Cruel paradise and its spotted angels (8 days in Masai Mara)

[bettel]

After spending some time with Malaika and her boys, we returned to the conservancy. We came across this sleepy "kitten":



and a quite photogenic bull:









And then the queen of Olare (female leopard Fig) was found. I don't know how this pose can be comfortable but Fig looked very relaxed:



After some rest, Fig woke up and started to groom herself. That was promising:



Then she started to think what her dinner was going to be:

Edited November 21, 2017 by bettel

[bettel]

She soon got down and started to look for some hunting opportunities (appearing from and returning back to gullets)

 

At some point she got tired of people and disappeared in bushes completely. On our way back to camp we stopped near a jackal den with 7 pups: 

 

Another day was over.

[AfricIan]

2 hours ago, bettel said:

I don't know how this pose can be comfortable but Fig looked very relaxed:

 

That is the most unusual resting position I've seen!

[amybatt]

Nice way to end the day!  Fig remains my favorite big cat anywhere.  She works it for the camera like nothing I've ever seen and she's gorgeous to boot.  I've seen other leopards but none with the comfort level for the cameras/vehicles like her.

[AmyT]

3 hours ago, bettel said:

And then the queen of Olare (female leopard Fig) was found. I don't know how this pose can be comfortable but Fig looked very relaxed:

 

I laughed out loud as I scrolled through that photo. Fig never fails to impress!

[bettel]

2 hours ago, AfricIan said:

That is the most unusual resting position I've seen!

I know! It is same for me, I have never seen leopards resting like this before

1 hour ago, amybatt said:

Fig remains my favorite big cat anywhere.  She works it for the camera like nothing I've ever seen and she's gorgeous to boot.  I've seen other leopards but none with the comfort level for the cameras/vehicles like her.

I would have agreed before the last trip, but I have now seen Lorian too. And my heart is torn lol. They are both so beautiful cats

1 hour ago, AmyT said:

I laughed out loud as I scrolled through that photo. Fig never fails to impress!

I laughed when I saw her too, I could not believe she could stay like this for a long time, no problem

 

Day 5. 

We started the day trying to find 3 sub adult cheetahs, that were separated recently (if i remember it correctly, it is Kiraposhe's cubs). They had been staying on Motorogi area. But the mission was not accomplished. We went back to Olare and spent some time with Fig and Figlet (5 month old female cub)







Mother and daughter









Fig was not relaxed. She was watching surroundings very attentively as there were some baboons nearby:









 

[AmyT]

When we were there in June, Fig wasn't letting anyone spot her cubs.  So sweet to see that one has survived. What a beauty, just like her mama!

 

[bettel]

@AmyT, I hope so much that Figlet will grow to an adult leopard same as her brother Olare who is now independent and lives in Mara North. And that she will stay in Olare and there will be more leopards there

 

***

I am sorry! I know that it is little bit...ok, ok, way too much photos of Figlet. But she is so cute!!!! That is my story and I am sticking to it. /Singing/ But I can't stop posting them, no, I can't stop posting them, why should I?

[AmyT]

OK so now I am seriously jealous, @bettel.  Gorgeous photos of Figlet!

[mtanenbaum]

Your photos are terrific! I love the colors with the green grass and the blue sky. I will be in the Mara in early January for my first trip there (4 nights at Offbeat Mara) and hope I have the wonderful sightings that you had!

[mtanenbaum]

A question on your cheetah photos--do you mind my asking what kind of settings you used to get them so clear when they were running? Did you use shutter priority and if so what shutter speed did you need? Thanks for advice.

 

[bettel]

16 hours ago, AmyT said:

OK so now I am seriously jealous, @bettel.  Gorgeous photos of Figlet!

Lol, now you have even more reasons to go back asap

7 hours ago, mtanenbaum said:

Your photos are terrific! I love the colors with the green grass and the blue sky. I will be in the Mara in early January for my first trip there (4 nights at Offbeat Mara) and hope I have the wonderful sightings that you had!

Thank you! I am sure you will have great time. My only advise is be patient and trust your guide. If he thinks it is worth to wait, wait! 

6 hours ago, mtanenbaum said:

A question on your cheetah photos--do you mind my asking what kind of settings you used to get them so clear when they were running? Did you use shutter priority and if so what shutter speed did you need? Thanks for advice.

You are asking the wrong person! I am very very amateur and use pretty much same settings all the time: it is aperture priority, F8 and I change only ISO depending on conditions

 

Continuation:

Soon Fig became more nervous as baboons got close so she took her cub and disappeared in bushes.

Baboons:


We went to our cheetahs, boys hunted a zebra foal and then within 12 hours a wildebeest and they were pregnant with food and completely immobile. Thus we decided to go to Malaika as one calf for three of them was pretty light meal. 

Sleepy lions on our way:







We arrived just in time. Malaika was moving and looking for a prey. And then some chaos happened as a scrub hare suddenly entered the scene. Malaika got it in seconds but then there was a harder part for her



Cubs were thinking that it would be nice to share. Malaika had no slightest intention to do so :). It was a competition between experience and youth and experience won:











"I love you, kids, but I love my scrub hare more"

[bettel]

I don't want that scrub hare, I don't want it at all:

 

Aaaah, mom, I want a piece!

Soon some pieces started to fall naturally:



Kids were checking for them:



One was lucky and got whole hind part, the other cub disagreed:

[Alexander33]

On 11/19/2017 at 6:49 AM, bettel said:

Yes, that was definitely a huge highlight, but very emotional! I truly did not know which side to cheer for.

 

Re: the cheetah coalition trying to take down the wildebeest:  Your sentiments mirror exactly how I felt as I was scrolling through the sequence. What an amazing experience. Great photos. Were you using your 70-200 or did you have a longer lens?

 

Edited November 22, 2017 by Alexander33

[bettel]

10 minutes ago, Alexander33 said:

What an amazing experience. Great photos.

Thank you!

11 minutes ago, Alexander33 said:

Were you using your 70-200 or did you have a longer lens?

No, this time I rented 80-400 and was using it 100% of time.

[gatoratlarge]

WOW!  Stunning pictures!  THIS is why I'm on SafariTalk!  The baby giraffe is definitely the cutest thing I'll see all day

 

[gatoratlarge]

PS just incredible pics of the cheetah/wildebeest struggle!! WOW!!!  Strong will to survive on both ends...

[bettel]

On 11/22/2017 at 9:51 AM, gatoratlarge said:

WOW!  Stunning pictures!  THIS is why I'm on SafariTalk!  The baby giraffe is definitely the cutest thing I'll see all day

 

On 11/22/2017 at 9:57 AM, gatoratlarge said:

PS just incredible pics of the cheetah/wildebeest struggle!! WOW!!!  Strong will to survive on both ends...

Thank you very much for commenting! It encourages to continue

 

8 hours ago, Antee said:

Geeez, this is more action than a Steven Seagal movie! 

Lol, yes, I have no slightest reason to complain :).  That was a trip just loaded with action. 

8 hours ago, Antee said:

Absolutely stunning!

Thank you for kind words! They are greatly appreciated! 

[bettel]

Soon everybody else gave up and left. We used this pause to have some lunch.

Zebra foal on our way:


And agama lizard:


Malaika was very kind to wait for us:





But pretty much as soon as we arrived she got up and started to hunt targeting an impala herd nearby. Well, she slowly walked 20 steps towards the herd with cubs following her behind, when suddenly cubs turned 180 degrees and ran for their dear lives, disappearing somewhere behind the hill . We all (including Malaika) got confused, but in a few seconds another scrub hare appeared from behind the hill and jumped into hole, it was followed by one of the boys. A few seconds of uncertainty and here he was:   

[bettel]

And no, he was not going to share either. There were way too many relatives and not enough rabbits:



Malaika did not even try to approach her son. I guess she knew that it would not work:





It is all mine!!!!



An eagle was watching this Dorm Olympics:



OMG, are those even my kids?!







Only when the scrub hare was almost eaten, Malaika came to check if maybe some small pieces were left. The son growled at her, lol she did not tolerate that one and smacked him pretty hard "Dude, know your limits!"

Kids were still fighting:









Malaika was probably trying to remember if those kids were adopted:

 

And then we got a message from the camp that lions had just killed a buffalo so we went to watch them feeding.

[bettel]

When we arrived, lions were still opening the carcass. This was one of resident Porini Lion buffaloes. He was old and he was limping. It all started as a joke chase but one lioness (because of his injured leg) put him easily on the ground. But it was much harder for the pride to suffocate poor thing. They gave this role to a sub adult and he failed a few times so unfortunately the buffalo death was not that easy   

[bettel]

Lions and their favorite time spending: 











Some actually got inside:

 

So kind face.... no!

[bettel]

While eating one or another lionesses were leaving the scene and patrolling the surrounding. It was because of Enkoyonai pride split that was nearby. Having 2 big male sub adults, this split was a threat to Oldikidiki cubs. I was afraid that the split would chase Oldikidiki pride away if dominant males did not join. It was getting dark so I told Meshack that we could go to the camp which was only 50 meters away. But suddenly Meshack increased the speed and went somewhere :). The split was hunting nearby! We went to check.  We did not see the hunt, but we did see a kill:

I could sleep well as both prides had lots of food

[bettel]

Day 6

In the morning we went straight to Musketeers but they were pregnant with a wildebeest (and reminded animals from the cartoon "What if animals were round?"). They were lazy even to bully each other, it was quiet and peaceful. 









We decided that we would check on them in the evening but most likely there would not be any action till next day at least.  

We went to a singe cheetah found and it was a pregnant Imani, 

 

But it was not her that was a photo star. A crowned crane was dancing right in front of her. What a beautiful bird:

[pomkiwi]

@bettel And I thought my time at Porini Lion was amazing! Excellent report and images. Glad the 80-400mml ens worked well, it is definately my favourite. Thanks again.