The Mara River has been active in the past week, with many wildebeests and zebra crossing the river near Look Out Hill onto the Mara triangle. As reported last week, the herds then head west and northwards, settling on Burrungat plains across the river from Mara Intrepids. The main crossing at Paradise point was not very active, but our guides expect it to be the highlight of activities in the coming weeks when the herds will cross at this traditional point over to Paradise plains.

The water in the river is still low, making the crossing for the wildebeest just an easy walk across, with the crocs snapping at every opportunity for a meal. The herds have now seemingly settled down, especially along the lower side of the Mara River. The Loita herds have now joined with the Serengeti ones south of Mara triangle, where the grass is sufficient to sustain them through the migration season.

Looking down into Serengeti, herds of wildebeests and zebra on the recently burnt areas along the border can be seen nibbling on new shoots of grass growing in these area after some light rains swept through there the previous week.

Predators:
For the predators, the season of plenty has finally arrived! Lion prides south of the Talek are now very active, responding to the herbivores moving into their territories. The same is to cheetah and leopards in the area.

Our guests at Mara Intrepids witnessed a few kills by lions at Olkeju-Rongai and Look Out Hill area. There have been a lot of attempted and successful hunts by the Shonko pride between Mara Intrepids and Olkeju-Rongai stream.

Other notable predators have also been on the prowl. The hyaena clan living on Burrungat plains – traditional scavengers - took to an active hunting when the herds got to their territory. The vultures that accompany the migrating animals are now a common sight in the lower Mara section. They are the clean-up gangs that clear the mess left by the predators or carcasses of animals succumbing to diseases/injuries.

The light showers that swept across the central Mara over the last week have drawn more herds from the northern Serengeti. The Mara River, about 3 kilometers north of the south-Mara bridge, has been the main arena over the past few days. Heavy crossings have taken place as thousands of the Serengeti herds crossed west on the Mara Triangle. The river is still low, making the crossing a bit easy for the animals. Once in the Mara, these herds have taken a traditional route splitting into two, with one group heading west and crossing over the Mara River while the other, north into Meta and towards Burrungat plains - just south of Mara Intrepids.

Our guests had a week full of excitement on game drives due the close proximity of the herds from our camps - Mara Intrepids, Explorer and Siana Springs - and we are assured of even better things as the migration progresses!

The northern (Loita) and the southern (Serengeti) herds have now merged on the south Mara triangle. The converging point is a recently burnt area where new nutritious shoots are beginning to sprout after the recent light showers. An interesting phenomenon we have witnessed in the last two years, some of the Loita herds are starting to cross back at Paradise crossing point onto the eastern side of the river - where they had crossed the just previous week! The remaining animals from these herds have over the past week been streaming in small numbers towards Paradise Plains, with some crossing westwards onto Mara conservancy.

PREDATORS:
Lion sightings were remarkably high over the past week. There are not many lion cubs at the moment, but some females are expected to give birth over the next couple of months.
Olkiombo Pride has settled east of Mara Explorer about 1.5kms along the main road from the airstrip. The Ridge Pride is still very active, with many attempted hunts being witnessed during the day in the past week. There concentration of the herds is however still lower in their territory.

Encounters with cheetahs have now become more frequent than in the previous weeks. Leopards are also starting to get active and their sightings have improved remarkably. There were more leopard sightings over the past week as well. Bella, our Big Cat Diary star is now seen more regularly, while Olive, Penda and Tito among others were seen at least once over the past week.

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels

The concentration of the herds has increased more rapidly than first expected. A survey by our guides along the border yesterday established that there are many animals crossing the Sand River into the Mara. Light showers that swept across the southern swathes of the Mara have drawn the herds across from the northern Serengeti. They had briefly settled on the recently burnt areas, but there has been insufficient rainfall to make the grass sprout.

Once in the Mara, the herds appear to take two distinct directions, northwards towards the Central and Burrungat plains, and westwards towards the Mara River. A few hundreds have gone as far as Look Out Hill, with a few of these crossing west of the Mara River to a recently burnt patch of grassland. The crossings here are not yet dramatic due to a hand full of animals crossing and the low water levels, but the crocodiles as still making a meal of it!

Meanwhile, the Loita herds (that make-up the northern migration) are now spreading south of Mara triangle where grass was recently burnt. They have been streaming in in small numbers over the past week from Paradise plains, crossing westwards into the Mara conservancy. These herds still have a higher ratio of zebras to wildebeest.

PREDATORS:
The rumbling hooves of the oncoming herds have not gone unheeded, with lions regrouping once again for the season of plenty. A few kills have been witnessed over the past couple of days along the Sand River’s north bank, where a large pride of lions has stationed itself to take advantage of the herds going through their territory. This pride – claimed to be the largest pride in the park in the recent past – once numbered 32 strong!  The lean period had seen them separating into smaller groups, which later turned into sub-prides over the years.

To the north, the Ridge pride is still very active, with many attempted hunts being witnessed - some in broad daylight - in the past week. Our guides inform us that the old Bila shaka pride, whose territory is north of Rhino Ridge, is also regrouping. It seems the pounding hooves of the migrating herbivores has reawakened the lion prides from their slumber – and literary, brought life to the Mara!  

Cheetahs were encountered more frequently in the last week than previously. Leopards are also starting to get active and their sightings have improved remarkably. Bella, our Big Cat Diary star seems to have settled just next to Mara Intrepids, where she’s spotted regularly in the past week.

Paul Kirui, Lead Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels