting easier for the cheetahs.
To all our readers reading about the cats of Mara, we wish you a HAPPY SEASON and a prosperous NEW YEAR.
Issue 6
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Lions
The Olkiombo pride of 14 has split into three groups - a lioness with her three cubs aged six months and two males called Cheza and Junior; four sub-adults and two females; and Sala and the female mating. All are occupying the same territory around Mara Explorer and Olkiombo airstrip. Another pride of 19 is occupying the Mara River main crossing. The Marsh Pride is around Bila Shaka.
Leopards
Olive the female leopard and her two cubs are on the western edge of the Olkiombo Airstrip, and she’s hunting by the Talek- Olare-Orok River junction.
The Rhino Ridge male, who we think is the father of Olive’s cubs is in the Rekero area.
Cheetahs – New Female on the block
This week we saw Honey’s sons, the three brothers’ between Rhino Ridge and Olare-Orok with an unknown female cheetah. They were chasing her round in typical male fashion.
Shakira is still at the Kichwa Tembo airstrip. We have another new female cheetah at the Rhino Ridge with young cubs that she has not yet exposed. She always comes out to hunt by the Smelly Crossing every two days.
Issue 5
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Lions
Whereas the grazers and browsers had it rough during the drought, the cats especially the lions have never had it so easy. Some prides of lions especially those close to the rivers took to hunting the weak hippos that had no energy left to fight them off, as is normally the case. We saw gazelles coming to the dry rivers to look for whatever water they could find to quench their thirst - but instead would end up getting stuck in the thick mud. The lions literally walked up to them for an easy meal.
One female from the Ridge Pride moved her cubs close to a pool north of Mara Intrepids/Explorer and used this strategy to prey on the antelopes.
Leopards
Olive our star leopard and the Kissinger female were seen throughout the week. It’s two months now since Kali, Olive’s male cub has strayed away from her signifying that he’s old enough to look after himself. He is not seen as often as Olive, which is typical of male leopards. A few days ago he was seen downstream of the Talek Olare-Orok junction. There have also been a few sightings of Binti, Olive’s older daughter.
Cheetahs
Shakira the female cheetah has settled west of Mara Intrepids/Explorer. The three cheetah brothers are still together and we have spotted other cheetah in our game viewing territories.
Issue 4
Lions
All the lion pride prides in our game viewing territory are still around and actively hunting the remaining wildebeest and resident herbivores. The Ridge Pride settled between the Mara River and Rhino Ridge, moving back and forth to Mara Intrepids airstrip. The pride has now split up with one group found towards the Mara River and the other near Mara Intrepids Lodge.
The Olkiombo Pride still roams along the Talek River. Two females from this pride have one-month-old cubs. There are 3 big males in this pride and four sub adults.
The Olkeju-Rongai Pride roams Burrungat, south to the Central Plains. There are no cubs in this pride although some females are expecting. This pride is hunting the resident topi, impala, buffalo and other herbivores, since the wildebeest moved out of this area about a month ago. Hunting the herbivores requires well-executed strategies since they stay in groups and are always on the look out for predators.
Cheetah
Cheetah sightings have also been superb. Our guests saw the three brothers around Rhino Ridge and the Burrungat plains. Their hunting prowess has had everyone stunned because they have been hunting bigger animals such as the topi, wildebeest, and impala. This is very unusual. Apart from the three brothers, we have been seeing the other cheetahs like Shakira regularly.
Leopards
Leopard sightings have never been better. There are four leopards around our game viewing area that we can now guarantee a sighting on almost every drive.
Olive was seen two days ago at the junction of the Talek and Olare-Orok Rivers with her two very playful cubs. She’s been here for some time. We also saw a grant gazelle kill up a tree.
It is good to see that the cubs are now starting to relax in the presence of vehicles.
There are three other leopards towards Olare-Orok Conservancy, a female and her sub adult offspring.
The best news was the guides seeing Kali who had disappeared for many weeks.
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The Lions
The Mara cats are enjoying the last of the easy meals this month before the wildebeest leave. Many skeletons are strewn on the plains because of the big feast. As the wildebeest leave, the lion prides will become very mobile in search of prey, especially the ones with cubs. Some prides will split up because there will not be enough food to share around the pride.
Over the last few weeks, the Ridge Pride was seen roaming around the southern base of Rhino Ridge, Mara Intrepids and the Mara River area. There is one female with three-month-old cubs and one with two-month-old cubs. The females made easy kills when the wildebeest were all over their territory, which meant the cubs were well fed.
Leopards
Olive, our star female leopard and her three-month-old cubs are still around the junction of the Talek and Olare-Orok Rivers. They have lately been moving between this place and the little forest between Mara Intrepids and Explorer camps.
Binti and her daughter are downstream from where Olive is. They also took the opportunity to hunt the wildebeest when they were streaming down south through their territories and we saw a few young wildebeest’ carcasses up in the trees along the river.
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Cheetahs
Shakira, who for the past two years has been our star female cheetah, is still around with her three daughters. She has had some easy hunts because of the many gazelle fawns born in the past three weeks.
Honey’s three male cubs, continue to roam far and wide from Musiara to Paradise Plains and south to Burrungat Plains. There is another cheetah between Talek and Olkiombo airstrip with three very tiny cubs. This is not Alama, who we reported earlier. In general cheetah sightings have been the best this season.
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