GOVERNORS’ CAMP

Walking and game reports.

Month: January 2006
 

Weather and grasslands:

Hot and dusty again with strong north easterly winds, mid day temps were hot averaging up to 34ºC and early morning temps average 17ºC, very little rain for the area, a total of 35 mm received for the month, but this was very local only, with the North East area of the conservation area receiving a little more up to 40 mm.  

Grassland areas in the reserve particularly those areas that were burnt in June/July 2005 are showing the lack of rain, still very noticeable in the Musiara, Paradise and Bila Shaka grassland plains areas. Many more parts of the group ranch plains areas are showing severe overgrazing which is added by livestock competition. Grasses such as the Red-Oat, star grass couch grass, unicorn grass and the needle grass species ‘aristida’ which are the prominent grasses here are at stump level now.

The game viewing value is still very good again with the weather still being favourable.

General Game: 

With the poor rainfall that we received in November/December this has left the environment rather delicate with the grass land plains lacking any reasonable leaf structure which is required by many species particularly the Hippopotamus which are struggling at the moment. Hippo’s can travel up to 10 kms while foraging and adults will eat an average of 40kg per night and when conditions are unfavourable they may venture even further a field. The main Mara river level is very low and is quite clear in certain parts which indicate a low silt level, as water levels drop Hippo pod densities move with this to reach deeper water which is what they favour and consequently males are in constant dispute over territorial rights as pod densities increase in number. There are still quite a few wildebeest that can be seen in the south east plains of Rhino Ridge and Paradise plains and also in the east conservation areas of the Koiyaki group ranch, the little rainfall received earlier on in the month has brought on a green flush which is at the moment accommodating them. Some females have calved already which is earlier than the normal calving period, these early calves may be induced by stress and a green flush. Topi are still seen in good numbers particularly in the Musiara marsh and paradise plains area with many calves still in good condition. Cokes Hartebeest (Kongoni) can be seen in smaller herds and are often seen on the shorter grass plains. Thomson Gazelle are still seen in good numbers on the open grass land plains with reports of many mainly territorial males being readily taken as prey and some have apparently died, more noticeably in the conservation areas where there is strong competition with increasing livestock mainly caprines being the sheep and goats which are in increasing numbers, as the dry condition continues the pressure for grazing has rendered many areas desolate. Grants gazelles are still in good condition and these can be seen on the grassland plains. Many Common Zebra with young foals and a few being seen born are still in good condition, lion and cheetah are preying on these young foals. Many of these Zebra can be seen in the Rhino Ridge and paradise plains areas. Bat eared fox’s have been seen often this month; early mornings are still the best times to catch up on these little canids. A few sightings on the Musiara plains of a female Side stripped Jackal with 5 6-month old pups. To hold on to a number of pups indicates that this mother has good ‘pickings’ available to support her offspring. Cape Buffalo are still about with calves and many of them are clinically losing condition, There are two herds that are seen here one of over 300 and the other over a 100, they move about in large circles and are preferably seen on the lower Paradise plains and in the woodlands of the Musiara marsh. Some of these herds would have been seen in the conservation areas but these movements have been stalled by the presence of livestock. Spotted Hyena are being seen actively preying on Zebra foals and on the 28th a single female was seen to pull down a foal within a very short time, spotted Hyenas are the most active predators of the Hyenids, the other large hyena we get here is the striped Hyena of the more marginal and arid regions of the country, these hyenas are more opportunistic scavengers than their spotted cousins. The other hyenid is the Aardwolf which is a much specialised animal in that it is a nocturnal insectivore so much so that its molars are mere pegs; its dietary preference would be the Harvester termite.  

Lion:

 The Bila Shaka pride of four females, five twelve-month-old cubs, three nine-month old cubs and one male can still be seen through out the Musiara marsh and Bila Shaka areas. These lion are seen in the Musiara Marsh and Bila Shaka areas, they have been to feed off Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest and Hippo. Many young hippos have been displaced and or severely injured and these are the ones that lion will take the opportunity to prey on.

On the 23rd at 7.00am in the Musiara marsh they were seen feeding on a cow buffalo but earlier on in the morning three other buffalo were seen taken down, the male had a young bull, a lioness had a calf, another lioness a cow, with all the commotion going on the large Buffalo herd suddenly collects themselves together reels about and dispersed the lion in all directions whom we are told released everything! A little later on they managed to kill the cow mentioned earlier.

The maternity/ridge pride of 25 members including two males, one sub adult male, eight breeding females, ten sub adult cubs and the four five-month old cubs. They are seen frequently within the double crossing areas. On the 28th they were seen with two Wildebeest near the main crossing points.

The paradise pride. With three males, five breeding females, three sub-adults and six five month old cubs, are still seen anywhere between the Rhino Ridge/Paradise plains and around the paradise crossing points on the Mara River. They are feeding off the wildebeest and Zebra that are still in abundance on the Rhino Ridge and Paradise plains.

The single female who had three young cubs, on the 15th she was seen to be severely cut and scratched up, by the 16th two of the cubs had died and the third was taken to Nairobi by aircraft.

Cheetah:

Kike (princess) whose cubs would have been two months old have not been seen this month and it is only Kike who is seen, mainly in the OL Kiombo and double crossing areas, on the 28th near the Talek River she was seen to hunt and kill a female impala, she still hops on and off the hoods of vehicles, and the female impala kill was sighted this way.

It is unsure as to what happened to her little cubs, she had her cubs in November 2005 near to some croton thickets in the Bila Shaka river bed and this immediate area is home of the Bila Shaka Lion pride who always frequent the very area Kike had her cubs, it would be untrue to say they were killed off by the lion as nobody unfortunately can come up with any relevant information as to what happened.

The single female (Itchy) with three three-half month old cubs have not been seen this month and have been presumed they are over the other side of the river from Ol kiombo on the Burrangat plains areas.

The other single female with the seven month old cub has not been seen either this month.

The three males are still seen within Rhino Ridge, Paradise and Bila Shaka plains. They have actively been seen feeding off Zebra foals, young Topi, Thomson Gazelle, yearling wildebeest and Impala, being a coalition of three individuals their success rate for larger prey is increased.

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.

A Young female is seen often on the Paradise and Rhino Ridge plains areas and she is frequently seen in the evenings hunting Thomson Gazelles and their fawns, she was last seen with a female Thomson in the evening of the 30th.

Leopard:

Zawadi was seen once this month in the double gorge area on the 18th but there have been reports of sightings from other driver guides.

Bella the Talek female has been seen often this month; her male cub who is 30 months old has not been seen by Governors’ driver guides. On the 4th she was seen to have a fresh wound on her left front leg the reports are unclear as to what caused this wound, on the 22nd she was seen again and the wound has healed up considerably.

The single male Leopard spotted last month in the woodland verges of paradise plains has been seen more often and was last seen on the morning of the 26th with the remains of a female impala up in a Warburgia tree not far from Governors’ private camp.

The female with an estimated four month old cub was seen at Paradise briefly on the am of the 22nd in a croton thicket near the ‘cul de sac’ at the paradise crossing points.

Walking report in the Koiyaki group ranch:

The area of Koiyaki in which we walk is now very dry with the grassland plains and woodland grasses being very short with little leaf and stalk structure left, although the burnt areas are showing a green flush after the little rain received in the early part of the year, this is supporting many species of game.

Walks have been busy this month although the routes taken have been changed due to the movement of livestock into the area.

It is very unfortunate with the continual dry weather to see so many Masai and their livestock move into an area that was pristine for game viewing. On the plains below the ‘fly over’ a fire appeared to have started from the main village at about mid day on the 29th, it has completely burned out quite a large area where there was still reasonable grazing value left, had it not been for this fire it would have sustained their livestock as well as the few plains animals that were in the area for a little longer. 

A few Wildebeest are left behind and seem to spend much of their time on the short green grass that was burned in November last year, with the little rain received this month there is a green flush which will sustain them for a bit longer, the female wildebeest in this immediate area have calved which is a little early than the norm. Good herds of Impala can bee seen in the acacia woodlands specifically in the ‘green’ carpet areas. Warthog are easily seen along with Thomson and Grants Gazelle on the open plains. Giraffe are abundant in the Acacias which are ideal habitats for them with many young claves being seen. Spotted Hyenas are still active on the plains above the ‘fly over’ and often in the mornings one can see them feeding off the remains of mainly wildebeest. Defassa waterbuck are being seen more frequently on the river bank verges of the river. Lion seem to move away towards the East side of the river during the day but their tracks indicate their presence at night, this is the plight of livestock encroachment. Elephant are seen mainly in the early hours of the morning in relatively small related parties and by mid day they have reached the Musiara Marsh.