With light, intermittent rainfall throughout December, the safari experience was optimal, with dry roads and clear visibility.
December typically brings a much greener landscape, but this year, the short rains were slow to establish. November passed with very little rainfall (just 22mm recorded), and the dry conditions carried through into early December. Total rainfall reached 67.5mm by month’s end, which is far lower than in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and comparable to the dry December of 2021.
December weather – photo credit Jacqueline Cartier
The month was predominantly warm and bright, with long sunny afternoons and comfortable daytime temperatures averaging in the mid-20s°C. On some early mornings, a dense fog blanketed the plains, hovering close to the ground without significantly affecting visibility but creating almost eerie conditions that made for striking photographs.
Photo credit Jacqueline Cartier
The marshy pools that are so characteristic of this corner of the Reserve were already receding towards the end of November, especially those frequented by hippos, buffalo and elephants. With fewer water sources to share, hippo interactions became increasingly tense, as they shuffled between the Mara River and their thick, muddy wallows out on the plains.
Game viewing remained consistently rewarding across the Mara throughout December. A variety of plains game, from impalas to topis and warthogs, were abundant – and with that came an uptick in predator activity. The scattered rains towards the end of the month softened scent markings, and male antelopes could be seen re-establishing territories.
Female impalas – photo credit Jacqueline Cartier
With much of the Musiara marsh drying up, elephants moved between the riverine forest and the open plains – often crossing right in front of our vehicles during morning drives. Cape buffaloes are abundant year-round in this part of the Reserve, as they rarely stray too far from the permanent water sources of the Marsh and its environs.
Photo credits – photo credit Jacqueline Cartier
Clans of spotted hyenas are active and ever-present in the Masai Mara. Their social structure follows a fission–fusion pattern, similar to that of dolphins, elephants and chimpanzees, with groups splitting and reuniting as conditions change – whether driven by competition for food or shifts within the clan itself.
Spotted hyenas – photo credit Jacqueline Cartier
Spotted hyena territories are generally well established and stable, with an average density of around 12 to 15 hyenas per 100 square kilometres. Clans are dominated by closely related females, who hold the highest rank in the hierarchy, followed by their cubs – of which there are always many – and a handful of males that have dispersed from their birth clans after reaching sexual maturity.
A female nurses her cub – photo credit Jacqueline Cartier
It is common to encounter members of the same family spread across vast areas, foraging, feeding or hunting alone. Later in the day, many of these individuals may regroup to feed or socialise. This constant movement often creates the impression that hyenas are everywhere at once, when in reality the same animals are covering great distances in their search for food.
The Marsh Pride remained closely bonded throughout December. While Kito’s adult daughters, Enkerai and Naserian, were frequently away mating with the Topi Boys, Kaleo stayed near Kito, who reportedly lost a litter in November when the cubs failed to emerge from the den.
As an experienced mother who has successfully raised two cubs to adulthood, Kito is a valuable companion for Kaleo, offering both protection and guidance.
Kito remained close to Kaleo and her cubs throughout December – photo credit Elisha Kimtai
Kaleo nurses her cubs in late December – photo credit Elisha Kimtai
Kaleo continues to move her cubs frequently, and now that they are older and more capable of travelling longer distances, they are being seen across much of the Marsh territory. They often trail the Topi males, who have been securing regular buffalo and hippo kills and allowing the cubs to feed alongside them.
Kaleo and her cubs – photo credit Naserian Barbrah
Kaleo often returns with the cubs to their original den site in the heart of the marsh, where she is sometimes found standing on a fallen tree trunk surveying the area while the cubs practise their climbing skills (watch video).
The youngest female, Nusurika, was seen on 21st December, partially concealed in the orange-leafed croton thicket at Bila Shaka, quietly feeding on the remains of a warthog piglet.
Nusurika relaxing in the Marsh territory – photo credit Elisha Kimtai
She appeared calm but intent on keeping the kill to herself, eating quickly and cautiously. By the time we caught up with her, the skull had already been opened and the brains consumed, and she was working on the last remaining leg (watch the video).
Nusurika with warthog kill – photo credit Wild Earth
Over the past year, few coalitions have influenced the dynamics of the Masai Mara’s lion prides as dramatically as the Topi Boys.
Djodjo – photo credit Elisha Kimtai
In mid-2024, the seven young males set out on their nomadic journey. Six pressed north towards the Marsh Territory, while one named Vuli stayed behind with his ageing mother, Topi pride lioness, Autumn. Firmly attached to her, he remained in his natal territory well after his brothers had left – a decision which has somewhat kept him on the periphery of the coalition.
Vuli has continued to test the waters over in the neighbouring territory of Paradise Plains. Around the middle of the month, he was seen on his own, driving hyenas away from a hippo carcass before scent-marking the area to reinforce his claim over the kill (watch the video).
Vuli – photo credit Jacqueline Cartier
While part of the coalition has been focused on mating with the females of the Marsh territory, others have continued exploring and expanding into surrounding areas. Ukingo is thought to be the father of Kaleo’s cubs, and Moja Moja’s recent mating with Lola may well bring another new generation in the months to come.
Moja Moja and Lola – photo credit Jacqueline Cartier
Driven by the strength of their unusually large coalition, the Topi males began pushing the boundaries of their territory in the second week of December. Around the 13th of December, five of the males crossed the Mara River at a low point. They moved into the Mara Triangle, where they made several buffalo kills to sustain themselves while at the same time, causing all kinds of lineage upheaval.
On the 16th December, Otipo and Djodjo returned to the marsh area while Ukingo was seen with some bad injuries – most likely the result of a conflict with the Mara River Pride males, Muwaji and Owino.
In their quest to conquer new ground, they encountered Nala, the last remaining lioness of the Angama Pride, who was hiding with two cubs less than a month old. On the morning of the 18th December, three males were seen aggressively chasing this female. Despite her most desperate efforts to protect them, the cubs were killed – a harsh but natural consequence of territorial takeover.
This year concluded with the Musiara landscape mostly holding onto its golden, dry-season hue. The drying waterholes concentrated aquatic species into stunning scenes, while the golden grasses provided the perfect hunting grounds for terrestrial foragers.
Often, the first sound you hear at dawn comes from the Black-headed Weavers. These birds (formerly known as Village Weavers) provide the energetic background hum to camp life. Despite the lack of heavy rain, their breeding instinct is unstoppable.
In contrast to the chaotic weavers, the Saddle-billed Stork is a pro in the game of patience. Standing nearly five feet tall, they are Africa’s tallest storks. They are arguably the most striking wading birds in the Mara, easily identified by their massive, upturned red, black, and yellow bills.
While its cousin, the Grey Heron, is tethered to the water’s edge, the Black-headed Heron is a master of the dry plains. This month, they took full advantage of the tall, golden grass to hunt their preferred prey: land-dwelling rodents, lizards, and insects. You will often see them standing motionless in the open savannah, looking like a statue until the lightning-fast strike of their neck secures a meal. Their ability to hunt away from water makes them one of the most versatile residents of the Mara, thriving even when the rains are delayed.
The Black-headed heron is a terrestrial predator – photo credit Sam Whitton
By Jess Savage and Alisa Karstad with imagery contributed by Elisha Kimtai, Naserian Barbrah, Sam Whitton and Jacqueline Cartier. If you’d like to find out more about a safari in December, please visit the link below.
A SAFARI IN DECEMBER
