Kenya - Masai Mara National Reserve

 We spent a day at the Masai Mara National Reserve and it was an eye-opener.  I have been warned before to expect ruthless driver/guides cutting off each other in their jeeps to jockey for positions but I couldn't believe what I saw when scores of jeeps surrounded a leopard and chased after it, almost running it over.   There were no rangers around to keep people in line.  It was a horrendous situation for the pair of leopards, hounded by these metal monsters.  I felt sorry we became unwittingly part of this circus.  It was our only encounter with leopards on this trip.

But there were wonderful moments when we saw the cheetah at a distance and the massive movement of the wildebeest migration - from the top of a hill, then beside us and then crossing in front of us. It gave me goose-pimples seeing this impressive gathering and moving in unison of these animals.  We did not see the river crossing but these are hard to time and it was not the sole purpose of our trip.  After seeing the frantic jockeying for positions at the river bank, I was almost relieved that there was no crossing and everyone left.  LIfe returned to normal and we went on to see other interesting things in the park.

Hyena cub seen on the way to the park

Hyena and cub

The entrance to the Mara National Reserve is right beside the river.

Line up to enter the park

Lion on a mount

The leopard hunt 

The leopard came out in between the vehicles towards us

Cheetah in hunting mode with flattened ears, just like a big cat

This marks the border between Kenya and Tanzania

Hippos and crocodiles in the river

Baboon on a mount

Seeing the wildebeest migration from atop a hill

 - little black dots on the savannah

Closer up

This was where we had hoped they would cross

Wildebeests closerup

The Marabou storks hang out with the wildebeests - here's one in close up mid flight

On our way to the National Reserve we pass by the town of Narok.  Some interesting shops there, including a Hard Rock Café!

Locals going to work

Going to school

Some of the pleasurable and memorable moments: picnic under a lone acacia tree

Watercolours in the making... 
Golden hour and gorgeous sunsets!

Kenya - Mara Porini Lion Camp

 

We arrived at the Porini Lion Camp in the Mara after two flights on bush planes.  The transfer was surprisingly smooth as we were escorted from one plane to another.  On our way from the landing strip to the camp we had our first game drive in the Porini Conservancy.  We had our first sighting of the Topi, a fast antelope found here in the savannah, a warthog among the topis and then our first cheetah!  The cheetah was lazing under a tree and was unperturbed by the four safari vehicles that had gathered.  We were later to find that if this had been in the Mara National Reserve, it would be a totally different environment.  

The highlight of our visit to the Mara was for me the joyful young lion cubs running freely at the Lion Camp without being chased by a horde of safari vehicles as they would have been had this been in the National Reserve.  The Conservancy, being private, only had a few vehicles, if any, gathering at a sighting at a respectful distance.  The wildlife was relatively undisturbed, as far as we could see.

We saw a variety of wildlife, as you can see below.  As in Amboseli, we were doing game drives even as we were driving to and from the National Reserve, which was almost  an hour away.  We spent one day in the National Reserve and two days in the Conservancy, which I enjoyed more.

Giraffe and young crossing the savannah

Topi - standing on the mount is a way of establishing territory

Warthog in handsome light

Cheetah - on the lookout for a prey

First sighting of the Common Eland, the largest antelope, typically weighing 500-600 kg but could weigh over 900 kg

A jackal, on the alert

Handsome in blue - Southern Tree agama

Cape Buffalo - one of the Big Five, with young below.  The young looks like an ordinary calf.

Fish eagle ready to hunt at dawn

Goliath Heron -  the biggest heron on the continent

A long-billed Pipit perching on a thorny acacia tree

We didn't get to see a leopard, but the guides showed us this carcass that had been left on a tree by the leopard.

Lion couple relaxing in the golden hour light

All of a sudden, the female noticed something and went into hunting posture

Lion cubs bounced out of nowhere

Lioness finally appeared - the cubs were completely carefree

What a joy to watch!

Sunset with the lions - finally everyone settled down, including the photographers...

Sunset with the lone tree - a typical scene on the savannah