Discover the Masai Mara
Kenya
February is one of the best months for a safari in East Africa, offering warm weather, exceptional wildlife viewing and fewer visitors than peak migration season. Many travellers choose an African safari in February for excellent game-viewing conditions and beautiful landscapes after the short rains.
February is perfect for:
A Masai Mara safari in February offers outstanding predator sightings, abundant plains game and comfortable weather for game drives. The reserve is lush and green, creating stunning scenery and ideal conditions for photography.
For those looking for the best African safari in February, the Masai Mara remains one of Africa’s most iconic safari destinations.
The red oat grass has set seed, casting a golden tinge across the plains that echoes the look and feel of a classic high-season safari.
In the forests, Warburgia trees continue to fruit, drawing in elephants and baboons to feast. On windy days or after storms, elephants come into our camps to pick up the Warburgia fruit that has fallen to the ground.
Newborn calves are among the elephant herds, and families move back and forth between the grasslands and forests. There is much trumpeting as young males come of age and are pushed out of the maternal herds to live on their own. Increased testosterone levels lead these young males to misbehave and be raucous – behaviour that the matriarchs do not tolerate.
One February, we were incredibly privileged to witness an elephant give birth right next to the bar tent at Governors’ Camp. The mother elephant wandered into camp, followed by a group of other females. The mother settled herself close to the bar tent, and the other elephants disappeared. After much audible effort, she gave birth right in front of a group of newly arrived guests!
The other elephants reappeared, surrounding the mother and calf. There was much excitement in camp, and for the rest of the month, this mother and calf were frequent visitors.
If the rains have been good, we sometimes see resident herds of wildebeest and zebra arrive from the Loita Plains and hills beyond the Greater Mara. They graze inside the Reserve during the day and move out at night, where there are fewer lions, and they feel safer.
Giraffe families are seen throughout the woodlands, feeding on Warburgia leaves. Often, these families will spend days within our campgrounds.
Eland herds are scattered across the plains. Defassa waterbuck occupy the grasslands around the marsh, feeding on grasses and herbs. The large herd of Cape buffalo, comprising more than 500 individuals, are usually east of the Bila Shaka grasslands and the slopes of Rhino Ridge, where the coarse grasses they prefer to feed on grow. Many calves are in the herd, and calving often happens in February. Topi and Coke’s hartebeest are found throughout the Musiara sector of the Masai Mara.
Male topis expend much energy protecting their ‘leks’ and get tired and often doze off during the day. Lions and hyenas have learnt to exploit this and often hunt topi during February. Bushbucks are seen in the early mornings and at dusk in the fringes of the forest. Crocodiles bask on almost every bend of the Mara River; they are opportunistic, waiting for an animal to come to the water to drink.
We have good sightings of African servals, with many seen on the grasslands and flats of Paradise Plains. Servals feed on mice and grass rats, often leaping into the air to catch ground birds and doves – an amazing spectacle to witness.
Spotted hyenas with young cubs in their dens are seen where plains game is abundant. They group together in large clans that can compete aggressively with lions for food, often chasing lionesses away from their kills in large numbers. Male lions will kill hyenas if they get the opportunity.
Martial eagles, the largest eagles in Africa, fly above the plains preying on banded mongooses and Thomson’s gazelle fawns. Warthogs with young piglets are seen in many areas with open ground. They leave their burrows early to forage but remain cautiously close to boltholes for safety.
Banded and dwarf mongooses make their home at Governors’ Camp; each family sleeps together in a communal underground den (in particular, they like drainage pipes). They emerge from their dens at sunrise and spend the days foraging together until sunset, when they return to their dens. Females synchronise births to the same day so that families can raise the young communally.
Some of the lionesses of the Marsh Pride are pregnant or have cubs in February, and the cubs are very playful. Together with the famous “Topi Boys” – a coalition of seven males that rule this territory – the pride feeds off waterbuck calves, buffalo and warthog at this time of year.
Cheetahs stalk and catch Thomson’s gazelles, with mother cheetahs often teaching their sub-adult cubs to hunt as they do so. They move large distances to avoid confrontations with lions and hyenas.
We have good leopard sightings near our camps, often seen poised on a fallen tree. Leopards also tend to have cubs at this time of year, and they have to work hard not to lose their kills to hyenas. One February, we had an amazing sighting of a leopard sharing its kill with a pack of hungry hyenas.
The birding in February is fantastic; we have good sightings of ground hornbills travelling in trios as they feed on large grasshoppers and scarab beetles. Many European migratory birds are still around, and the abundance of life in the Musiara Marsh attracts a variety of water birds, such as storks, herons, and hammerkops, which can be seen hunting frogs and catfish.
With food aplenty, many birds have nested and are either laying eggs or have chicks. The weavers build their nests overhanging the riverbanks; some are busy building, and some are looking after chicks. Plovers, longclaws and other ground-nesting birds have eggs and chicks hidden in their nests in the long grass.
Occasionally, the caterpillars in the forest surrounding our camps turn into the most brilliant display of thousands of different kinds of butterflies and moths that flit from one wild flower to another.
The Masai Mara February weather is typically warm and dry, making it an ideal time for safari activities.
Typical conditions include:
These conditions make a Kenya safari in February comfortable for game drives and outdoor activities.
The Masai Mara is widely considered one of the best African safari destinations in February for its incredible biodiversity and excellent year-round wildlife viewing.
A safari in February offers:
Guests staying at either of our camps enjoy prime locations within the Reserve, allowing quick access to some of the most wildlife-rich areas of the Masai Mara.
Governors’ Camp Collection offers iconic safari camps located in the heart of the Masai Mara ecosystem.
During your African safari in February, guests can enjoy:
Our camps provide the perfect base for exploring the Masai Mara in February.
If you are considering a safari in February, the Masai Mara offers unforgettable wildlife experiences, beautiful scenery and world-class safari camps.
Whether you are planning your first African safari in February or returning to Kenya for another adventure, Governors’ Camp Collection provides the perfect way to experience the magic of the Masai Mara. Contact Governors’ Camp Collection to begin planning your African safari in February.
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