Fabulous Topi House; encore of Malaika and cubs and a super quiet green season in the Masai Mara

[SSF556]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

So is this another trip or part of your trip to Tanzania this year?

Edited July 13, 2015 by SSF556

[madaboutcheetah]

Hi @@SSF556 - this was the first part of the same safari.

 

Finished the Mara and then went over to the Serengeti. It is a little bit of a hike if you wish to combine both - Fly out from the airstrip in the Mara to a remote airstrip in Kenya (forget the name). Then do the paper work on both sides (kenya and Tanzania - they were very unfriendly at the Kenyan border post to us). Drive over to Tarime (a remote airstrip in Tanzania) and then your flight will take you to the Serengeti. It's an all day affair if you throw in game drives at either end. I doubt I'd do this combination again.

Edited July 13, 2015 by madaboutcheetah

[Kitsafari]

Thanks a lot, folks .... You are too kind!

@@jeremie .... Yes, for sure. Cats are everywhere in the Mara. I still recommend off-season there.

I agree! Yes you don't get to see the crossings but it is not crowded and all the big cats are still around. Edited July 13, 2015 by Kitsafari

[Atravelynn]

Malaika - 3 of the cubs are males and I'm hoping for a powerful male coalition.

I know where your future reports will take place!

[madaboutcheetah]

Alrighty! Back to the editing .......

[madaboutcheetah]

I was so hoping for my Duba moment ...... Not to be! The Rekero pride with Blackie and Lipstick were too darn lazy!!!

At the end of the thread - you can see that the dagga boy just walks away and the Big Boy sits watching that - show's over!!! I think the Lionesses of the pride were already out hunting - hence, no opportunity this particular evening.

[madaboutcheetah]

The reason I am editing these images today ........ Malaika. I was crushed to hear that there was a mysterious death to one of the cubs a month or two ago - Not really much in the news (surprising on it's own) and now the death of one of the cubs to a crocodile of all creatures (such is life!)

[madaboutcheetah]

Who knew the fabulous Ms.Narasha would walk past our front yard at Topi House just an hour after we had eaten lunch outdoors at the same spot! I was reading a book in the main living room of the house when my teenage nephew screamed, "Cat" ....... I went to the window and immediately noted that it was Narasha (scar is a giveaway). Tragedy would strike only a couple of weeks later - Lions apparently killed her.

 

This particular afternoon, it was apparent that she was looking for something small that she would manage to bring down - Dik dik or gazelle Fawn ...... Not to be - so, we left her be and went on our drive (I wasn't going to make the others wait with cheetah here - although we had two vehicles organised for the house).

[madaboutcheetah]

Note : Series in post#30 is the continuation to the series in Post#9 - two of the males re-group.

 

Sorry, it's been a while and I'm trying my best to remember now as to the turn of events that morning.

[Kitsafari]

@@madaboutcheetah a fitting and timely tribute to Narasha. We were quite sad she couldn't do a successful hunt the day we followed her.

 

That's an awesome picture of Malaika and her cubs in B&w.

[Atravelynn]

Is one of Malaika's cubs still alive? The male lions posed nicely. It is hard to believe there was no Duba Plains moment with the lions and buffalo so close.

[SafariChick]

@@Atravelynn I believe I heard two are still alive but others can correct me if I'm wrong ...

[madaboutcheetah]

Yes, two left with Malaika.

[Marks]

Love the lion in mid-roar in post #30. You can almost hear him.

[penolva]

Hari did you hire the guide yourself or was he a staff guide at the house? Pen

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks @@Marks

 

@@penolva - guide at Topi House is Fred Ronko - he's sort of like a manager/guide (excellent guide) based at the house. Since we had a second vehicle, Asilia got us one of the guides from Rekero camp (sammy - also, excellent).

[madaboutcheetah]

I was hoping to get the editing done by year end ....... Here's a few for now

[Alexander33]

Your photography is just splendid. You are making quite the photojournalist's case for a visit to the Mara off-season. The beautiful green colors alone are almost enough to convince me, but combining that with lots of cats and fewer tourists? Case closed!

 

Looking forward to much more. Thank you for the education here!

[Marks]

Some mighty impressive lion teeth in that post!

[madaboutcheetah]

You guys are much too kind - Thank You!!!

 

@@Alexander33 - It's the Mara - Cats everywhere!!! Tip though is to get there before the bulk of the heavy rains. In the off-season many camps are closed because of not just the weather - but, a lot of internal crossing points are tough to cross over due to water levels. Also, if you get there just during the start of the rains you get this lush golf course like green carpet - great for viewing and photography.