Masai Mara LIVE trip report - April 2012

[kittykat23uk]

Hello Loafer,

 

can I ask some very basic questions? I have only had a brief stop in the mara at Mara Simba Lodge (my first African safari) on a two week tour with Somak in November 2006. We literally just had two afternoon drives and one morning drive (I could have had another morning drive but opted for tha balloon flight). I'm not overly familiar with the different areas, although I did watch a lot of big cat diary. Where exactly did you stay, and roughly how much would a ten day trip cost going to the same areas as you? Would it cover a completely different area to where Mara Simba is located or would there be quite a lot of overlap?

 

It sounds like you had some amazing cat sightings and that is my "thing" primarily, In November we saw lions and cheetahs including one with tiny cubs, but no hunting behaviour and no leopards, but with limited time I think we did quite well. Would a trip like this be just as good in Autumn, and how does the price vary across the season.

 

All the best

 

Jo

[samburumags]

 

I was told this was Shingo, taken in 2010 there were definately 6 cubs. I have video which I will try and find.

Edited April 28, 2012 by samburumags

[samburumags]

 

 

This is the video I was talking about, not brilliant I know but better than nothing! At the time I thought it was Shakira but I was corrected by Jonathan Scott

Edited April 28, 2012 by samburumags

[madaboutcheetah]

http://500px.com/photo/6109639

 

I was told she was Shingo - pic above

[madaboutcheetah]

Samburumags, that looks like Shingo to me!

[madaboutcheetah]

Haha ..... Indeed

[loafer247]

Samburumags / Hari / Tanya - Thanks for your help in trying to identify this cheetah. I've tried to compare the stuff you have posted to my pics but am still not 100% sure whether this is Shingo or not. See a couple of my pics below to have a go yourself.

 

 

 

I'm happy to email these images to you if you want to zoom for closer look. I've also e-mailed these images to Paul Kirui, Jonathan Scott etc... to see if they have any ideas.

 

One thing we have to remember about cheetahs, especially in the Mara, is that they are different from the other cats.

 

They do not have established territories like the lion prides or leopards do - rather they have home ranges which they move within. To give you an example of the potential scale of a cheetah's home range, the male cheetah's known as Honey's boys roam around the entire Mara. I have seen them near Sarova and Keekorok to the East, all the way to the Marsh in the West. They have also been seen in the Triangle and in the conservancies North of the Reserve. Female cheetahs, whilst not as extreme in movement as males, will also roam around significantly.

 

Perhaps due to this, the lives of female cheetahs are rarely documented extensively as they are so hard to find from year to year. The only exceptions I can think of are Honey. Even Shakira, who starred in Big Cat Live and the Disney feature African Cats has not been positively identified for a while now.

Edited April 29, 2012 by loafer247

[loafer247]

Sangeeta -

 

Most of my family still live in Kenya so they are well informed about the security situation in Lamu.

 

Yes there were two kidnappings there early last year. Since then, security has been beefed up with both the Kenyan and International Navies patrolling the borders. In the villas we stayed in we were shown the security measures in their welcome briefing. They had hired 6 Samburu warrior per villa who we would see from time to time. They also told us of armed patrols although we never saw them during our stay.

 

We never felt unsafe at any stage and to be honest didn't even think about the security.

 

Dhruv

[madaboutcheetah]

Dhruv,

 

True - I saw those two males (Honey's boys) in OOC - although, I was told that the heart of their territory where they love most is that area around Topi Plains etc etc.,?

[madaboutcheetah]

http://500px.com/photo/6329036

 

This is supposedly Shingo with the two girls - not so much an ID pic - but, more a photogenic pose

[loafer247]

Thanks for sharing the pic Hari. I'm assuming Shingo is the cheetah staring at the camera. I think it's highly unlikely that 'my' cheetah family and 'your' cheetah family are different cheetahs. We saw them in similar areas and I doubt there are two families like this in the area.

 

Whether they are Shingo is still a mystery!

 

Hmmm.. Honey's boys do not see to have a 'favoured' area. A couple of years ago they seemed to favour the Paradise / Topi Plains area but in the last year they are hardly found in the same place for more than a couple of days. On this trip, we saw them twice, both times on the east side of Olare Orork River around Fig Tree Murram.

[madaboutcheetah]

There's probably more male coalitions trying to threaten their dominance at the moment. I saw somewhere, there was a mention of a male coalition of 3 on the Eastern side of the Mara and into the triangle.

 

As many as two younger coalitions still trying to find their space etc etc., all over the place - Conservancies, Narok side etc etc.,

 

Thanks, Dhruv - Yes, Shingo (?) staring into the camera

[loafer247]

Hari - maybe finally some good news on the mara cheetah front after the lean couple of years they have had. I'm of the opinion that the 'new' conservancies north of the Reserve are really helping. Cheetah densities there are amazing.

[madaboutcheetah]

Yes, Dhruv - prior to my trip I had read all sorts of reports online of cheetah numbers in the Mara not upto the reputation. I thought quite the contrary, cheetahs everywhere!!!

[loafer247]

Jo,

 

Apologies for the late response. Will try to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge – but please remember that these are just my opinion.

 

Mara Simba Lodge is on the Eastern side of the Mara not far from the Talek gate. Please have a look at the following link for a map of the Mara and its lodges:

 

http://www.masai-mara.net/masai_mara_maps.html

 

The majority of game drives from your lodge are done in the Eastern part of the reserve, i.e. the area around Talek, Keekorok andFig Tree. This is especially true if you are arrive to the Mara in a white mini-van and are doing game drives in that mini-van. Main reasons for this is that the Eastern part of the Mara is more familiar and easier to navigate for guides from Nairobi and the state of the roads is better for the mini-vans. To access the Western areas generally requires crossing rivers and luggas which mini’vans may not be able to handle.

 

I stayed at Mara Intrepids, which is pretty much in the centre of the reserve. As the crow flies it’s not that far away from Mara Simba. But, its central location means that game drives can be done in any direction. We tend to go West towards Rhino Ridge, Topi Plains and Paradise Plains, or North towards Double Crossing, but their is so much game around camp that some days we don’t even stray far from camp.

Mara Intrepids, and the other lodges on the Talek / Mara rivers are in prime leopard territory. You mentioned Big Cat Diary, this is where all of the footage of Bella , and more recently, Olive and her offspring have been filmed. In fact, in my last two trip we have seen Olive walking across the river whilst we were having a drink at the bar.

 

So you generally wouldn’t overlap with the areas you covered from Mara Simba.

 

There are a fair few camps in this area, but they tend to be pricier than camps in the Eastern part of the reserve. That said, you can still get a good deal especially away from migration time. I got a special rate which I can’t mention on this forum but happy to discuss with you over email.

 

If cats are your thing, like they are mine, then staying in this area of the Mara is perfect (although staying anywhere in the Mara is perfect!). I say this because this truly is prime leopard territory and leopards are generally the hardest cat to find. In my most recent 10 night stay, I saw ten different leopards, some of them multiple times despite the rains and subsequent flooded rivers making it really hard to get to certain areas.

 

Lion can be found anywhere in the Mara but being located centrally means that you can access multiple prides. I saw about 80 different lion on my trip 2 years ago and about 50 on this trip.

 

Cheetah movements are always hard to predict.

 

Seeing interesting cat behaviour (e.g. hunting, mating) is ALWAYS a matter of luck, but a few pointers to maximise your chances include:

- The longer you stay, the higher the chance (obviously)

- Having a quality guide / driver is key

- Having a private vehicle / or at least a vehicle where you control the decisions is crucial (you may have to stay on a game drive the whole day to see cheetahs hunting and if you are sharing with guests who are unwilling, or your lodge does not permit this, then you will miss out)

 

Prices do vary across the seasons, mainly due to the migration. In general, high season rates apply from 1 July through to 31 October when the migration is on. Obviously the migration is something special and general cat activity should be higher, but you will pay for this. In addition, the number of cars in the reserve is crazy and you are unlikely to have exclusive cat sightings.

Based on my experience, cat activity in non-migration time is just as amazing and is more rewarding as you can have a lot of sightings to yourself / or share with very few cars.

 

I am guided on all my safaris by my good friends and professional / photographers guides Aashit and Aatish Patel. With them, I get access to the best rates at Mara Intrepids, the use of our own car with no restrictions on game drives, great guiding, photography tips, and they’re good fun to be with. This is not meant as a pure endorsement of them, this is just my experience. Please check out their website:

 

http://www.aapatelphotography.com/

 

I am thinking of repeating this next April / May and was going to invite any Safaritalk members interested to join me. Let me know if you’re interested.

 

Hope this helps and happy to answer any more questions.

[kittykat23uk]

Many thanks for all this information Loafer! It's really helpful. I would love to be able to join you but I fear that April/may next year will be too early. I have already got a trip to India planned for next Feb/march so won't have been back for long and I think it's best to spread my trips/leave out throughout the year. I would be looking to do something probably autumn time next year. Incidentally I am looking for people to join me on that trip if you are interested. Looking for Tigers, lion, wolf, striped hyena, leopard, dhole, sloth bear etc.

 

Yes please do send the costings to me via PM, or email.

 

Thanks

 

Jo

[loafer247]

Jo,

 

will send you a PM. I'm probably going to move back to Kenya permanently by next Easter so should be able to do a lot more trips to game reserves. Next autumn may be a good idea. Let me know when you've firmed up dates etc...

 

Dhruv

[Game Warden]

Make sure you have a spare bedroom for the GW...

[loafer247]

DAY 1 - Return to Paradise

 

After four days of bliss on the beach, I woke up on Wednesday morning with a huge smile on my face. I was staying in the room I grew up as a child in our family home, and the memories came flooding back. My friends Aatish and Aashit came to pick me up and the adventure began.

 

[Quick word on my photography skills - I am a complete amateur! In fact, I only bought my first SLR a few weeks ago and hadn't even got the chance to practice before this trip. I am a wildlife enthusiast first and a photographer second so there were many shots that I missed simply because I was 'too busy' looking with my very own eyes!. Coupled with the often horrible light - my shot's aren't that good. But I don't really care as this is all a learning experience for me. My friends and guides Aatish and Aashit are professional photographers, so I learnt an incredible amount in the 10 days]

 

The feeling of landing at Olkiombo airstrip is barely describable - the senses awaken in anticipation of the ten days to come. I truly felt like I was back where I belong. We were welcomed by our guide Joseph and made our way to camp, Mara Intrepids, which is a 2 minute drive away. Dumping our gear (minus cameras) at reception, we immediately set off on a game drive.

 

Green season in the mara is unique. It had rained moderately over the past week leaving the savannah lush and green, and the bushes blooming with flower. Yet, that mass of animals one associates with the Mara, is simply not present. Instead, one needs to look into the nooks and crannies of the Mara to see it reveal itself.

 

I kid you not, barely 2 minutes from camp, I was talking to the guide when out of the corner of my eye a big male lion materialized in the bush not 5 metres from the road. To our surprise, it was Notch, the daddy of all Mara lions. He was doing what lions do best in the day, SLEEPING! What a start to the trip. Here's some pictures of Notch from later in the trip.

 

 

Notch sniffing around

 

 

Notch saying hello to a car

 

 

Notch walking towards us

 

We have followed Notch for a number of years now, and seeing him still in pristine condition was a relief. His four sons were not present, but we were confident they weren't far away. The great thing about having a local guide is that he knows individual cats, and it facilitates great discussions about the lives of these cats. We spent an hour with Notch discussing his recent travails.

 

We moved on to an area near Mara Explorer, where a leopard had been located by the only other car out on a game drive. The leopard was lying under a tree on the riverbank, sleeping in the midday sun. With bino's we identified him as Nkayoni, who is the male son of the famous Olive. No photos as the light was so harsh but we were delighted to see him doing so well. Olive has a new litter of cubs, so poor Nkayoni can't scrounge off her anymore.

 

We left at 3-30 for the afternoon drive, heading west towards Paradise Plains where some leopards had been seen in the early morning. Despite the Mara being devoid of cars, we were surprised that when we got to the area, there were no cars present. This was great, I love looking for my animals. There were two rocky outcrops either side of us, with a tree in the middle. The leopard had allegedly had a kill up the tree in the morning. But both leopard and kill had disappeared. We scanned the outcrop to the left with binoculars, and a leopard revealed itself, brilliantly camouflaged within its surroundings. From its size we could tell it was a male, and we kept our distance.

 

Where was the kill? A hyena entered stage left to help answer that question. He was on a mission, nose down and sniffing away. But he was walking towards the thicket on our right. Surely our leopard wouldn't have left the kill unattended. Suddenly, we heard a low grumble coming from this thicket, and a huge male leopard materialized with a gazelle in its mouth. Another leopard! I was frozen in shock, and my lack of photography nous came to play here as my instinct was to watch with my eyes rather than grab the camera.

 

It all happened in a split second - the hyena lunged at the leopard, who in turn let out a growl that even I felt vibrate within me. To our shock, this growl sent the hyena packing and this huge male leopard proceeded to stow his stash up a large bush. He was so big that the bush nearly buckled under his weight.

 

Unfortunately, I was so transfixed with what was unfolding that I hadn't even thought of my camera! I'm still a wildlife enthusiast first and photographer second! Male leopards are extremely rare to see anywhere, let alone the Mara, and we had seen three on our first day. Amazing!

 

Here's some photos of the two leopards.

 

 

The smaller male leopard - well camouflaged!

 

 

The huge male leopard protecting his kill

 

To top the evening off, while watching the leopards we spotted a huge male lion walking across the savannah. Again the light was bad, but here's a shot of him. For those who follow the Mara cats, we think he is one of the three 4km males that came across from the Triangle.

 

 

Male lion at Paradise Plains

 

Day 2 Preview - More leopards, and Notches sons light up the Mara

[PT123]

Awesome leopard sightg/experience. That must have been reall thrilling to "feel" the leopard growl - too cool!

[Leely]

Great photos and report--thanks, loafer. How smart of you to spend a good length of time in the Mara during the off season.

[twaffle]

I can quite understand you seeing with your eyes and forgetting the camera. Most of us have done that. Wonderful leopard action.

[Sangeeta]

This is such a joy to read. Keep it coming.

 

You did much better with your leopard action pics than most of us novices - I have a blank sky shot to show my charging tiger!

 

Love watching lions walking across the savannah.

[Super LEEDS]

Hey Loafer

 

You can't claim to be an amateur and say things like "the light was so harsh"!

 

Keep it coming, man.

Edited May 9, 2012 by Super LEEDS

[Atravelynn]

Aashit and Aatish Patel taught you well. Nice shots. Your comment that the conservancies are benefitting the cheetah numbers makes sense. Hope the trend continues.

 

Thanks and welcome home.