A return to Magical Kenya in the middle of the global Pandemic; A wet wet wet Mara; Cheetah everywhere; Chalo Africa with Asilia; Superb Naboisho Conservancy and lots lots more................

[Julian]

So many stunning and beautiful photos. Great photos of the serval but the cheetah hunting and in action , plus her cubs and the swimming are really amazing.

[SafariChick]

Amazing shots of the water crossing cheetah mum and cubs!

[mtanenbaum]

Wow! Amazing footage of the cheetahs in the water! Did you also get any video? I'm sure we'd all love to see it if y ou did.

Did you actually have repeated sightings of the serval or are you just putting the images throughout? 

[AArdvark0]

The cub river shots are awesome, is that the Talek river?  In the other thread you mentioned there were plenty of vehicles at the sightings in the reserve, was naboisho busy too?  asilia camps full? 

[Kitsafari]

I always hate it when these cats try to cross those awful turbulent rivers in Mara, but those cheetah babes are strong! and hoorah they made it through. awesome captures Hari.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thank you all for your kind comments - much appreciated !!! 

 

Some answers to questions - @Mtanenbaum - alas, no video.  It's actually two different serval - so, three seperate sightings (one of them twice) 

@AArdvark0 - Naboisho had always between 5-10 vehicles out between all the camps in the conservancy.  Not full at all by any stretch ......... The cheetah family were crossing the Ntiakitiak ......  

 

Just when I thought, I was going to go through a safari without a Leopard - lo and behold here is this young male who is a Super star !!! He deserves his own episode!

[COSMIC RHINO]

Were there many giraffes around ?

[madaboutcheetah]

@COSMIC RHINO- yes, indeed!!! Giraffe all over naboisho 

[COSMIC RHINO]

It is great to hear about the giraffes

[shazdwn]

Thanks for sharing your trip and fantastic photos, you had some amazing cheetah action, not to mention the serval

[AKR1]

Hari, of your many exceptional pictures here including of course the cheetah chase sequence (which is extremely hard to photograph), the one picture that I have to give a gold medal to is the portrait of Imani at banks of or on a rock in the river, beginning her leap with front paws in mid air and hind paws just about off the ground. I would say this is likely the single best individual cheetah picture capture I have yet seen. Congratulations. 

[madaboutcheetah]

Once again, Sincere thanks to everyone for all the kind comments. Much appreciated!!!! @AKR1- I am chuffed!!! You are much too kind!

 

 If i could trade a sighting hypothetically ..... I would gladly trade you  a serval sighting for an Aardvark (one thing I am dying to see)    My first time in Naboisho - loved it.  It truly is scenic and picturesque ....... Top notch game viewing.  I love OMC too - but, I haven't been since 2017.

[Bush dog]

Hi Hari!  Glad to see that you made this trip, with a little help of your "friends", wthout major annoyances.

 

Perfect photo of cheetah jumping from rock to rock to cross the river.  You managed to capture the moment it reached the peak of its impulse while preserving the impression of movement.  You almost expect to see the animal disappear out of the picture frame.  Well done!

[Zim Girl]

Fabulous shot of the leaping cheetah in the river!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks so much @Bush dogand @Zim Girl - @Bush dog...... indeed, very appreciative that we were able to make it and I savoured every second there both while on safari and in Nairobi.

 

Next bunch of images.....

 

[madaboutcheetah]

Next instalment ......

[Alex The Lion]

Looks like another awful safari for you 

[madaboutcheetah]

2 minutes ago, Alex The Lion said:

Looks like another awful safari for you 

 

 

Hahaha - Still pinching myself to see if it's all a dream ........ 

[Biko]

@madaboutcheetah I must say you had amazingly good sightings, good pictures too offcourse

[africaaddict]

Good stuff Hari, the swimming Cheetah cubs a highlight for me.

After having to cancel/postpone Namiri (yet again) until March '22 for us here in OZ, you can be very thankful you're able to get out. Fingers crossed for you come April.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks @Biko

 

@africaaddict- Thanks ....... Yes, cross fingers indeed!!! 

[madaboutcheetah]

In today's instalment ........ Meet Selenkei ( daughter of Imani from her litter in 2015) ........ I'm going to call this, "The great Escape" 

 

She seems a confident hunter - her style ..... No stalking, no waiting .......... She just went on a walk, like most cheetahs do ......... Went into a big open plain with plenty of plains game and just took off when she felt like it !!! 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

Next one .....

 

Nashipai and her two well fed cubs (inside the reserve) ...... We had the privilege of spending time with the Mara Predetor conservation project and gleaning some valuable info on the Mara Cheetah project and the situation on the ground at the moment.

 

[COSMIC RHINO]

Your photos of cheetahs and other animals 

 

briefly what were you told by the predator research project?

 

you have been visiting the same area yourself over a number of years, what changes have you seen?

[madaboutcheetah]

@COSMIC RHINO

 

In brief, The MPCP and their plans with the Cheetah project .......... 

 

1.) Rough estimate of the Resident Mara cheetah population is 50 (Cheetah over the age of 1) - Mara reserve, Triangle and 16 private conservancies combined.

2.) Plans to collar a few male Dispersers to see where they move to in establishing their own territory.  Possibly project to collar has been delayed due to Covid and funding........ Hope is to also coordinate efforts with the Serengeti Cheetah project if this happens.  

3.) Some history about the individual cheetahs they monitor - so many of the current Mara cheetah are from the Amani family tree.  She's still around between Mara North and OMC and i think might have cubs too!!

 

What changes have i seen?  Just that I'd say the conservancy model is such a conservation success!!! One would only think of the big 4 or 5 conservancies - Mara North, OMC, naboisho and maybe Ol Kinyei and the Cottor's one ..... but, fact is there are 16 conservancies at the moment. Plans are in the pipeline for a couple more new ones.  Also, Wild dogs making a comeback in areas like the Lemek conservancy.

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by madaboutcheetah