An epic safari for the cheetah obsessed around those fabulous Namiri Plains in the Eastern serengeti ; Cubs, cubs and Cubs ............ Oh yes lots, lots more!!! (Part 2 of safari April 2022)

[madaboutcheetah]

31 minutes ago, Athene said:

Thanks @madaboutcheetah

just one more question - would the area around Moru kopjes be a could combination with Namiri if we go in May or is there a better option?

Yes , should be good with a lot of the migration around Moru in May en route to western corridor  …. But bear in mind more crowds there from seronera @Athene …. I recommend a week minimum in namiri 

Edited May 15, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

In this episode ......

 

A male lion at Gol kopjes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a giraffe at Soit le motonyi

the cub valley boys(walker and wilder) 

The young duo at Gol with a fawn 

Edited May 15, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[madaboutcheetah]

Morning at Hyena gully ........ A dangerous place for a young female cheetah.  She watches her surroundings carefully before having a drink.

 

Note - Lions watching her too - but, can't really be bothered.

[madaboutcheetah]

Quintessential Gol Kopjes ....... 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[Athene]

@madaboutcheetah fantastic lions on kopijes pictures

[Atravelynn]

You can really see the cheetah's wariness at the watering hole.  Think how thirsty she must be. 

Nice rock climbers!

[madaboutcheetah]

Much too kind @Atheneand @Atravelynn....

 

On this particular morning in gol - cheetah were hiding from us in gol ....... really strange and then just when we were going to stop for breakfast .... we bump into a very young male cheetah coalition of 3 boys.  The other namiri car a few days prior called them "shy" - but, that wasn't our experience.  The 3 boys went to different rocks to mark and we picked the most photogenic brother.  They then went back to the spot we saw them resting under an acacia.

 

Breakfast and classic GOL scenery.........  I didn't realise then, but, looks like i was able to freeze moinga s water pour ala his skills as a barista.

[Kitsafari]

I love that framing of the cheetah on the rock (too small to be a kopje?) against that wide open expanse, and in B&W which enhances it more. 

[AKR1]

Hi Hari

 

This was an epic return visit to NP. Excellent photography with cheetahs 🐆 galore. The cheetah action sequence which as we all know is extremely difficult to capture was particularly extraordinary. 
 

thanks for sharing. 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot @Kitsafariand @AKR1.......

 

My final afternoon - our priority was to try and find Helen and her extraordinary story of adopting a cub.  Not hard to find them - we did find them easily and Helen whacked a tommie in the tall grass at Hyena gully (sorry - not in position to get good action shots this time) ...... You can see the male cub being a total bully!! 

 

A lioness on the way back to camp ..... We waited a bit to see if she was hunting, but, we think she was just returning to her pride.

 

Good Kongani with the Lemetu hills BG to sign off a fabulous evening.

[madaboutcheetah]

 

Final Morning ......... Flight out was the 2pm Auric Air to Kilimanjaro ....... So, we had time to do a morning game drive.  Not a full morning, so we had to prioritise what we wanted to find.  I was keen on re-visiting two of my favourites from the trip ....... The Helen Family and Brandy's daughter's cubs.........  

 

Finish with Eland at Soit le motonyi.

 

What an amazing 10 days in Namiri ..........  Until next time!!!! 

Thank You all for the keen interest in following this report.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[Kitsafari]

thank you for sharing your trip, and those wonderful images. 

[Paul B]

@madaboutcheetahHari outstanding trip report and fantastic photos! You nailed it as usual, I always appreciate the time you take putting these together. It makes me feel a bit ashamed...It is because of your trip reports I have been to Lebala/Lagoon/Kwara 5 times and then Namiri Plains. I always spend one siesta at Lebala looking over your picture book, it has become a bit of a tradition. Many, many thanks to you.

 

We were at Namiri Plains in July of 2020. Thanks to Covid, we had the place to ourselves, just one other guest for two days.

 

I don't remember them at that time referring to the prolific female mother raising so many cubs as Helen but she must be the same one. If I remember right she had 6 cubs at the time. We watched her make 4 kills in one day. She is absolutely amazing. She will personally double the Serengeti population very soon!

 

Namiri Plains has to be the best cheetah viewing in Africa at this point. We also saw loads of lions, two different caracal and stripped hyena. And in my opinion, the most spectacular scenery.

 

Thanks again Hari-Paul.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot @Kitsafari....... @Paul Byou made my day!! Thank you ..... I can hardly wait to return to lagoon, Lebala and Kwara.  It’s about time I put together a new photo book for those camps.  I think those books are from 2008 or so. Yes, namiri rocks!!!!  The mum with 6 cubs that year could be keziah??? I’m not sure it was Helen.  My favourite is Grace from last year ....

Edited May 19, 2022 by madaboutcheetah

[Atravelynn]

A note of hope is the cheetah cub adoption!

[Zubbie15]

Great photos @madaboutcheetah, I hadn't checked in to your report for a while so I got to enjoy a large set at once.

 

Did you have a photographic vehicle in this trip? Any suggestions for how best to take advantage of such a set up? We're in Kenya in November, with 8 days in the Mara region,and for one of the camps I arranged for a photographic vehicle. And then my TO contacted me last week to say they've comped us the same at the other camp. 

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks @Atravelynnand @Zubbie15….. no I didn’t want that photographic vehicle this time.  The problem I found with it last year in Naboisho …. The bucket seats that swivel are great for the swivel purpose… but very very unstable for long days out. Subsequently, on some days we had a sore lower back etc etc., and felt particularly bumpy at times.  If I were you, I would ask ahead of time for the option to revert to a normal vehicle if you are uncomfortable in it. If you have any pre existing lower back issues I would right away suggest you ask for a normal vehicle. 

[janzin]

10 hours ago, madaboutcheetah said:

Thanks @Atravelynnand @Zubbie15….. no I didn’t want that photographic vehicle this time.  The problem I found with it last year in Naboisho …. The bucket seats that swivel are great for the swivel purpose… but very very unstable for long days out. Subsequently, on some days we had a sore lower back etc etc., and felt particularly bumpy at times.  If I were you, I would ask ahead of time for the option to revert to a normal vehicle if you are uncomfortable in it. If you have any pre existing lower back issues I would right away suggest you ask for a normal vehicle. 

oh that's interesting, we also are getting a photographic vehicle for two days in the Mara next month...we didn't ask for it but they had no private vehicle available when we re-scheduled and as we'd already paid for the private vehicle they "upgraded" us at no charge.  It's only for two days though, so it will be an interesting experiment...just hope it's not too uncomfortable!

 

[madaboutcheetah]

@janzin- it’s quite okay for two days…. You have the option of sitting in the front seat next to driver anyway

[Zubbie15]

12 hours ago, madaboutcheetah said:

Thanks @Atravelynnand @Zubbie15….. no I didn’t want that photographic vehicle this time.  The problem I found with it last year in Naboisho …. The bucket seats that swivel are great for the swivel purpose… but very very unstable for long days out. Subsequently, on some days we had a sore lower back etc etc., and felt particularly bumpy at times.  If I were you, I would ask ahead of time for the option to revert to a normal vehicle if you are uncomfortable in it. If you have any pre existing lower back issues I would right away suggest you ask for a normal vehicle. 

 

Thanks Hari, not something I had considered to be worried about. From the photos it looks like one of the vehicles doesn't have bucket seats, but I guess we'll see.  Luckily neither of us have back issues, so at least that's not an issue.  

[marg]

@madaboutcheetahWhat a great trip and a great trip report!  Thanks!!  We are still on schedule to go to Lagoon and Lebala early August.  A first visit to those camps and another thanks to you!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks @marg- I cannot wait to return to lagoon and lebala myself!!! I was due to go December 1st but omicron struck !!! Let’s see …. 

[jeremie]

I have just find your wonderful TR Hari with stunning pics, especially for cats

It really seems that Namiri Plains is a stunning place with extraordinary photographic opportunities in the Eastern Serengeti.

 

I was in Ndutu Safari Lodge for 10 nights in February where we stayed most of the time in the NCA except one day we went to Serenera for a day trip. I felt that Ndutu was better for photography because off road is (still) permitted. In Seronera there were lions and leopards, but from the distance it was not possible to take the same shots than in Ndutu.

So my question is: how is it in Namiri Plains? Is Off Road allowed? How is the network of tracks over there? You seem to got very close to the cats!

 

I am also surprised by the high number of lion prides but more particularly of cheetahs! In Ndutu we also saw many different cheetahs at the point I have the perception that if some of them are clearly resident from the area, other ones might be migrant. As Namiri is the place of the Cheetah Project, do you have any idea about it? I am wondering how these cheetahs could survive during the dry season without the wildebeests.

 

Thanks!

[madaboutcheetah]

@jeremie...... some cheetah are resident..... but, many move with the wildebeest.  Gol kopjes is geographically the gateway to cheetah from everywhere ....they can come to GOL from ndutu, cub valley, barafu, seronera.  Residents in the dry season will hunt gazelle primarily.  They too can move a bit .... when it gets super dry they may have to survive on the odd gazelle and scrub hare even.  I love namiri area ..... quite a bit of road network.  Some nice back roads that the mini vans from seronera won’t even know. 
 

PS .... you need a permit for GOL but it’s inexpensive and worth it.

[xcrunch]

Just back from Namiri, and I can honestly say the lion and cheetah experience was the best I have had anywhere.  It was not just sighting the cats, it was watching the animals instinctively go on their hunts, and watch the kills.  Madaboutcheetah is correct about making a trip to the GOL as it is a more remote area that few go to.  Just to give you an idea of a possible day in Namiri, we saw 4 prides of lions with two kills, and 9 cheetahs with two kills (including 4 cubs).  I will do a TR later but could never come close to Madaboutcheetah's.  I will provide an update on some of the cheetah cubs.  We were also lucky to have a guide that is trying to now promote photographic  game drives, his name is Dulla Fardy.  For us not as talented in taking pictures, Dulla took the time out after one game drive to even help me in Lightroom.  Namiri is a gold mine for viewings for sure.