Hi Everybody! Is it snowing yet? We got an e-mail from friends in Atlanta, Idaho who said they had a foot of snow there. Boy, is it going to be a change when we get home from Africa!
Our third game drive in the Maasai Mara was again fantastic. This is the place to come if you want to see all the wild animals, especially the big cats. In our first two drives here (totaling about 8 hours) we have seen them all, except the rhinos which we saw in Lake Nakaru. Literally, here we have already seen, in various groups and herds, approximately 100 giraffes, 30 hippos, 80 elephants, 200 cape buffalo, 100 wart hogs, 20 jackel, 20 ostrich, 100 vultures, 100's of gazelles,impalas, crocs, water bucks, topi, dik diks, and the other species of that variety everywhere, all kinds of exotic birds, etc...around 50 different kinds of animals that we know the name of and many others that we don't...and, of course, the amazing big cats (leopards, lions, cheetah, and serval cat previously described, and thousands of wilderbeast and zebras.
Much of the reason you can see so many here is because it is so vast and open and you can drive to much of it. However, you definitely need a guide, rather than trying to do it in your own vehicle, like we did in the other reserves, because it is so large and wild and unmarked that you would be lost in minutes. It is especially amazing that you can be almost anywhere and look around and literally see at least a hundred animals! They are all awesome to see, especially the babies that are everywhere, because it is Spring.
As we drove out at 4 pm for the 2 hour afternoon drive, we again were amazed at the Great
Migration of thousands of wildebeest's and zebras winding their way to the Mara River crossings. Silently, we all hoped inside that they would somehow dodge the huge crocs awaiting them, especially the small babies that we see tagging playfully along. How can we describe numbers that go over 2 million each time they migrate ...and, especially the sometimes very frantic rush and pushing and shoving of each other at the river crossings? Many drown just because of that and in the process become easy food for the big reptiles. It's pretty sad, but one of the most fascinating things in the wild.
Some highlights today were:
A Cheetah group resting against a small mound, giving us their exotic profiles against the African sunrise and other great shots as they moved around. They were resting after a nighttime gazelle kill and acted at times like satisfied house cats after a nice meal...smiles, stretching, and many yawns, as if owned the house and the whole world revolved around them. Again, we marveled at their beautiful, spotted markings. They repeatedly looked up from their sleeping to go on alert and you could tell there would be no out running these sleek, speedy animals, the fastest in the world. Their ears would perk up and their eyes intently look around as if they would spring out at any moment. The switching back and forth from lazy loafing to instant alertness was intriguing and we wondered at times just what they had seen, heard, or smelled that we were usually unaware of. We wondered what animal would be their dinner tonight. For cats like these, the leopards, and the lions, there is game everywhere in the Maasai Mara. It must be like a buffet dinner to them as they hunt. We wonder if they have tastes for different animals, like people do as they go through a buffet line. “Let's see, dear, would you prefer gazelle or water buck tonight?”We love to see them run the plains in such plain sight, almost like watching a race track, except they are so streamlined and stealthy at times, then burst out with quick bursts of amazing speed. The dust flies and all the other animals quickly run for cover.
We again saw a beautiful serval cat, which are smaller than the cheetah and quite rare to see.They are also spotted, but with a darker coat than the cheetah and even the leopard. They are elusive and seldom seen. We didn't see any in the other parks.
We were thrilled when a pride of 8 lions walked directly toward us and passed within a few feet of our truck and then finally into the tall grass. The kittens played all along the way, as if we weren't even there. Three were very small, only about a month old. The other three kittens were a little
larger, about 3 months old, according to our guide. The two lionesses with them, their mothers, watched us more closely, especially as they passed close by. You could hear their breaths and Lawana said she could even smell them. Though the mothers seemed at times to not even notice us, we wondered what would happen if they became alarmed about their little families. We were not about to find out as we stayed very still and could hardly breathe in the exciting 10 minutes or so during their passing by.
THEN, we drove around to the other side of the tall grass and there lay Poppa Lion, a large Black-maned beast, and the father of both sets of kittens, and mate to both sleek lioness'. We watched him closely watch us as we approached and then back to sleep he went for awhile!
BUT, not for long, because through the tall grass from the other side came his family and lazy sleeping was suddenly over for Poppa! The 6 kittens quickly woke old Dad up, as they began romping all over him and pulling his tail. It was such an amazing sight that we watched the great fun for an hour. They all showed great love and affection for each other with much licking and playing and much patience shown by the giant father.
Even the two mothers affectionately licked and nuzzled each other and it was apparent they cared for each other in this polygamous family.It was fantastic. The kittens were so cute, playful, and mischievous, climbing all over their parents, pulling their ears, whiskers, and tails. The mothers put up with it all more than Dad, as
they licked their babies constantly and rolled around with them in the grass. Old Dad seemed to enjoy most of it and showed obvious love and pride in his brood. We could have stayed for
hours!
Our ride back to the lodge was again a glorious sight with a sunset of golds, pinks, blues and
purples coloring the clouds, mountains, and savanna. Along the way we saw many other animals. We worried about a zebra who limped along with a badly sprained ankle and wondered if he would last the night with the great cats hunting the plains. We wished he could somehow hide until he healed, but knew that was unlikely.
The cats, especially the more lazy lions, prey especially on the very young, the old, and the weak. It's been amazing to us to watch them when they are not hungry, majestically walking through the savanna with animals hurriedly scurrying out of their way. Sometimes some of the gazelles and impalas don't seem to get as far away as we think they should. Maybe they can sense the huge cats are not hungry then...or, maybe they are just young and inexperienced,..or, just plain stupid! It was a wonderful day in one of the wildest places on earth. As we drove back to camp, I thought about what it would be like walking alone out there and how far a person could actually get. It was not a very pleasant thought!
purples coloring the clouds, mountains, and savanna. Along the way we saw many other animals. We worried about a zebra who limped along with a badly sprained ankle and wondered if he would last the night with the great cats hunting the plains. We wished he could somehow hide until he healed, but knew that was unlikely.
The cats, especially the more lazy lions, prey especially on the very young, the old, and the weak. It's been amazing to us to watch them when they are not hungry, majestically walking through the savanna with animals hurriedly scurrying out of their way. Sometimes some of the gazelles and impalas don't seem to get as far away as we think they should. Maybe they can sense the huge cats are not hungry then...or, maybe they are just young and inexperienced,..or, just plain stupid! It was a wonderful day in one of the wildest places on earth. As we drove back to camp, I thought about what it would be like walking alone out there and how far a person could actually get. It was not a very pleasant thought!
Well, it's time for dinner after a nice shower. We love you all very much and wish you could bewith us in this incredible place. But, we're taking literally thousands of pictures and would be happy to show them to you sometime when we finally get home. We only wish we could some- how also include the noises and smells, too!
“Kwahari” (Goodbye) for now from the beautiful savannas of the Maasai Mara,
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