As the sun sets over the golden plains for the final time this month, we reflect on another extraordinary few weeks in this enchanting landscape. July in the Masai Mara has been remarkable, with abundant leopard sightings, large herds of elephants, scavenging clans of hyenas and the arrival of thousands of zebras.
A spotted hyena – photo credit Sam Whitton
The first two weeks of the month were dry, with each morning starting with still, cool air and an average temperature of 14°C. Mist often hung over the grasslands, making for atmospheric sunrise game drives.
Photo credit Sam Whitton
As we transitioned into the second half of the month, the Mara experienced more cloud cover and occasional rainfall overnight. This life-giving water arrived at the perfect time to nourish the young grass shoots, the favourite food of the wildebeest. Just 40 ml of rain was recorded for July.
The Mara River has remained relatively low, and crocodiles and hippos are regular sights on the sandy banks. Further downstream from camp, within these very waters, dramatic events have been unfolding over the past few weeks involving thousands of resident zebras.
The Mara River on 23rd July – photo credit Sam Whitton
Hippos congregate on the banks of the Mara River – photo credit Sam Whitton
July has been a significant month for zebras as several thousand of these ungulates have been streaming through the plains to join the wildebeest migration; most have travelled from the Loita Plains, over 70km to the east.
Plains zebras infiltrate the Masai Mara National Reserve – photo credit Sam Whitton
The most significant test of their journey is crossing the Mara River as they enter the territory of 3.5-ton hippos and giant four-metre-long Nile crocodiles. For the crocodiles, this is one of the most crucial feeding opportunities of the year. However, taking down a fully-grown zebra is a challenging feat.
The Nile crocodile is the largest freshwater predator in Africa – photo credit Sam Whitton
Most zebras made it across successfully, with some even leaping onto and kicking the crocodiles to defend themselves and each other. It’s a remarkable spectacle of movement, noise and chaos as the zebras spill into the Mara River (watch video).
Maasai giraffes have regularly appeared along the forested river fringes and Bila Shaka area, enjoying the low-lying shrubs and trees around the water courses. Occasionally, the giraffes wander into the grasslands, allowing us to marvel at their towering beauty.
Maasai giraffes live only in Kenya and Tanzania – photo credit Sam Whitton
From the Mara’s tallest residents to some of its smallest, it’s essential not to forget the little creatures that can be found around camp. Butterflies bring bright colours to the understory, and fireflies illuminate the night with their ethereal green bioluminescence. Of the roughly 900 species of butterflies in Kenya, more than 300 are present in the Masai Mara.
A green-banded swallowtail butterfly (Papilio phorcas) – photo credit Sam Whitton
Back on the plains, joining the herds of eland, hartebeests, and topis, the recently arrived wildebeest are joining the scene. These wildebeests, numbering in thousands, are advancing from the east before crossing the Paradise Plains to merge with the main migration and the resident zebras. With the main wildebeest migration set to arrive imminently in the Mara Triangle, this year is expected to be the largest gathering in four years.
Eland at sunrise – photo credit Sam Whitton
At the height of the day, troops of baboons have been venturing out into the grassland during their foraging trips. This infant, who is only a couple of weeks old, is among the very new additions to the group.
An olive baboon cradles her newborn baby – photo credit Sam Whitton
The Marsh Pride has continued to be very successful with hunts this month. Our guides counted various kills, including six buffalos, one zebra, and one hippo. The pride has eight hungry members, so the preferred prey choice is a big buffalo – often an unsuspecting solitary male. Alternatively, they might single out an individual from the large resident herd of buffalos that frequents the Musiara Marsh.
Lola, Kito and Oleku – photo credit Sam Whitton
Marsh Pride members having taken down a large buffalo – photo credit Sam Whitton
Dada is doing exceptionally well and always stays by Kito’s side. She took the time to heal after her ordeal at the start of the year, and the pride looked after her, bringing home the meals and giving her the protection she needed. She is fitter than ever and has resumed her position within the pride as a right hand to Kito.
Pride leader Kito with Dada – photo credit Sam Whitton
The pride’s youngest member, Nusurika, is getting bigger and stronger. She was born in July 2022 to Marsh Pride lioness Lola, which makes her two years old. She is the daughter of the Halftail/Logal coalition – a legacy that often puts her in danger if the Bila Shakas are about. As she matures each month, she becomes less of a target for the dominant males.
Nusurika – photo credit Sam Whitton
Yaya continues to be estranged from the Marsh Pride, and unfortunately, we had no sightings of her in July. However, Yaya has a habit of disappearing for several weeks and randomly appearing in Marsh territory. For this reason, we are not worried but rather hope she is doing okay wherever she is.
At the start of the month, the Bila Shaka boys were spending time with the Marsh Pride lionesses and chasing away Oleku from the group. By the second week, the boys had moved into the territory of the Paradise Pride, and one of the older females was seen mating with Kibogoyo on the 20th of July.
Young Paradise Pride female – photo credit Sam Whitton
On the 19th July, we came across a very beautiful lone lioness just opposite Sentinel Camp. From asking around, we understand that she most likely belongs to the River Pride – also known as the Riverline/Kichwa Tembo Pride. She had been attempting to hunt baboons in the riverine forest but with no success, she collapsed with tiredness amongst a patch of long grass, and we were able to get some nice shots of her.
The River Pride female – photo credit Sam Whitton
We were fortunate to witness a successful cheetah hunting an impala calf close to Governors’ Camp (watch video). The cheetah, known as Ruka, is a male around six years old. This is a notable age, as most cheetahs in the wild typically live around four years.
Ruka – photo credit Sam Whitton
Unlike other big cats, cheetahs lack retractable claws. During high-speed chases, their claws provide extra traction on the loose substrate, enabling them to accelerate and manoeuvre swiftly in pursuit of their prey.
On the 2nd of July, we saw Nagol (Neema’s daughter) on the open plains around the Bila Shaka area. Of Neema’s litter, which includes Nagol, Noma, and Nariku, Nagol is the only one still around the Mara. There have been reports that Noma (Nagol’s brother and littermate) settled in northern Serengeti, but Nariku’s fate is unknown.
Nagol was born in November 2020. She has given birth to two litters, but sadly, none of the cubs ever made it out of the den. Given that she is a young cheetah in such good shape, we hope she will have better success with future litters. Thanks to Cheetah Enthusiast for helping with the identifications.
Nagol – photo credit Sam Whitton
Leopards, however, are much more elusive, and it’s always fascinating to encounter one, as they spend most of the day hidden away in trees. We’ve recently had an unusually high number of leopard sightings, starting the month with a brilliant view of a juvenile leopard relaxing in the trees surrounding Governors’ Camp.
An unidentified leopard – photo credit Sam Whitton
We suddenly noticed two male lions from the Bila Shaka coalition lying beside the vehicle as we focused on the leopard. That’s two species of big cats fewer than 30 metres apart!
Some leopards were far more accessible to spot, with one distinctive male seen wandering along the banks of the Mara River at the Main Crossing point. He was keeping a very close watch on the herds of zebras. This is Shujaa, and he’s easily identifiable by the injury on his left eye, which he sustained in 2022.
The big male leopard known as Shujaa – photo credit Sam Whitton
Perhaps the most surprising encounter was a leopard spotted by one of our guides with a missing left foot. The Big Cat experts have identified this leopard as the four-year-old son of one of the Mara’s famous leopards, Romi.
The leopard with the missing foot – photo credit Sam Whitton
Romi was the resident leopard around the Governors’ family of Masai Mara camps for a long time, and although she hasn’t been seen for over a year and a half now, her legacy lives on through her offspring. Her son now inhabits the same territory she previously ruled, and he’s recently been named Lenkumur, which means ‘short leg’ in Maa.
We are not entirely sure how he came to lose his front left paw; it is possible that he got caught in a snare if he ventured into an unprotected area. Thankfully, his injury is well-healed, and given his fit and healthy appearance, he seems to be managing. Leopards are very resilient cats, and we expect Lenkumur to live as normal a life as expected.
Lenkumur – photo credit Sam Whitton
Birds of the Maasai Mara
Among the most captivating birds on the plains are the bee-eaters, renowned for their vibrant plumage and skilful hunting abilities. Over a third of Kenya’s bee-eater species can be spotted here in the Mara, each as dazzling and colourful as the last. These birds are often seen perched on trees and branches, poised to snatch passing insects out of the air.
A little bee-eater Masai Mara Kenya – photo credit Sam Whitton
Just as colourful as the bee-eaters are the lilac-breasted rollers, another common sight that adds a splash of vibrancy to the golden hues of the grasslands.
Lilac-breasted roller – photo credit Sam Whitton
In camp, Rüppell’s starlings regularly visit us. They can often be seen foraging for insects and fruit on the ground. Interestingly, despite their appearance, these birds’ feathers are not actually blue.
A Rüppell’s starling – photo credit Sam Whitton
Instead, the dazzling hues result from iridescence, created by tiny, branch-like structures in the feathers known as barbules. These microscopic filaments interact with light, reflecting different colour wavelengths depending on the angle you view them.
In the skies above, African white-backed vultures are riding high on the thermals with their impressive two-metre wingspans. Despite this species being the most widespread vulture across sub-Saharan Africa, it is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN’s Red List. They have been reaping the benefits of the Marsh Pride kills, diligently cleaning up unfinished carcasses left behind by the lions alongside a handful of the smaller hooded vultures.
African white-backed vultures – photo credit Sam Whitton
Vultures have some of the hardest digestive systems in the animal kingdom, with highly corrosive stomach acid (pH 1), in which most bacteria and viruses cannot survive. They are a crucial part of the natural ecosystem by actively removing these harmful pathogens from the environment.
African white-backed vultures primarily feed on abandoned prey or carcasses – photo credit Sam Whitton
Tawny eagles are another large bird of prey and, like vultures, are considered to be opportunistic hunters that feed primarily on carrion as a food source. Some reports mention vultures relying on tawny eagles to locate carcasses first. Quite often, these very versatile raptors can be found sharing a meal with vultures, Steppes eagles, jackals and hyenas.
A tawny eagle – photo credit Sam Whitton
Our Masai Mara weather and wildlife for July 2024 is by Sam Whitton. To see other fantastic wildlife imagery by Sam, please follow him on Instagram.
