Day 1: Maasai Mara.
This area of Kenya is completely different from northern Kenya. Here are wide open Savannahs. The migration is going on and so I knew there would be a lot of wildebeests and zebras but I really had no idea what that meant. There are hundreds of thousands. Everywhere you go there are wildebeests – young always following their mothers and they move as a herd single file.
At the end of our first 24 hours we have seen 58 different lions including 19 cubs–3 only about 2 weeks old. Last night our first night here we lay in bed and heard hyenas, hippos and LIONS! We head two female lionesses talking back and forth. We found out later one is hidden near the camp with newborn cubs so we think her sister was checking on her!
The highlight of the day happened early this morning when we found 3 moms & 7 4-mo old cubs feeding on a wildebeest (which they had killed before we arrived ) Two moms were eating with the cubs and one was standing guard keeping 10 2-yr olds at bay until the cubs were finished. After quite a while 2 moms & the cubs left leaving one mom to eat. A 2 yr old lioness came close and the mom dragged what remained of the wildebeest to within 5 feet of our 4×4. Then the other moms and cubs came back and they all ate right there so close to us! The cubs finished again and the mom dragged the wildebeest up to the side of our 4×4-she was touching the tire! I could have reached out and touched her! It was awesome!
Later we saw our first hyenas eating a freshly killed wildebeest (they are everywhere–the carnivores do not have to work hard, unlike those in northern Kenya.) About 20 vultures were milling about the hyena trying to get in on the action. We also rounded a corner today to a sea of stampeding wildebeest. A lioness had just caught one and we watched her for a bit.
We were out for 12 hours today and had lunch at the Mara River. We witnessed a crossing of wildebeests and zebras all very confused. The wildebeests had already crossed and went back. The zebras went back and forth a few times. At one point a zebra who was crossing the correct way stopped in the middle of the river and stared at 3 zebras going the wrong way!
Day 2
We witnessed a massive crossing of wildebeests – about 10,000 (& 4 zebras) & I’m not exaggerating. They came stampeding down to the river. They funnel the ought a tiny space, down a steep bank, across the river & up another steep bank, all running at top speed. If anyone slipped he would be trampled to death. I understand now why people talk about the migration.
Another highlight was watching 7 lion cubs & their mothers for about an hour. These were the same cubs we saw eating a wildebeest. I was really pleased to see they act no different than the cubs at the zoo and are every bit as cute.
We also saw 2 lions mate! BTW did you know elephants sleep lying down – and they snore? We witnessed that, too! We also found the lioness who is hiding her cubs near our tent. We hear her roaring every night along with a sister who comes to visit.
On our trip so far we have seen 72 different lions, 22 of which are cubs.
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Day 3
We watched a cheetah hunt and kill. We said in the plane over we wanted to see a cheetah run at top speed but did not expect to have that chance-and we did! The hunting technique of cheetahs is very different from lions and leopards. Yesterday we saw a leopard try to hunt a guinea hen. It was sneaking up on it when baboons saw it & called out a warning and the leopard turned around. To the contrary the two cheetahs were just strolling about openly in the midst of a herd of wildebeest. The wildebeest circled the cheetahs putting the young on the outside. They kept moving, and the cheetahs at jogging pace would have been fast running for any other animal. They took their time choosing their target and really there was nothing the wildebeests could do to get away. Finally they burst forth in a blazing sprint and quickly took down a wildebeest calf. It was absolutely amazing to see the speed. I knew they were fast but witnessing a cheetah at top speed cannot be explained. Then while they were consuming it a baboon started walking toward them. One cheetah quit eating to watch. When the baboon kept coming the cheetah jumped toward him, stamped his foot twice and the baboon turned around.
This morning we also watch an unsuccessful attempt of 2-yr old lions trying to take down a cape buffalo (these small lions did choose the biggest bull in the herd). The buffalo behavior was interesting. They put their calves in the center and the largest bills moved to the outside facing the lions.
We moved camps today and had fun watching 5 lion cubs. Then we saw a black rhino–the oldest in southern Kenya. It was huge and the scariest animal we have seen. There are only 35 in all of southern Kenya.
Until today all the kills we have seen have been animals who were already dead when we arrived on the scene. That has not been too hard for me. After all we buy dead chickens and dead cows and I watch the lions eat dead rabbits at the zoo. And while it was awesome today to watch a cheetah run at top speed, it was very difficult to watch the wildebeest calf die. I really don’t care to witness that again. It’s the reason I don’t watch wildlife shows on television.
Up to 83 different lions including 27 cubs. We will be out for 12 hours tomorrow, eating breakfast and lunch in the bush.
Looking Out Seeing Within 