Month: October 2007
Weather and grasslands:
Great weather conditions with hot and
dusty mornings and cool evenings, there was a little rain mid month which came
in with two heavy rainstorms. The grassland plains are drying up rapidly, the
Wildebeest and Zebra have made an impact on these areas although in some parts
some grasses have only been picked at, perhaps due to alternate food
availability or dry and course grasses. Total rainfall for the
month of September was 83 mm. The burnt area of Rhino Ridge has brought on good
numbers of herbivores and cats; this due to the rain received made a tremendous
difference in a very short time.
Gnus update!
There have been some exciting moments at
the main Paradise crossing points with many Zebra and Wildebeest seen crossing
over to the conservancy side and some coming back again to the Mara Reserve.
Good crocodile activity has also been seen. Good numbers can be seen through out
the grassland plains with movements of wildebeest going back and forth. The
conservation areas of Koiyaki are also good places to see them
General Game:
Apart from the many wildebeest and zebra
being well scattered over most areas of the reserve and conservation areas,
Topi with many new born calves can be seen over most of the
open grasslands plains with good numbers being seen at paradise and the western
side of Rhino ridge. There is a large satellite herd of males on Topi plains.
Cokes hartebeest can also be seen in similar areas with some
young calves being seen as well. Both the Topi and Cokes hartebeest have
dropped calves earlier this year than that of last year.
Elephant
move about between the riverine woodlands, the grassland plains and the Acacia
woodlands in the conservation areas, but good sightings of them in the Musiara
marsh. There are some large males of which some were in Musth and who
have been seen to travel great distances between herds. It was interesting to
note that although elephant have a catholic diet and well feed upon most
grasses, sedges and herbs, but to see them uprooting and eating readily the
Sodom Apple plant (Solanum Incanum) of which the fruit of this plant is
poisonous to us as it contains high levels of Solanine, they do not appear to
chew it, the stool shows they pass it out complete. Good numbers of
eland but in small herds can be seen at Paradise and also in the
conservation areas of Koiyaki. The breeding herds with calves of varying ages
can often be seen in Crèches which is commonly seen in Giraffe, there are few
bachelor herds with some large sized individuals. Giraffe will
be seen through out the reserve and conservation areas with some herd sizes of
30 may be seen. The acacia woodlands are good places to see them although the
riverine woodlands of the Mara River will also keep Giraffe about. Paradise
plains and the riverine thickets beyond the crossing points are good places to
see them. Thomson and grants Gazelle will be found through out
the short grass plains and the Rhino Ridge areas are good places to see them,
many young Thomson fawns are being born. A breeding herd of buffalo with good
numbers of calves in varying age groups can be seen often at Paradise or the
Bila Shaka plains. A few more sightings of Serval cats, now
that the grass is shorter they are a little easier to see, evenings are good
times to see them. A Wild cat was seen on the morning of the
24th in the grasslands east of the marsh and it had killed a hare. These small
cats are not easy to see with sightings of them being far and between.
Bushbucks are seen daily on the edge of the woodlands with early
mornings and evenings being good times to see them. With the large troop of
Olive Baboons that we have here one can often see Bush Buck
grazing closely amongst them. The one Black rhino has been seen
again in the croton thickets of Paradise.
Cats
Lion:
-
The Bila Shaka/Marsh pride
of three males, four breeding females and two 2 month
old cubs will be found in the Bila Shaka region and the grassland areas
of Musiara. They have been seen feeding off the many Zebra and
wildebeest. Earlier on in the month one of the males was seen mating
with one of the females and much later in the month another female was
being mated.
-
The Paradise/ridge pride
of three males, five females and 11 of the cubs are
more often seen close to the Mara River at Paradise. They have been seen
feeding off the many Wildebeest that cross back and forth. This pride
split up quite a bit and often some females and a male will be seen as
far as Rhino Ridge.
-
The Single Gorge/Acacia pride
of 4 breeding females and two males will be seen on the grassland plains
and within the Acacia woodlands of Koiyaki.
-
Five females and two young males are
often seen near the double crossing and in the conservation areas of
Koiyaki. On the evening of the 16th they were seen eating the remains of
a Zebra but there were over 25 Spotted Hyena about and it would not be
surprising if the Hyenas had killed the Zebra themselves and were then
run off by the lion, these two predators compete for similar food value.
Cheetah:
-
Honey’s
three 18-month-old male cubs are who are still in the conservation area
are doing well although reports of their whereabouts are slim.
-
The three single males have been
seen often on burnt areas of Rhino ridge and they have been readily
feeding off Thomson and Grants Gazelle. Two of them still have a little
mange around the eyes and ears and it appears not have got much worse.
-
The single female has been seen on
the west side of Rhino Ridge and as far as Bila Shaka, in the evening of
the 27th she killed and fed off a young Topi calve.
-
The female with two cubs estimated
at 6 months old have been seen on the south eastern areas of Rhino ridge
they have been successful with Thomson gazelle. They have also spent
time near the paradise crossing points and were feeding Thomson Gazelles
and their fawns on a daily basis.
Leopard:
-
The single Female who has two 12
month old cubs a male and female have been seen near Governors Private
camp and also north east of the Musiara marsh. On the morning of the
28th she was seen with a wildebeest calf.
-
The Male has been sighted often near
Paradise and within the croton thickets of the cull de sac crossing
point.
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Zawadi and
her two 5 month old cubs have been seen often in the conservation side
north of the Musiara gate, on the mornings of the 5th and 15th near the
windmill were two good sightings of her.
-
The Female with two large cubs
estimated at 13 months old have again been seen at paradise in the Rocky
croton thickets beyond the Serena pump house on the Mara River, she has
been seen feeding off Bushbuck and Impala.
Walking in the Koiyaki Conservation
Area.
The walking area lies north east of the
Masai Mara game reserve.
The good weather and rain received has
kept majority of the grassland areas quite green. Good numbers of
Wildebeest and zebra will be seen on the plains above
the ‘fly over escarpment’ and down through the woodlands to the Mara River.
Later on in the month good numbers of wildebeest were seen both sides of the
Olare Orok river.
Elephant
in small family units of 6-20 animals will be seen through
out the acacia woodlands, the bark of this specific acacia called Acacia
Gerrardii has a high content of sucrose and the Elephant are very fond of it. A
few large bulls have also been through and in some incidences spending long
periods of time in tented camps.
Two male cheetahs have
also been spending time in this area and much of what they are feeding on is
Impala and Thomson Gazelle.
Four Lionesses are also
being seen more frequently and this could be the fact that there is more food on
the plate as one may say and little movement of domestic livestock. Two Male
lion have also been seen often in the fly over escarpment and
towards the bottom end of the Olare Orok River. There are two large clans of
spotted Hyenas one clan is estimated at 27 animals and the
other numbers of 34 have been counted, much of what they are feeding off is what
they have killed themselves and Wildebeest and Zebra are commonly taken. Early
hours of the evening and morning are good time to see this activity. They are
cursorials in that they run their prey down in a similar way to wolves (Canis
Lepus) and wild dog (Lycaon Pictus). Impala in sound numbers
can be seen in the woodland areas as well as on the open grassland plains.
Breeding herd numbers can vary from 20 – 100 animals to include fawns of which
as there is no such breeding season for Impala many young fawns have been born.
Silver Backed Jackal in monogamous pairs are very much
opportunistic hunters and young Gazelle and Imp ala fawns are prime targets,
they will work together and run the fawns down.
Defassa waterbuck
are also seen in small herds and the woodland areas are ideal places to see
them. Many Topi seen in the more open areas and it is ‘Topi
month’ with many young Topi calves around. In our immediate area on the 18th the
first Topi calve was seen, perhaps in some other areas of the Mara they were
seen earlier.
