Ravi Patel

The Kill at Ol Pejeta

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Ol Pejeta Conservancy is full of surprises. Early one morning, we hopped into the car and drove west towards Kicheche, a quieter side of the conservancy.

On the road, we came across 3 juvenile lions – 2 lionesses and a young male – relaxing by the road. In the distance, we saw 8 hyenas all staring in the opposite direction to the young lions. A few minutes later we understood why – a beautiful huge male lion in his prime was coming towards us. He stopped a few hundred meters short and sat down.

Not too long after the three juveniles got up and started walking away. Up ahead, there were a couple of zebras with a young baby. Out of nowhere, the young lions started running towards the zebra. There was no calculated move, no stalk, no plan, nothing! With sheer luck, they suddenly took the foal. We were dumbfounded by what happened, and quickly rushed to the scene and we saw the three youngsters tearing away quickly at the foal.

In the background, the big male’s interest had been piqued and he rapidly made his way down to the scene. It was inevitable that he would snatch this prize from the youngsters, who tore away what morsels they could and scattered.

Within minutes, a second large male came running into the picture, and then a third. We hadn’t seen these lions earlier, but both were huge-maned lions in their prime as well. To see three big male lions all in their prime fighting over a kill was a vision that has been etched into my memory. The third male wasn’t too bothered with the kill, he seemed to be more interested in ensuring the juveniles were kept at bay. It was a battle between two each took their share and then settled down for the rest of the morning.

This was a truly amazing sighting, something we’ve never seen before and gave us fresh insight into the dynamics of a lion pride.

The Lazy Lions of Lemek

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May 2016 – Saruni Mara & Saruni Wild Camps, Masai Mara, Kenya

Sometimes you need a break to recharge the batteries and refocus your energy. This was a really last-minute trip – planned and booked on Thursday – and the very next morning, we were off to the Mara for the first time this year. There was no goal or plan for this trip – we needed to get away for a few nights.

Friday, April 29, 2016

Torrential rains poured down in Nairobi on Thursday evening, causing lots of flooding and traffic jams. This was going to be a real black-cotton safari. We flew out of Nairobi Wilson, and we had our last chance to say goodbye to our fallen wildlife, as Kenya’s largest Ivory Burn was underway in Nairobi National Park. We flew over the Mara conservancies, and the landscape below was lush and green – something we hadn’t seen in a long time. Landing at Mara North Airstrip, Dickson, our guide greeted us, and we made our way up to Saruni Mara, way up north in the Aitong Hills. This is about a far north as you get in the Mara ecosystem.

Along the way, we came across some elephants, relaxing in a patch of flooded evergreen bushes, and wallowing in the small pools the rains had created. Nearby, in the tall grasses, we came upon the first of our lazy lions – two lionesses and a male, sleeping in the tall grass and under shaded bushes. We would have missed them altogether were it not for Dicksons’ well-trained eyes. When we returned in the evening, they had moved a few meters forward, but nothing much had changed. This was to be the theme of the weekend. We’d find lions out in the open, up on rocky ridges, in the bushes – but rarely did we find them moving.

Saruni Mara was perfect for us to recharge our batteries. After a hectic few months, the peace and tranquility was much needed. With massive cottage rooms, large decks and a luxurious atmosphere, we were off to a great start. The food was incredible – actually the best Italian food that we’ve had in a while. It is amazing how such great food, from home made pastas to three course dinners, can be cooked in such a simple kitchen.

We went out on our afternoon game drive and the weather was rapidly changing. As we continued on, the skies went dark, the sun peered through the black clouds, and we settled in for a spectacular sunset. All around us, drama filled the skies as the dark purple storms gave way to a clear sunset of orange and pink hues. It was one of the most dramatic skies I’ve seen.

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Although it didn’t rain heavily around the lodge, it poured up in the hills, and by morning, small streams were flowing down the hills and every track was flooded. As we searched the riverine forest for elusive leopards, we also had to plan our lugga crossing. These dry, seasonal streams are normally easy to cross. Now they had turned into torrential rivers, and crossing became a challenge on its own.

Eventually, at the far end of the conservancy, we found the most stable crossing point – a rickety bridge overflowing with water – and we worked our way back across the flooded plains. Our famously lazy lions had moved overnight, but when we caught up to them, they were resting again, in thick leleshwa bushes. Along the way, we came across an elephant family crossing the plains, and Dickson positioned the car perfectly ahead of them. Slowly the procession came right up to us and passed a few meters in front of the car.

The afternoon was relatively uneventful, as we decided to check out the Ol Chorro Rhino Sanctuary, since it was near the to camp. The sanctuary currently takes care of two rescued white rhinos, and they’re easily approachable on foot. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area, although I’m not sure I’d go specifically to see them if we were further south.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

This morning, we were off to a slow start and had breakfast in camp. We got ready for our move to Saruni Wild, a smaller mobile camp setup, which offers a more natural bush experience to contrast the luxury of Saruni Mara. The camp was a few kilometers away, bordering the Mara North & Lemek Conservancies, and we decided to take a full morning game drive, arriving at camp in time for lunch. Saruni Wild is exactly what the name appears to be – ‘wild’. It is the smallest camp in the Mara with only three tents and we were the only ones there for the next two nights. Unfenced, and hidden on the edge of the tall grass plains, it was the perfect balance to Saruni Mara’s luxuries.

On our morning drive into camp, we came across a lone lioness and spent most of the morning with her. Although she wasn’t active, she did raise her head a few times, as animals passed in the distance, which is more than I can say for the other lions! We thought we heard some sounds in the leleshwa bushes and thought it may be her cubs. We searched, but even at a short distance, it’s hard to see anything inside the thick bushes.

The afternoon was a full-on lion safari. Up on a rocky hill, we came across most of the Olngoswa Pride, one of the largest prides in the Mara. Out of 28, we saw 19 lions lazing on the hill. Only a few lifted their heads to see us! About a kilometer away, a lone lioness was not as full or lazy. She was ready for dinner and she kept constantly scanning the area for prey. With no prey in sight, she began moving and disappeared out of view. Close by, there was another pride with cubs, and we spent the rest of the evening with them, until the light faded.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Early this morning, we caught up with the lionesses and cubs from the night before. The females attempted a half-hearted hunt and were unsuccessful. We then drove south towards the border of Mara North and the Mara Triangle for breakfast. The river was flowing in full force, and with all the rapids, even the hippos were having a tough time in the water. After breakfast we came across three cheetahs – a mother and two older cubs – hiding the in the long grass. Other highlights of the morning were a crown crane mating dance, and a plover attacking a secretary bird, as she guarded her nest.

In the afternoon, we headed out from Saruni Wild with clear skies above us. Within minutes, the clouds rolled in and the heavens opened up. Pelted with rain, we closed up the sides of the Land Cruiser. The roads started flooding, but Dickson’s determined to continue on. We reached a familiar lugga crossing, which was easily crossed earlier in the day – it had turned into raging rapids. At that point, we decided to head back, slipping and sliding the whole way back on the black cotton roads.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Our final day was slow-paced, and we headed back to the airstrip, ready to get back to the hectic pace of Nairobi. The combination of Saruni Mara and Saruni Wild was perfect – a few nights in luxury cottages and a few nights in the simple tents in the wilderness. The rainy month of May makes wildlife viewing a little difficult, but on the plus side, most camps are closed and its very quiet. In all, we only saw a few other vehicles and at most of our sightings, we were the only ones around. It felt like a private Mara experience – a complete contrast to the thousands of vehicles that would be jostling for the wildebeest crossing in a few months.

Western Uganda: Of Mountain Gorillas & Tree-Climbing Lions

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TRIP BRIEF

Uganda is not a destination that easily pops into one’s mind. Once home to some legendary game parks and reserves, the country’s wildlife was almost entirely poached out during the years of the madman – “The Last King of Scotland” – Idi Amin, and the subsequent Uganda-Tanzania war that broke out. While the wildlife has recovered, close to forty years later, the country remains quite a peripheral safari destination.

Our trip had a singular objective: Mountain Gorillas. In the process of planning, however, the extreme distances involved needed to be taken into consideration, and we opted for a slightly different approach, scratching (barely) below the surface and exploring a bit more of the country. The final itinerary is as follows:

1 night Mihingo Lodge, Lake Mburo National Park

3 nights Buhoma Lodge, Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

2 Nights Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Ishasha Sector, Queen Elizabeth National Park

LAKE MBURO PART I

About five hours or so by road from Entebbe, Lake Mburo National Park makes for an ideal stopover on the long journey to Bwindi. It’s an area of striking beauty, one that we, unfortunately, did not have much time to explore. After reaching Mihingo Lodge for a very late 3pm lunch, we decided to relax by the pool, sampling the local gin, Uganda Waragi. A few interesting birds came into view, most notably Ross’s Turacos, which we didn’t see anywhere else on the trip.

We opted for a night game drive, in search of the park’s elusive leopards, one that ended in vain. At the lodge, however, galagos make a nightly appearance, and we were able to view them at very close quarters. The darkness left us with no photos though.

The next morning, we left Lake Mburo for an 8-hour drive to Bwindi. We did a short game drive on the way out, which gave us a chance to see topi, zebra, waterbuck and quite a number of bushbuck out in the open. We also managed another sighting of the beautiful Ross’s Turaco in flight.

The lack of large predators possibly relegates Lake Mburo as a secondary destination, but the landscapes were truly beautiful, the small game is very relaxed around cars (probably due to the lack of predators!), and the birdlife was brilliant. It’ll probably be on our next trip to Uganda, and I’d definitely like to give it a bit more than a cursory glance.

HABINYANJA GROUP PART II

The long drive to Bwindi passes through Queen Elizabeth National Park and a couple elephant sightings in the distance later; we finally reached Buhoma at 5pm, tired yet excited for the next day.

As of a 2011 census, there are only 840 or so mountain gorillas left in the wild. Out of those around 400 reside in Bwindi, with the rest in the Virunga Mountains to the south, encompassing Mgahinga in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the DRC. The population in Bwindi is isolated from the population in the Virungas, so it could be possible they are different subspecies, although visually there’s no discernible difference. Slowly, but steadily, the total mountain gorilla population is increasing – a good sign that active conservation methods, community initiatives and tourism benefits are working.

Given that we would be doing two treks, I think the understanding was that we’d go to the furthest group the first day, and then to a closer one the second day. So, as it happens, we were assigned to the Habinyanja Group, who were left the day before deep in the impenetrable forest, some six hours away from us.

After a 40-minute drive to the high starting point for the trek, we began walking through a small tract of farmland, and then into the forest. At first, it was easy going, along a path on the ridge. Then we descended down into a small valley, where the forest canopy opened up into somewhat of a clearing. After a while, the manicured path disappeared, as we followed the tracker’s (who had left a few hours before us to find the gorillas) path into the forest. Then it was back up a hill into the forest, a short walk along a different ridge, back down into a different valley and then back up another hill. The pace continued like this for around 3 hours or so. Finally, we got word from the trackers – the gorillas had been found. Energized, we began moving quicker, only to realize the trackers still had a few hours on us. An hour later, we found the trackers, and the Habinyanja group high up in the forest canopy, foraging, picking fruits and throwing broken branches down on us!

Not long after we arrived the group started coming down from the canopy and settled down at the base of some trees. We sat with them for some time, and one juvenile in particular was very interested in us. Seeing his reflection in the camera lens made him even more curious as he approached, inspected the lens and then retreated – he did this a couple of times.

All of a sudden, the group lost interest in us and started moving through the forest and went down toward the dense, open brush. We followed, and quickly realized how effectively the gorillas can move through the forest. Within a minute or two, they had some 50 metres on us, and while they went straight through the undergrowth, we tried to find a path around. As we caught up, our hour with them was running out, and after watching them for a few more minutes, we left them and retraced our steps back to the starting point.

RUSHEGURA GROUP PART III

The next morning, we were assigned to the Rushegura Group, who had been tracked closer by. “Closer by” definitely did not mean an easier hike – only that we would probably be back at the lodge in time for lunch! A short ten-minute drive from base, we arrived at the bottom of a hill. Looking around, all we could see was access to this one hill and we guessed right, we had to climb to the top. This trek was definitely different to the first one, zig-zagging around the side of the hill at quite a steep incline. An hour and half later of trekking we were relieved to find the trackers that were sent earlier to find the gorillas. They were straddling the boundary line between the community farmlands and the forest.

The experience with the Rushegura Group was markedly different from the previous day, as the gorillas were out in the open vegetation and kept crossing the boundary path between the forest and farmlands. They were relaxing and feeding in the leafy bushes – a completely different environment to the dense forest canopy. We came across the Silverback eating contently, not bothered at all with the strange humans watching and photographing him. This group had a couple of cheeky juveniles too – one grabbing a go-pro camera and the other trying to grab my friends trousers!

In all, I feel we had two very different, unique experiences with the mountain gorillas. Trekking deep into the forest in search of the Habinyaja Group allowed us to see the stunning forest, and gave us a sense of accomplishment when we finally found them. The Rushegura Group was a welcome break after the long trek the day before, and we got to witness more gorilla interactions, as they were much more relaxed.

TREE-CLIMBING LIONS PART IV

Queen Elizabeth National Park is quite unique in a sense. In the north lies the Mweya Sector, famed for the motorboat safari on Kazinga Channel, chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge, and a substantial human population, with fishing villages dotted around. 2 hours south lies the Ishasha Sector, a much quieter wilderness known for tree-climbing lions. In between the two sectors runs the major road connecting to Bwindi and into the DRC. Essentially, Queen Elizabeth is two different parks, with a wilderness zone in between.

The road network in Ishasha is not well developed, and the focus here really is on the tree-climbing lions. Almost every road comes to a dead-end at a fig tree, and the loops are connected similarly. It’s probably great when the lions are up on those trees, but otherwise it can get a little frustrating. We explored most of the Ishasha in search of the famous tree-climbing lions, which proved very hard to find. Our focus slowly shifted onto the beautiful bird life that Queen Elizabeth has to offer as well as admiring the Ugandan Kob. The first evening, we came upon a decent-sized herd of elephants, something we really weren’t expecting, and the second morning we stumbled onto a hyena dens with three cute babies. Our search for the lions luckily didn’t end in vain and we managed to see three healthy lionesses relaxing in a tree the final evening.

Waiting for the Rains: Ol Donyo Wuas, October 2015

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The Green Hills of Africa are no longer green. The land is parched, aching for the rains to come. A few showers came in April or May, but it’s been almost 10 months since any substantial rains have come to ol Donyo. The pressures are mounting, as both wildlife and man struggle to survive out here.

This was the scene that greeted us as we reached Ol Donyo Lodge at the base of the Chyulu Hills. We came in search of the renowned large bull elephants – “Tuskers” – of the Tsavo-Amboseli Ecosystem. What we learned in our three nights there, amidst a backdrop of drought really put into perspective the challenges faced by all – wildlife, livestock & humans – when the rains fail to fall.

A DUSTY GETAWAY Part I

The road from Nairobi to Mombasa is not a pleasant drive. It is the main artery for getting goods into and out of the country, and to neighboring land-locked countries. Yet it remains a narrow two-lane country road. It’s slow going, looking for oncoming traffic, overtaking one massive container truck after another. And it’s dangerous too. Luckily, we’re not going very far at all – Emali is only 125 kilometers from Nairobi. From there we turn off onto the much quieter road towards the Oloitokitok border with Tanzania. The final 30 kilometers to camp is not tarmacked. We can see the Chyulu Hills rising ahead of us, and then the road dissipates into loose dirt and sand. It’s an infinite dustbowl – completely impassable during the rains. But for now it’s dry and really dusty.

HIKING, HORSERIDING & ELEPHANTS Part II

The lodge seems to be the only source of water in the area right now. All the lodge’s greywater is passed through a lava rock filtration system before ending up down at the lodge waterhole. Here’s where most of the game is right now. The elephants seem to stick around most of the day and well into the night. They’ve learned to stick their trunks right into the feed pipe and pull as much water as they can directly into their trunks. As a result, they’ve commandeered the waterhole, and everyone else – the oryx, warthogs, elands and giraffes – just has to patiently wait around, sneaking in for a quick drink when the tuskers get distracted. It’s great viewing for us, as we while away the afternoon down at the log-pile hide with some wine watching this interesting drama unfold.

Everywhere we go, the seasonal waterholes are dried and cracking. Mind you, there’s still wildlife around. Zebras and wildebeest dot the plains, whilst oryx and giraffe forage in the acacia woodlands around the lodge. So there probably is water around somewhere – we just can’t see it!

One afternoon we decide to go horse-riding on the plains. It’s great for my wife, who used to ride as a child, but I’ve got a big Clydesdale – he’s hungry and strong, and the harness burns through my hand as his head goes towards the ground. The gin and tonic was definitely appreciated after that!

In the morning, we take a walk through some lava tubes. The Chyulu’s were formed out of a string of volcanoes, and have some interesting caves, craters and lava tubes to hike through. Walking through one such tube, we enter a cave, and see the skull of a warthog. Further up more scattered bones – this seems to be a den or resting place for a leopard.

There are other signs of activity elsewhere – day-old leopard prints at our sundowner kopje, last night’s cheetah prints at our breakfast stop. On one track, our spectacular guide, Seki, found cheetah, leopard and hyena tracks from the night before, criss-crossing each other along the way. What may have happened is left to the imagination.

Lions prove even more elusive – no signs have been seen for a week or two. Some of the collared lions here have been tracked as far south as Amboseli and West Kilimanjaro, and east towards Tsavo, so these guys have huge ranges. They may well have headed off in search of better pastures until the rains come.

MBIRIKANI GROUP RANCH, BIG LIFE FOUNDATION & THE PREDATOR COMPENSATION FUND Part III

At the base of the Chyulu Hills, and roughly mid-way between Amboseli and Tsavo East is the 275,000 acre Mbirikani Group Ranch. The land is owned by around 4,000 Maasai families, who have leased it out to Great Plains Conservation, owners of Ol Donyo Lodge. The lodge pays out $116 from each bed night, the funds of which get divided as follows:

  • $35 for Ranch Executive committee for the management of the 275,000-acre Ranch
  • $30 for Predator Compensation Fund
  • $10 for Teachers
  • $15 for anti-poaching/wildlife security
  • $10 for Big Life Administration
  • $16 for Government of Kenya VAT tax

Here, around 25 years ago, Richard Bonham established the Maasailand Preservation Trust, which has recently merged with Nick Brandt’s [Big Life Foundation]. The goal of Big Life is to work with the communities in the greater Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem and devise innovative conservation strategies that will hopefully protect and preserve this area for future generations.

As an integral component in conservation in the area, a number of Big Life initiatives really stood out to me. We managed to talk to one of the donors, Tatjana of Capricorn Foundation, and with Nikki, a conservation scientist with Big Life, and from this we got the sense that the work being done by Big Life is quite impressive. They are the major anti-poaching operation in the greater area, patrolling over 1.4 million kilometres of wild space. Since 2011, they’ve made over 2,000 arrests and seized over 3,000 poaching tools. This has played a huge role in helping to secure the elephant population in this region.

Another initiative, one we witnessed first-hand, was the Predator Compensation Fund. The idea being that this is community land, and the Maasai pastoralists use the same land as wildlife for their livestock. If a predator – lion, cheetah, hyena etc. – attacks and kills their livestock, they can retaliate in kind. The PCF aims to pay-out the cost of the livestock in order to save the predator. This has reduced the number of predator killings in Mbirikani to almost zero. The community is compensated for their loss and the predators are saved. This was especially an issue in the dry time we went, as scarcity of prey meant livestock were under pressure. One Maasai we met lost his goat the night before to two cheetahs and was awaiting the compensation team to come and do their survey.

CONCLUSION Part IV

So this was not going to be a safari of big game and huge densities. The experience here is subtler. With the drought, the immense pressure on wildlife and the community was visible. Herders and their cattle were in search of water and grazing. Cheetahs in search of prey came across easy livestock pickings. Elephants cluster around easily accessible water sources making them easy targets for poachers. The whole situation is a powder-keg waiting to erupt. Keeping a lid on the situation, however, is the Big Life team, running anti-poaching efforts, compensating farmers for their losses and protecting the land for future generations. The tension will definitely subside when the rains come, and with Big Life and Great Plains at the helm, this area is fast becoming a great refuge for our dwindling wildlife numbers, and a model to follow in regards to community conservation and human-wildlife conflict.

First Foray into The Conservancies

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December 2012 – Kicheche Mara & Kicheche Valley Camps, Masai Mara, Kenya

Our first “long trip” into the Mara spanned six nights over two conservancies – Mara North and the newly-formed Naboisho Conservancy in the north-east. The December rains had started, along with the holidays. Flying into Mara North airstrip, we headed towards Kicheche Mara Camp for two nights.

Kicheche Mara Mara North Conservancy

Kicheche Mara seemed to be a blur of short-lived memories, but nothing spectacular. The photos seem tell a somewhat different story. We came across a large pride of lions relaxing on a rocky hill. The youngsters were tired, fending off the provoking guinea-fowl, while one of the pride males was particularly amorous with one the lionesses. Other sightings included a hyena dragging away a baby zebra foal kill from a group of vultures, a serval cat right before dusk, and giraffes sleeping.

From Kicheche Mara, we did a half-day game drive across Mara North, Olare Orok and Naboisho conservancies, before arriving at Kicheche Valley in time for lunch. Along the way, we came across two cheetah brothers, and spent a good part of the morning with them.

Kicheche Valley Naboisho Conservancy

The landscapes in Naboisho are completely different from the rest of the Masai Mara. Here the land seems to undulate more, between lush valleys and rocky hills – a far cry from the flat plains to the west and south.

The bulk of our four nights here was spent following a family of cheetah – a mother, and her four young cubs. The first day we found them, she was limping and thin – possibly a hunting injury. This was a major concern as the cubs were young, dependent on her and unable to hunt. When we caught up with them the next day, she still hadn’t hunted and the situation was looking bleak. We decided we should leave her alone in the hope that she would be able to hunt. We headed back to camp for lunch, hoping for some good news – and it came in the afternoon. She had managed to kill. We caught up with the fat-bellied cubs in the evening and a feeling of relief came through. Her wounds would heal in time, but she had managed to ensure the family’s survival until then.

Although the cheetah family stole the show, Naboisho was brimming with game. An extremely brief moment with a shy leopard, a few different lion prides, elephants, giraffes and a host of birdlife were also all part of the show.

Waiting for a River Crossing

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August 2012 – Sala’s Camp, Masai Mara, Kenya

In August 2012, with the wildebeest migration making its way into the Mara, we headed to Sala’s Camp, near the border with Tanzania on the Sand River.

The camp directions given to us involved a lot of natural features – turn right at this hill, left at this tree. So it came to be that at one junction near the camp, we were perched on higher ground searching for signs of a camp nearby. No one bothered to look the bush right next to us until we started moving again – a pride of lions were seeking shelter from the searing midday sun. If it weren’t for a quick glance back from Phera, we would have missed them! Fortunately for us, the camp was only a few hundred meters away, and the afternoon was spent with the lions.

Having only 2 nights to spare, and with the wildebeest herds crossing the Mara River, it was a pretty singular affair as we headed to the river. The queues of wildebeest were building up, so we found a good spot and waited. On the riverbanks, the crocodiles were full, watching as wildebeest carcasses floated by them. Finally, the crossing began. Pressure from the back of the herd pushed forward and the wildebeest (and some zebra) took the plunge. This lasted only a few moments as reckless minibus driver drove straight through the queue and the wildebeest scattered. The crossing came to an abrupt end.

On the way back to camp for lunch, we came upon a leopard, out in an open area between the riverine forests. Her head darted in and out of the ground several times. At a distance, it was hard to see what was happening. On her last dive, her head came back up with a warthog piglet in her mouth. She was searching the burrows for a quick snack.

Chilling with The Kichwa Pride

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May 2012 – Kichwa Tembo, Masai Mara, Kenya

The drive to Mara itself was an adventure. The rains had recently passed and the black cotton roads going from Mara Serena to Kichwa Tembo were slick. We got stuck three times, and there was a stretch of road where we weren’t in control – the car followed whatever tracks were made before us. In the end, we made it to Kichwa Tembo close to around 2pm, close to 8 hours after leaving Nairobi!

Close to camp, the Kichwa Pride had setup shop for the next few days, and we spent a large part of our 3-night trip with them. The pride was made up of 5 lionesses, 9 cubs and 4 males. We only saw two of the males; the other two were on duty patrolling the territory.

The first afternoon was action-packed pretty much right outside camp. The pride was hungry – we watched as one by one each of the 4 lionesses spread out across the plains in front of us. They were on the hunt, and as the sun was setting over the plains, they made their move on of zeal of zebra. They were unsuccessful – getting our hopes up and then back down quickly. We turned and went back to the cubs. We hung back, close to the cubs, and kept a careful eye on them.

More Zebras were heading up to the escarpment for the night. The lionesses felt the opportunity fading. They made their move – one foal went down immediately, and close by two lionesses struggled with an adult zebra. Out of the blue, a huge male came running in (we didn’t even notice him nearby), and proved his usefulness. With one swift lunge, the adult zebra came down. A very successful hunt for the pride, less than a kilometer from camp.

The next morning, we set off from camp in a different direction – from the far side of camp towards a dense thicket of bush. We saw a huge male leopard walking into the thicket. Nearby, in a deep ravine, we spotted a leopard with a warthog carcass. Viewing was difficult. Although we went into the Mara Triangle area, we did not see a great deal of game. A lot of the action was around the Kichwa Tembo area, and by and large, we remained with in a few kilometers of camp.

We explored the area nearby and saw some other small game, but eventually we returned to the Kichwa Pride. We spent the next 2 days with them, watching their pride dynamics. Full and satiated, the adults lazed around, as the cubs played in their new-found territories.

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