GOVERNORS’ CAMP

Walking and game reports.

Month: February 2006

 Weather and grasslands:

 ‘Thank heavens’ for some rain!!!!!

 The beginning of the month was still hot, humid, and dusty with fairly strong north easterly winds averaging 20-30 knots. Mid day temperatures were averaging up to 36ºC and early morning temps averaging 17ºC. With this dry period affecting grazing, many Masai with their cattle have been seen grazing their livestock close to the reserve.

On the 24th we received 40mm and on the 25th 41mm of heavy rain and hail, this is the first dollop of good rain we have had in nearly three months. Subsequently there has been rain on a daily basis through out the Musiara and Mara regions with a total of 149mm for the month.

It is truly amazing to see how quickly grasslands can revive themselves, the grassland plains here in the Musiara, Bila Shaka and Paradise area showed signs of rejuvenation in 24 hours.
 

General Game:

In the early part of the month it was still very dry and dusty with more dead Hippo carcases being seen nearby to the Mara river woodland, it is clearly noticeable that the grasses in these woodlands are being depleted which is the primary and an important source of feed value for Hippo, the Hippo ‘trails’ indicate the traffic out from the river, through the woodlands and then out to the open plains. Hippos graze with their lips, so in essence they prefer grasses with good leaf structure and a wide sward. They have a long digestive system similar to that of ruminants although they do not chew the cud or ruminate they are classified as ‘pseudoruminants’.

Many wildebeest and Zebra can be still seen around the Paradise plains, Bila Shaka and in the Koiyaki areas with many of the wildebeest females calving down, this is still a little early but weather conditions will assist to determine calving times. Topi and their calves which were showing stress and weakness are still utilising the grassland plains and also favouring the marsh grass areas. With the last weeks rain the grasses are already 2/3” high which has scattered many of the plains game species such as Thomson and Grant’s Gazelles to spread out more on the open plains. Zebra with mares and foals are fairly scattered and good numbers can be seen around the Paradise plains areas. Buffalo are still about and again many are seen in poor condition with a few reported dead. It can be true to say that out of the wildlife species it is Hippo and Buffalo who have suffered more. They seem to move around within the Paradise, Bila Shaka and Musiara grassland regions; there are two herds one of approx 300 and the other of 100 which seems to have spent more of their time within the Musiara plains and Marsh so subsequently numbers have diminished with predation from the Bila Shaka Lion pride. Waterbuck (Defassa) can be seen within the Marsh grasslands and also in the conversation areas of Koiyaki while favouring river courses, noticeably in the conservation areas many waterbuck are in poor condition looking like ‘toast racks’ this condition can also be seen with the waterbuck in the marsh areas. It is still early days yet for any improvement to be seen in relation to an animal’s condition.

A few Aardwolves have been luckily seen, mainly in the late hours of the evening, these Hyenids are not often seen as their food and feeding habits lend them to be rather nocturnal. They are specialised predators in that their food value is mainly made up of termites to include the harvester termite (hodotermitidae), and the snouted harvester termite (genus-trinervitermes) being greatly favoured and will often determine their whereabouts. The other Hyenid seen on a daily basis is the Spotted Hyena which can be seen all over the grassland plains and also in the acacia woodlands in the conservation areas. Of the other two larger hyenas the brown hyena of the South African sub region and the striped Hyena of the more arid regions of East and Northern Africa, it is recognised that the spotted Hyena is the most predatory of them all and it is reported that up to 85% of what they eat has been killed by them.

Another interesting sighting is the Aardvark and three sightings have been reported, again this mammal is also a termite and ant eater and is much specialised in its feeding behaviour, with a long sticky tongue and large salivary glands ensuring a good take in of termites from a mound or ants from a nest. Aardvarks do not have teeth so the food source is swallowed down and in their stomachs they have a muscular pyloric area which functions rather like a gizzard by grinding up the food.

The female Side stripped Jackal with her 5 7-month old pups have also been seen again this month.

Birds:  European white storks and Abdims storks which are paleartic migrants are being seen in reasonable numbers on the open plains along with Eurasian or European Bee eaters which are often heard calling in large flocks high above one.

Klaas’s Cuckoo as well as the Diederik Cuckoo can be seen in the woodland areas of the camps as well as throughout the acacia woodlands. The Narinas Trogon has been seen again this month in the woodland areas of the camps and also commonly seen is the Ross’s Turaco. There is a pair of Double toothed Barbets with chicks in the manager’s garden at main camp.

Lion: The well-liked Bila Shaka pride of four females, five thirteen-month-old cubs, three ten-month old cubs and one male are still being seen through out the Musiara marsh and Bila Shaka areas. This pride of lion have been seen feeding off Wildebeest and Buffalo and in the early morning hours of the 10th they had brought down a cow buffalo and two one year old calves of which very little was eaten out of the calves and was left to the vultures and Hyenas. Later on this very morning the lion walked up to drink at the hippo pool by the airstrip and as usual with opportunistic predators waited for the Zebra and Topi to come down for their turn at the water hole, they rushed at a small herd of Zebra who realising what was happening at the last minute panicked in all directions with a few running back and forth across what was now a thick muddy pool, sadly a young foal got caught up in this turmoil and got stuck fast in the soft mud.

The maternity/ridge pride of 25 members including two males, one sub adult male, eight breeding females, ten sub adult cubs and the four seven-month old cubs. There are also 4 new cubs estimated at 2 months old that have been seen. They are still being seen frequently within the double crossing areas.

The paradise pride. With three males but more often only two this month, five breeding females, three sub-adults and six six-month old cubs and 3 new cubs estimated at 2 months old are still being seen anywhere between the Rhino Ridge/Paradise plains and around the paradise crossing points on the Mara River. They have been seen feeding off Wildebeest and Zebra who are still about in fair numbers within the Paradise plains regions.

On the 17th at Paradise driver guides reputed seeing members of the old Marsh pride two females and five of the sub adults who would be three + years old.

A male lion who is often seen on his own on Topi plains and the rhino ridge area and is suspected as being the male that was released into the Musiara area some 18 months ago. On the morning of the 25th it was seen with a Zebra kill.

The single Lioness that was scratched up by the female members of the Bila Shaka pride has been seen on a few occasions on the Bila Shaka region and towards Governors private camp and appears to much improved and is moving about with more confidence. This lioness was introduced into the area at the same time as with the male mentioned above.

A lioness with 6 young cubs estimated at 3½ months has been seen often in the rocky escarpment of the double gorge.

Cheetah:

Kike has been seen in the Talek River region of the OL Kiombo area.

The three males are still seen within Rhino Ridge, Paradise and Bila Shaka plains. They are still actively been seen feeding off Zebra foals, young Topi, Thomson Gazelle, yearling wildebeest and Impala.

The older single male has been seen often near the Musiara airstrip and within the woodland verges of the camps, on the 26th in the evening he was seen hunting impala, but a large troop of Olive Baboons managed to distract the impala.

The Young female seen often on the Paradise and Rhino Ridge plains areas, she has frequently been seen hunting Thomson Gazelles and their fawns.

Leopard:

Zawadi is back on stage!

She has been seen often and has two cubs a male and female estimated at 3 months old. She is seen near the windmill and single gorge and on the 24th was seen with a Thomson gazelle she had killed early on in the morning.

Bella the Talek female has been seen again this month in the Talek river area; her male cub who is 31 months old has also been seen further down the Talek River probably in his mothers home range.

Pole the female who is often associated within the river woodlands between Governors’ main camp and Governors’ IL Moran camp, she has been seen on many occasions this month with early mornings and late evenings being good times. On the 25th she was seen on the alkaline flats near the woodland pocket in the Marsh.

Walking report in the Koiyaki group ranch:

The walks this month have taken a different roll in that we have had to move into another area due to pressure from livestock. Game sightings on the whole were rewarding with good weather and great pastel sunrises which adds to a good start for the day.

Wildebeest with females and calves on the open plains were common sightings to be seen. Zebra were also in good numbers to be seen. Impala are always present in the acacia woodlands with some good sized breeding herds. Buffalo are present but in small breeding herds and they are suffering in a similar way like lives stock but seem to be holding out better in that as they are bovines and are in the same family as cattle they are not penned up at night so they have a longer time out to graze which should have a more profound affect. Giraffe seem to move from woodland to woodland so it was quite easy to follow them and on many occasions one could approach them with relative ease. Elephant were in and out of the area and it appears that they frequented these acacia woodlands at night and by morning had moved on to ‘greener pastures’ mainly towards the Mara River and its environs. Many of the acacia trees specifically the acacia Gerrardii were being eaten. Lion, three females and two males are about and were seen on some occasions in the early mornings, on the 8th they had killed a wildebeest on the Olare Orok River and on the 14th had killed a Topi near to the breakfast spot on the river. Good signs of Aardvark activity in the many termite mounds of which they have opened up during their nocturnal foraging escapades, night drives would be the best way to see them or on wet evenings after some rain have been successful. Waterbuck (Defassa) are more commonly seen near to the river and some even seen in the woodland areas that have not been burnt. Unfortunately many are looking stressed and in poor condition, surprisingly not many reported deaths.

Safari Ants (Dorylus Helvolus) or commonly known in Southern Africa as ‘driver ants’ are abundant in many areas, with this walkers had to be very aware of their presence, these ants have a sneaky habit of climbing onto and biting anything or animal they come across including man, as goes the common expression ‘ants in your pants’ which can be a wayward problem. There is a known fact here in East Africa stating that when the safari ants are out there is a sign of rain about which turned out to be true.