The life of famous cheetahs (Porini Mara and Porini Lion camps)

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@bettel

 

Thank you so much for your persistence in writing an engrossing trip report and posting dozens of fascinating images.

From your trip report I learned more about cheetah behavior.

I smiled when I saw your final image, of the buffalo with oxpeckers. When I left Porini Lion less than two weeks prior to your departure, my final photograph was also of a buffalo, near the airstrip.

In half a year you'll be back there. I hope that the seasonal changes you'll observe will be as interesting as what you saw during summer.

Again, many, many thanks for the fine trip report and many one-of-a-kind images.

With Appreciation,

Tom K.

[TonyQ]

@@bettel

Thank you for the final section - Bat-eared foxes are a treat. And good that you had a final cheetah view. A great picture of the hunt. It was good to see these after the traffic jam.

I can see why you are planning the next trip.

Thank you for all of the work you have put into the whole report - I have really enjoyed your writing and photos

[Marks]

Glad you squeezed another few cheetah shots in at the end. Enjoyed your thread a lot!

[Alexander33]

With that first shot of Nolari giving chase, I would never have believed that the hunt would not be successful. She looks like she's ready to pounce.

 

I need to go to the Mara just for the bat-eared foxes that you -- and the others with current trip reports -- are posting.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@Alexander33

 

Dare I tell you that when I was at Porini Lion, about ten days before @@bettel, we spotted bat-eared foxes on most early morning game drives throughout the week?

By all means do visit the Mara. You won't regret it!

Tom K.

[TonyQ]

@@Alexander33

We had very good views of Bat-eared Foxes in OMC - they are a treat!

[xelas]

@@bettel

I regret that you have arrived at Day 11 and the end of your TR; it was such a treat following you around Mara.

I hope there will be another one, soon.

[bettel]

With that first shot of Nolari giving chase, I would never have believed that the hunt would not be successful. She looks like she's ready to pounce.

 

I need to go to the Mara just for the bat-eared foxes that you -- and the others with current trip reports -- are posting.

It was unbelievable but she did not try to get this gazelle, she continued the chase for the absolutely different one (and it was much further). I don't know what was her logic but we all were surprised

 

As for bat eared foxes, we saw a lot of them. I mean a LOT of them, but they were all pretty shy for 70-200 lens . But even without foxes Mara is worth to go to. When I say Mara, I mean Conservancies

 

In half a year you'll be back there. I hope that the seasonal changes you'll observe will be as interesting as what you saw during summer.

 

Thank you, Tom! I am so looking forward to being back! I wish my company open an office in Kenya lol.

 

I can see why you are planning the next trip.

 

Thank you for being patient and "surviving" till the very end . I am actually not planing the next one, my next one is already booked, now I am trying to control myself and not to actually plan the trip for the next Feb

 

Glad you squeezed another few cheetah shots in at the end. Enjoyed your thread a lot!

Thank you, I could not resist although I was thinking that everybody already fed up with cheetahs. But you, guys, are stronger than what I expected .

I regret that you have arrived at Day 11 and the end of your TR; it was such a treat following you around Mara.

I hope there will be another one, soon.

Thank you for being so kind ! Now my only way to survive without Africa is to read other people's reports . No pressure, but remember people depend on you

Edited March 17, 2016 by bettel

[pault]

You promised us cheetahs and delivered some wonderful scenes but for me the really special sightings here are the leopard interaction. That's wonderful to see. Once in a lifetime stuff.

[bettel]

@@pault, I agree, that morning with Fig and the cub is among my most memorable and most favorable safari moments. Very special!

[Atravelynn]

I just got to your report. Funny how we each have cheetah-centric reports going at the moment. Also funny how we feel a bit of a need to apologize for excessive cheetah-ing. No apologies needed for me, though. I understand completely and applaud your time devoted to the duma.

 

The first part of Page 1 at least you have branched out nicely with a wide assortment of species! Even a bird! But with cheetah roaming about, you can't be spending your time focusing on a francolin that is now a spurfowl.

 

"t brought giraffe’s attention and she galloped full speed towards cheetahs. She definitely was not going to talk about the weather. Jimmy thought that she might have lost a baby recently to cats so she was little bit mad."

 

What a fascinating conclusion.

 

---------------

 

Now it is back to cheetahs again. And what cheetah action. The kill, the disturbing cry, the hyenas. I am glad there was no water bottle literally thrown into the mix!

Edited April 13, 2016 by Atravelynn

[Atravelynn]

Page 2

 

The lion and dead young giraffe is fascinating and brutal. The dark lighting accentuates the combo.

 

Your cheetah-hyena activity is non-stop. Must be exhausting for them both. Nice jackal-vulture action shot too.

 

Always refreshing to have the cheetah do something interesting like climb a tree. I've tried to will them up into a tree without luck.

 

Piles and piles of cheetahs, sometimes with a carcass underneath. What more can you want?

 

The White Headed Vulture is a handsome fellow indeed.

 

Reading the declaration, "P.S. I will give you some relief . I promise there will be no cheetah photos in the next installment :)" I have more a sense of disappointment than relief that I'll be free from the spotted cats.

[Atravelynn]

Page 3 as action packed as the others. And more cheetahs!

 

Your comparison of mothering and hunting styles is fascinating. I have noted the differences too. The family that rolls around, washes, snuggles, and bonds together is not always the one that has the best hunting skills.

 

Back to the trees or at least the stump for the cheetahs.

 

The 10 mating lion photos you chose were outstanding.

 

What was that about being prepared for bad photos? Are they coming up near the end? These have been great!

[Atravelynn]

Page 4 - As soon as the light increased, you got your airbound cheetah and acrobatics!

 

The 3 hyenas with the leg is a classic.

 

Those young lion cubs would have been a highlight alone even with no cheetah.

 

"When lionesses left the pride to take care of new cubs, old cubs tried to leave with them and were patiently waiting for their moms not far from den. They were starving and Meshack told that guides were thinking that older cubs would not make it."

Reads like a Dickens novel. Happy ending, good. But fortunately they survived. And by the time when I was there they already gained weight and looked good.

 

Thanks for explaining the vehicle and your daring shots.

[bettel]

@@Atravelynn, thank you very much for providing such a great feedback! It is getting me back to Africa and my memories. And it is especially pleasant to have another cheetah lover here

 

 

What was that about being prepared for bad photos? Are they coming up near the end? These have been great!

 

Well, comparing to so many outstanding photos on ST...

[Atravelynn]

Maybe I can't will the cheetahs into the trees, but you can. At sunset no less.

 

Were there any hoofed animals left after all this hunting? A house full of teenagers has a tremendous appetite.

 

That leopard cub is quite inquisitive.

 

You probably told us, but what is the sex of each of the cubs. When is it expected they will be out on their own?

 

Page 5.

[bettel]

You probably told us, but what is the sex of each of the cubs. When is it expected they will be out on their own?

I believe (but I can't give my right hand ):

 

- Naborr has 14 month old cubs (as at the moment; they were around year old when I was there): 1 male and 2 females. These cubs should be out pretty soon (if not already)

- Both Imani and Musiara have 10 month old cubs (as at the moment; they were 8 month old when I was there). One of them has 1 male and 2 females and another 2 males and 1 female. Don't ask which one . I believe I still have chances to see them with their mothers in September.

Edited April 13, 2016 by bettel

[Atravelynn]

@@Atravelynn, thank you very much for providing such a great feedback! It is getting me back to Africa and my memories. And it is especially pleasant to have another cheetah lover here

 

 

What was that about being prepared for bad photos? Are they coming up near the end? These have been great!

 

Well, comparing to so many outstanding photos on ST...

Yes, there are some award winners. But we just have to "love the one you're with." You have lots to love from this trip. And not just cheetahs.

[Atravelynn]

 

You probably told us, but what is the sex of each of the cubs. When is it expected they will be out on their own?

I believe (but I can't give my right hand ):

 

- Naborr has 14 month old cubs (as at the moment; they were around year old when I was there): 1 male and 2 females. These cubs should be out pretty soon (if not already)

- Both Imani and Musiara have 10 month old cubs (as at the moment; they were 8 month old when I was there). One of them has 1 male and 2 females and another 2 males and 1 female. Don't ask which one . I believe I still have chances to see them with their mothers in September.

So now I don't need to ask about plans to return. Sept should be a marvelous time. You might just decide to make all your safari family affairs and keep track of each of these cubs and their offspring. Auntie Bettel.

Glad there are at least even #s of females. That should help the overall #s.

[Sangeeta]

@@bettel - this has to be one of the most memorable reports I have read. Although Mother Nature was definitely smiling down on you, you planned this safari to perfection for your needs. Enough time in 2 fantastic locations to let events unfold & th patience and persistence to 'live' the moments with the wildlife, not merely 'observe' them. Whether it was the giraffe giving away the locations, or Fig and her cub bonding, or the many, many inter-species standoffs - these are the moments we remember forever and you have encapsulated them so brilliantly.

 

The photographs were brilliant, but like @@Tom Kellie, I am in awe of the stories and insights that can be gleaned from this report! Brilliant work & thanks so much for sharing this.

[Atravelynn]

Tail chewing and blue eyed cubs! Page 7.

The leopard cub, oh my, I don't even remember where that came in.

 

Was your guide kind of shaking his head, saying this is incredible?

 

Again, you probably told us. But what were the dates of your travel? I ask because you mentioned "hours old" wildebeest. Wondered if you could comment on wilde births in that area. Was the youngster a rarity, or did you get the feeling that births were going on all about? Did you notice placentas on the ground?

 

Where are you going in Feb?

 

I read "fed up with cheetahs." Sheer crazy talk. Stop that right now.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Atravelynn

[Geoff]

That's an excellent safari and I've just read up to the end of page 5.

[bettel]

The photographs were brilliant, but like @@Tom Kellie, I am in awe of the stories and insights that can be gleaned from this report! Brilliant work & thanks so much for sharing this.

Thank you for all your nice words! I love Safari Talk for this opportunity to share memories and emotions with like minded people.

 

 

Was your guide kind of shaking his head, saying this is incredible?

They did say that it is incredible , they also said they have never spent so much time with same cheetahs lol

 

 

Again, you probably told us. But what were the dates of your travel? I ask because you mentioned "hours old" wildebeest. Wondered if you could comment on wilde births in that area. Was the youngster a rarity, or did you get the feeling that births were going on all about? Did you notice placentas on the ground?

I was there from Feb 9th to Feb 19th. I must say that we did not see a lot of wildebeest in OMC. We saw plenty of them in Ol Kinyei. I was told that there are couple reasons for this: 1) new fences that are blocking Loita herds migration (herds are now almost locked in Naboisho/ Ol Kinyei) 2) OMC had not allowed cattle grazing and due to unusually heavy rains the conservancy had very long grass, wildebeests and zebras did not like it so they were staying at short grass areas (on a border of the conservancy). We started to see a few calves by the end of my stay but there were still a lot of pregnant wildebeests around so I would guess it was right a beginning of calving.

 

 

That's an excellent safari and I've just read up to the end of page 5.

Thank you!!!

[Atravelynn]

Scrolling through this last page, I seem to have overtaken your report. My cheetah avatar is almost as prolific as your many cheetah photos.

 

In addition to the other questions, here are a couple more:

 

1) 3-7 breakdown of Mara, Lion Porini. How did you arrive at that? What factors made you choose that particular split? How do you feel about that split post-trip? I would think you feel pretty darn good, but you might have some additional insights.

 

2) When you left home were your plans to follow cheetahs or was that the natural flow once you arrived?

 

3) You had Jimmy and same tracker the whole time, right? Both camps? I did not see another guide, but maybe that's because I was focused on the pics and not names.

 

4) Do you think one could alter the itinerary after arrival based on what's happening on the ground? So for example, if instead of 3-7, once you got there if you thought, I'd like an even split, do you think that could be arranged? I did that once with Wilderness properties in Bots after arrival when there was availability and in that instance the flexibility was much appreciated. I can see how it might be useful in your situation, if cheetahs were the focal point. I know anything is possible at the right price, but just wondering if you think a switch could be made if there was availability. Which leads to 4a.

 

4a) How would you describe availability and #s in the camps at this time of year? If full, then the #4 scheme would be kaput.

 

5) When you went to the neighboring areas, was that easy? Tell us again where else you ventured off to.

 

6) Again, if you wrote this, sorry I overlooked it, but what was your general daily schedule? Come back midday? Ever stay out all day?

 

Our posts are crossing. Just read above.

 

You had so many magnificent shots of so many species that all that business at the start of cheetah-centricity and apologies over all the cheetahs could have just been omitted. Cheetahs are the highlight, but your report contains the works! No one would accuse you of omitting the other guys. Now tone down your expectations for Sept and Feb. Or maybe you're searching out mating pangolins on these trips?

Edited April 14, 2016 by Atravelynn

[bettel]

Please see my comments in blue

Scrolling through this last page, I seem to have overtaken your report. My cheetah avatar is almost as prolific as your many cheetah photos.

 

In addition to the other questions, here are a couple more:

 

1) 3-7 breakdown of Mara, Lion Porini. How did you arrive at that? What factors made you choose that particular split? How do you feel about that split post-trip? I would think you feel pretty darn good, but you might have some additional insights. /I am a huge fan of big cats. I knew in advance that OMC is a cat lover's paradise so at the beginning I was going only to OMC. But then I decided to give Naboisho a try (they seem to have pretty reliable cheetah sightings). I decided that even if it did not work, three days would not kill my safari. I feel very good about this split. Naboisho is little bit hit or miss. I mean I can't complain I had a great experience there. Actually so great that I was thinking if maybe I could ask Porini to change my schedule and stay in Naboisho longer especially taking into account all horror stories of OMC long grass and starving cats . But at the end everything worked great. However, I understand that not everybody would be happy watching the same cheetah family for 72 hours . I noticed that a lot of people leave cheetah sightings very quickly./

 

2) When you left home were your plans to follow cheetahs or was that the natural flow once you arrived? /I knew that my approach would be: if leopard is found we go for a leopard, otherwise we go for cheetahs . Lions are early morning or late night or if there is no cheetah :)/

 

3) You had Jimmy and same tracker the whole time, right? Both camps? I did not see another guide, but maybe that's because I was focused on the pics and not names. /No, I had Jimmy and Morema in Porini Mara and Meshack and John in Porini Lion. I liked both teams a lot./

 

4) Do you think one could alter the itinerary after arrival based on what's happening on the ground? So for example, if instead of 3-7, once you got there if you thought, I'd like an even split, do you think that could be arranged? I did that once with Wilderness properties in Bots after arrival when there was availability and in that instance the flexibility was much appreciated. I can see how it might be useful in your situation, if cheetahs were the focal point. I know anything is possible at the right price, but just wondering if you think a switch could be made if there was availability. Which leads to 4a. /This probably would be a question for @@JakeGC . But Porini seems to be very accommodating so I would think they would not mind to switch your stay if there is room in the camp. However, Porini Lion is little bit more expensive camp than Porini Mara (Naboisho)/

 

4a) How would you describe availability and #s in the camps at this time of year? If full, then the #4 scheme would be kaput. /There were some days when camps were fully booked (due to a photographers group). On other days there were plenty of space/

 

5) When you went to the neighboring areas, was that easy? Tell us again where else you ventured off to. /it is very easy to go to Mara reserve from OMC. We were watching three cheetah families: Imani's in OMC, and Musiara's and Nolari's in the reserve)

 

6) Again, if you wrote this, sorry I overlooked it, but what was your general daily schedule? Come back midday? Ever stay out all day? /I was out all day every day . When there was no activity we just relaxed in the car near cheetahs: I was reading or updating my notes ./

 

Our posts are crossing. Just read above.

 

Now tone down your expectations for Sept and Feb. /I am going back to Porini Lion in September but I don't know about February yet, way too many options ./

 

Or maybe you're searching out mating pangolins on these trips? /I wish :)/