Those Poor Animals – A Family Safari in Kenya

[foggy27]

Day 9 Morning Game Drive (Continued)

The stage was almost set when we arrived at the “grand arena”.  On the protagonist side, Malaika and her two sons were in position, ready to hunt.

 

On the other side was the targeted prey.  Was this Thompson’s gazelle falling asleep?  It could hardly afford that.

 

The spectators were in position as well, awaiting the curtain to rise.

 

One of the boys started stalking, while his mother and brother watched.

 

Now should I aim my camera at the stalking cheetah to capture the launch of attack?  Or should I focus on the tommie for the moment of realization?  Undecided, I kept moving my camera back and forth.  In hindsight, it is the worst strategy.  At the pivotal moment, the camera would likely be caught between the hunter and the hunted with neither in focus.  It did not really matter on this day because the event did not follow the script.

 

Anyway, I am ahead of myself.  We held our breath and watched the cheetah covering the distance.  Trained by the legend, the young cheetah is an excellent hunter.

 

It was then we heard Ping’s urgent voice to look at our right.  Swinging my camera to the right, I saw (through the lens) a hapless topi wandering into the field.  The picture was out of focus.  But on closer look, I was pleasantly surprised that I caught a cheetah pretending to be a rock.

 

A better look in the cropped version.

 

What happened next was recounted by Ping, as none of us saw it.  Alerted by the arrival of the topi, the tommie woke up from day dream and looked around.  One glance was enough, and it took off in an instant.  Meanwhile the stalking cheetah was distracted by the topi for a split second, enough for the tommie to gain a head start.  By the time my camera went back on the hunt, the gazelle was gone (other than the tip of its horns).

 

Apparently the topi had no idea that it walked into the middle of a killing field.  It was just trying to find a vantage point to enjoy the view.

 

Cheetahs do not actively hunt adult topi.  Perhaps out of frustration over a failed hunt, the cheetah had a go for the topi.  Mr. Topi, you had not only ruined a well-executed hunt, but also put yourself in harm’s way.

 

It is very hard to read facial expression of antelope, but this one had “FEAR” written all over it.

 

At least we were treated with a display of incredible athleticism.  Topi is actually one of the fastest animals.

 

Just like that, the topi jumped off the stage and exited the arena.

 

The cheetahs did not chase.  Superstars do not waste energy off stage.  They only perform in view of paying audience.

[amybatt]

Nice drama played out for you, and your choice of photos and retelling of it was excellent!

[foggy27]

Day 9 Morning Game Drive (Continued)

The curtain was raised again for Act 2 of the show.  The cheetahs regrouped on top of the vantage point, looking out for their next meal.

 

In the distance, a herd of topi was gathering.

 

With advantage in number and size, the herd of topi summoned courage and walked towards the cheetahs.  Ping explained that it was not an uncommon anti-predator strategy.  The best defense is a good offense.  Topi deserves more respect from us in grasping that concept.

 

It is one thing for a herd of topi to confront cheetah, another for a Thompson’s gazelle to participate.  That tommie was either very brave, or very stupid.

 

The cheetah stirred, and the tommie ran for cover.  Now that is the way it is supposed to be.

 

Harassed by topi, the cheetahs got up and moved off.

 

For the second time, Malaika walked right in front of us.

 

She was clearly used to vehicles.

 

The cheetahs moved on to where we could not follow.  That is our last sight of Malaika.  Sadly she disappeared a month later, and is presumably dead.  RIP!

 

The plain was once again the setting of a peaceful paradise, with occasional drama of halfhearted fight between impala rams.

[CDL111]

Enjoying this report very much, your sightings have been first-class and to see such a number of ostrich has to be unusual. The hyenas and the turmoil at the kill which then becomes orderly. To see the topi walking up to the cheetahs and forcing them to move on brought a smile. The quantity of big cats has to be pleasing . Looking forward to the rest of your report.

[foggy27]

@AfricIan Thanks for sharing your thought on side preference of elephant.  It makes sense.

 

@amybatt, @CDL111 Thanks for following along.

[foggy27]

Day 9 Morning Game Drive (Continued)

We finally started heading back to the camp, with numerous stops on the way.  First, a nice giraffe family on the roadside.

 

A lone buffalo drinking at a waterhole.

 

More elephants.

 

Near the camp entrance, we noticed some rather alarmed giraffes staring at a thicket.  Ping soon found what made giraffe uneasy: a young lion sleeping in the bush.

 

There was a second lion hidden in the bush, not far from the first one.  The angle was better because it allowed us to include both the lion and the watchful giraffes in the same photo.

 

We got back to the camp at 3 in the afternoon.  It was by far our longest game drive on this trip.

[foggy27]

Day 9 Afternoon Game Drive

Since the prolonged morning game drive lasted till 3, we were having a shortened drive in the afternoon.  Leaving camp at 5, we only had a little over an hour before it got dark.

 

A Goliath heron reflected in water.

 

A herd of impala, with a distracted male that allowed us to get close.

 

We soon found out why the impala was distracted.  A jackal had just killed a baby impala.  Ping estimated the kill was only minutes old.

 

A second jackal joined feeding.  Jackals hunt impala in pairs.  While one distracts the protective mother, the other quickly snaps the baby.

 

Quote from my daughters: “Poor impala, hate jackal”.  Oops.  When the jackals moved off, Ping tried to redeem their image by following them in the hope of finding their den.  But jackals were very fast, and we soon lost them in the long grass.

 

Back to the site of the kill, we witnessed an eerie sight.  The herd of impala showed up to revisit where they lost their young.  Could it be construed as grief over the dead?

 

Sunset over Masai Mara.

 

In the evening, we celebrated the fabulous day over a family style feast of local Kenyan food.  We really wish the safari camps would do it more often.

[foggy27]

Day 10 Morning Game Drive

It was our last full day of the trip, and we really had seen everything that we could possibly ask for.  We would be happy just to have a nice sunrise.  Well our wish was soon granted.

 

With the high density of nocturnal predator in Mara, impala must be as happy as we are to see daylight.

 

With the beautiful Mara landscape in good light, what else can one want?

 

How about some elephants walking into the foreground?

 

Never tired of watching elephants, especially in the presence of little one.

 

We again had our bush breakfast on the bank of Mara River, this time in the company of a solitary hippo in the river.

 

Over the breakfast, we learned from the camp staff that a black rhino was spotted near the camp.  Ping wondered whether it was the same one we saw on our arrival day.

 

[foggy27]

Day 10 Morning Game Drive (Continued)

Three lions were found on a termite mound.

 

A fourth lion came out of the tall grass and joined the other three briefly before moving back to the grass.  The termite mound was very crowded with four lions.

 

The sun was strong, and the lions hardly ever opened their eyes.  Sleeping lion is never a popular sight.  Only one vehicle joined us, and only briefly.  But Ping saw something promising.  These copycats were pretending to be cheetahs on a termite mound.  They might imitate cheetah to hunt in daylight.

 

We waited patiently.  I was trying, without success, to capture the moment when all lions opened their eyes.  But I managed to capture a synchronized yawn.

 

The yawn is a precursor to getting active.  The lions got up, and ready for action.

 

The lions were in hunting mode.  We could not see their target until Ping pointed it out for us: a faraway warthog (actually just a dot).  The tall grass provided good cover, but the distance was long.

 

Inexplicably, one of the young lions got up on a termite mound.  The cover was blown, and the warthog got away.  Ping was probably more disappointed than the lions and kept blaming the inexperienced young lion for screwing up.

[foggy27]

Day 10 Morning Game Drive (Continued)

The lions regrouped on a termite mound.  There were still warthogs around.  The hunt continued.

 

It was mid-day, and no other vehicle was present.  Ping re-positioned the vehicle to a vantage point with clear view of both the hunter and the hunted, yet far enough not to interfere with the hunt.   As a bonus we could see a large buffalo herd from afar.

 

This time the lions were more patient.  It was fascinating to watch them stalking.

 

To be on the safe side, I zoomed out to include both the lion and the warthog.  At least I was able to capture two tiny figures when the lion charged.

 

The lion got close, but not close enough.  The warthog was surprisingly fast and got away.

 

Quote from my daughters: “Poor lion, work so hard and still no meal”.

 

Ping was satisfied with the performance of the young lions.  He gave them a passing grade.  By staying undetected, the youngsters gave their mother a chance to succeed.  With experience, they would learn how to help by covering the escape path of the prey.

 

On the way back, Ping took us to check out the buffalo herd.  It was an impressive sight, with 100+ buffaloes.

[CDL111]

At least it was an attempt of a kill, more than many of us see.

[foggy27]

@CDL111 Thanks.  We were very lucky.  We saw lots of animals, and often doing something interesting. 

[foggy27]

Day 10 Afternoon Game Drive

Right out of the camp, we saw several vehicles.  A black rhino was spotted.  Rhino sighting is very rare in Mara, and highly sought after.

 

The rhino was skittish and started to run.  A convoy of vehicles followed in hot pursuit.  Since we already had great rhino sightings in Ol Pejeta, we decided not to participate in the chase.  Instead Ping was to take us to search for leopard.  Every time a vehicle passed us, the guide would stop and have a chat with Ping to learn the whereabouts of the rhino.  He was very popular.

 

Grant’s gazelle is abundant.  This one was more relaxed than the others.

 

A hamerkop.

 

Leopard is a secretive animal.  Ping drove slowly in the leopard country, trying to find any trace.  He got excited when he heard jackal calling.  Jackals are aggressive animals, taking considerable risk for the opportunity of a meal.  They like to follow leopard in the hope of stealing a scrap of food when leopard makes a kill.  Led by the jackal call, we soon found a female leopard.  Our vehicle was the only one at the private sighting.

 

The leopard was on the move.  We followed the leopard as she moved in the tall grass.

 

Finally, the leopard melted into the dense vegetation.

 

Our last full day in Mara turned out to be a big-five day, with excellent sightings of elephant, lion and buffalo in the morning, a rhino just out of the camp when we started the afternoon drive, and finally a private sighting of leopard.

[CDL111]

Good decision not to follow the rhino, otherwise you would have been down to four. An amazing finish to your time in the Mara.

[foggy27]

@CDL111 Thanks for following along.  It was our last full day, but not our last drive.  We would have another drive next morning, although a short one because of the flight schedule.

[foggy27]

Day 11 Morning Game Drive

It was our last day on safari, and we had a morning flight to Nairobi.  The plan was to have a short drive in the morning, back to camp for breakfast before leaving for the airstrip.

 

A cooperative impala was on a termite mound, allowing us to practice silhouette photography.

 

Following vultures in the air and hyenas on the ground, Ping took us to where scavengers congregated.  An elephant died of natural cause overnight.  Park rangers were at the scene earlier to take away the ivory.  When we arrived, two male lions took possession of the carcass.  The vegetation was dense, making it difficult to observe the feeding lions.

 

Vultures, hyenas, and a lioness were found nearby, patiently waiting for their turn to feed.

 

Eye-level view of the lioness on termite mound.

 

Our time was up.  On the way back to camp, we made one more stop for buffalo.

 

It was our final sight on this trip: buffalo and red-billed ox-pecker.

 

After having a cooked breakfast at the camp, we said goodbye to the wonderful staff and left the camp.  The transfer to airstrip was smooth and uneventful.

[foggy27]

Impression of  Ping and Enaidura Camp

Ping is already a very successful guide, and there is little we can add.  At the same time, he is still working very hard.  He is hungry for success as the first local Masai to own a safari camp.  That brings us to his camp: Enaidura.

 

Since game drive in Masai Mara National Reserve is limited to daylight hours, the central location is a crucial factor.  Enaidura Camp is situated next to Talek River.  It is a prime location at migration time, very close to a crossing point.  The staff is almost all local Masai from Ping’s village.  They were very friendly.  Ping had also brought in a nice gentleman from Nairobi to serve as head waiter / bartender.  It is a comfortable camp, with surprisingly polished service for a bush camp.  

 

As a new camp, it has some rough edges.  During our stay, we had to bother Ping a couple of times with minor issues on the lodging side of business.  A good camp manager would take care of that, freeing Ping to focus on what he does best: to bring guests a fantastic wildlife experience.  Ping was aware of that, and actively trying to hire one.  He has a superior product.  We wish him best luck in his venture.

 

[foggy27]

That is it.  It took me a while to get started, but I really enjoyed writing up the report.  Thanks everyone for following along, and nice encouragement.

[AfricIan]

Thanks for a great report @foggy27

[AKR1]

19 hours ago, foggy27 said:

Impression of  Ping and Enaidura Camp

Ping is already a very successful guide, and there is little we can add.  At the same time, he is still working very hard.  He is hungry for success as the first local Masai to own a safari camp.  That brings us to his camp: Enaidura.

 

Since game drive in Masai Mara National Reserve is limited to daylight hours, the central location is a crucial factor.  Enaidura Camp is situated next to Talek River.  It is a prime location at migration time, very close to a crossing point.  The staff is almost all local Masai from Ping’s village.  They were very friendly.  Ping had also brought in a nice gentleman from Nairobi to serve as head waiter / bartender.  It is a comfortable camp, with surprisingly polished service for a bush camp.  

 

As a new camp, it has some rough edges.  During our stay, we had to bother Ping a couple of times with minor issues on the lodging side of business.  A good camp manager would take care of that, freeing Ping to focus on what he does best: to bring guests a fantastic wildlife experience.  Ping was aware of that, and actively trying to hire one.  He has a superior product.  We wish him best luck in his venture.

 

@foggy27. Thanks for an excellent report. You did what I really advise people to do in the Mara- experience both a conservancy and the main Réserve ( and I don’t mean a day trip to the Reserve). 

Also brought back wonderful memories of our time with Ping 5 years ago when he was with Great Plains at their Mara Toto and Mara Plains camps. He is one of the top two guides I have had and as you found out, has an uncanny ability to find leopards and position the vehicle for the best cheetah hunt experiences. Also a really nice guy. 

Edited October 7, 2018 by AKR1
Typos

[amybatt]

Thank you for your report @foggy27.  I enjoyed all of your sightings and your summary of Ping and Enaidura.  I'll be there in 4 weeks' time so this made me even more eager to go!  Thank you for an excellent report!

[TonyQ]

Thank you for a great report. Excellent photos, engaging writing and wonderful sightings.

[janzin]

And I'll be there in February...for the 2nd time at Enaidura...so I already know how awesome Ping and Einadura are. Thanks for the great report!

[foggy27]

@AfricIan, @TonyQ, Thanks.

 

@AKR1 At the time we were there, the main reserve was rather empty of the plain games.  Zebras and wildebeests were in conservancies.  Despite that, we had fantastic sightings, particularly of predators.  Under protection for over 50 years, the lions, leopards and cheetahs grew up among the safari vehicles.  They are so relaxed in the presence of admiring tourists.

 

@amybatt, @janzin, Have a great time in your upcoming adventures!

[pomkiwi]

@foggy27 A belated thanks for this report - a lovely read. I was interested that Malaika's cubs were still tree climbing as I had seen that in February 2016. Your breakfast spot by the river was also familiar to me . I will be heading back to the Mara next may but staying at Serian in Mara North.