Weather and grasslands
This month has been warm and relatively dry, we did have two heavy rain showers when we received 70mm, although in many areas the grasslands are still short, eaten down and drying out. The eastern fan of Rhino Ridge still has reasonable grass cover. The western fan of Rhino Ridge leading into Paradise Plains has some dense perennial grasses that are more suited to the resident Cape Buffalo herds. The Musiara Marsh is still with pools of water which is fed from the north marsh spring although at the culvert water has stopped flowing. The Mara River came up to a reasonable height during the mid month, it has since receded to a low level but it is still flowing well.
On the plains
The large herds of resident zebra had moved out of the Musiara grasslands on the 17th and 18th with some large but scattered herds still being seen on the southern grasslands of Bila Shaka, Topi Plains and Olare Orok River. Lately small numbers of zebra have filtered into the east and north marsh grasslands. Since the end of the month herds of resident zebra and a few small herds of wildebeest who are mainly males can be seen on the short grass plains close to the Masai conservancies and the south east plains below Emartii and the double crossing areas.
Elephant are being seen in the Musiara Marsh, some small scattered breeding herds are also seen on the open plains and feeding in the drying up river beds. Many of the Elephant that are being seen in the marsh have crossed over from the Trans Mara.
Photo courtesy of Liz Hart
Masai Giraffe will be seen in most areas of the reserve, the acacia woodlands in the east of the reserve are good places to see them, and a bachelor herd of males have been in and out of the riverine woodlands of the Mara River. Solitary males are also being seen within the west marsh and woodland areas. There are three herds of Cape buffalo spread across the Musiara reserve; the Bila Shaka breeding herd is the largest numbering 255 (including calves), the Paradise herd is 175 and the Rhino Ridge herd is 145 including calves; these herds move back and forth feeding on the dense and coarse grass that they prefer and is more suited to their harder mouths. Older resident bachelor males are still in good numbers within the west marsh grasslands and between the camps although the resident lion prides will prey off the odd one.
Impala breeding herds with many fawns between the ages of 2-5 months are in large herds within reach of the riverine woodlands in the west marsh areas. Thomson Gazelles with young fawns are more commonly seen on the short grass plains with good numbers of them in loose associated herds on Topi Plains and on the short grass plains leading into the Masai Conservancies. Grant’s Gazelles are in small herd sizes and these being grazers and browsers will be seen habituating most open areas. Latterly there were good sized herds of females within the east and west marsh. Defassa waterbuck will be seen in the east and west marsh and also in the south western grasslands of Paradise Plains.
Topi herds are well spread out across the west fan of Topi Plains, southern Bila Shaka and below Emartii Hill, these Topi will move about as the rain comes and goes, moving to where the grazing is best. Scattered herds of Cokes Hartebeest occupy Rhino Ridge. Olive baboons with many young infants are still strengthening in numbers in the west marsh, this is a large troop with over 100 members; last month they struggled with the dry conditions by foraging far out from their normal feeding grounds.
The Spotted Hyena clans have been very active with the Bila Shaka clan hunting and feeding off zebra as far as the north marsh areas and Topi Plains, clans competing with the resident lion prides over food. There is also another hyena clan that comes in from the north Masai conservation area and these hyena will hunt and scavenge in the marsh woodlands. With the grasses shorter we are getting more sightings of Serval Cats especially in the Bila Shaka River bed and up on Paradise Plains. Black Backed Jackals have also been very active on the open plains, it is not uncommon to see black backed Jackals hunting in monogamous pairs and bringing down young Thompson Gazelles and Impala fawns, they are very successful hunters and good scavengers, keeping up with the resident lion and hyena kills. Weve had two sightings of the Side Striped Jackals on the south bank of the Bila Shaka river bed. We have also had a few more sightings of the Egyptian, large grey or ichneumon mongoose in the east marsh grasslands, they are often on their own or as a couple, for their size they are a tenacious mongoose.
Small flocks of open billed storks passed through early on in the month and were seen in the east marsh byways. Montaguâs Harrier, Pallid Harrier and some Eurasian Harriers have been seen frequently on the open grasslands while alighting on the ground often on disused termite mounds or whilst flying between glades. Early on in the month in the East marsh verges a Grey Heron was seen eating an Eastern Garter Snake, both the Grey and Black Necked Heron will readily eat snakes and will often be seen waiting rigid and patiently for the perfect moment to catch their prey.
Lion
The Marsh Pride have split up this month; lioness Charm and her two, four month old cubs were seen briefly in the north east marsh, then moving northeast into the Masai conservancies together with her daughter Kito and her four, three month old cubs. Lioness Rembo who had moved with Charm and Kito into the Mara North Conservancy has not been seen again this side of the reserve. The three older cubs, who are eight months old are with Kabibi and Dada and have again this month spent much time away from the Marsh, they had been seen on the northern fan of Rhino Ridge earlier on the month and had killed a zebra, they then were last seen in the gorge area of the Mara North Conservancy along with Charm and her other two daughters and cubs. The Marsh Pride have been in the gorge area for most of the month.
Yaya and her two 24 month old female sub-adult cubs have been resident in the south Bila Shaka river bed, on some occasions hunting on the north bank. Yaya who was treated last month, has since healed well and is looking much better with her wound almost healed over, it is difficult for large cats to keep a wound from being constantly licked, as wounds heal they can cause itching and irritation.
The two marsh male lions Jambo and Bahati have spent their time in the double gorge area of the Mara North Conservancy and are being seen with the Marsh Pride, male lion Bahati is the father of the cubs in the pride. There are two other male lion of a similar age that come over to the north marsh and are seen on the open plains of the Maasai conservation areas, these two lion come from the Trans Mara and often crossing the Mara River.
The six Paradise male coalition have been seen more often this month; they have been hunting buffalo and zebra staying on the north east fan of Rhino Ridge and also on the South Bila Shaka river areas, they had been seen recently on the East Marsh grasslands, on the morning of the 27th they had killed a buffalo in the west marsh woodlands, in the early hours of the morning there was a lot of noise coming from hyena as the six moved away after feeding.
Three the Musketeear, Morani and Hunter and Sikio have been seen in near the main crossing points of the Mara River. Scar will often be seen across the river, they have been feeding off hippo and buffalo, on the 25th and 26th Morani was seen mating with one of the Paradise lionessesâ near the Chinese Hill while Scar was looking on, he is still limping, favoring his rear left leg.
The Paradise Pride of six lionesses and their cubs of varying ages are still often split up due to prey dispersion; some lionesses had crossed into the Trans Mara while the others are south from the main crossing point and have taken up residence near the Chinese hill. They have been feeding off buffalo and warthog. The younger breakaway lioness has two cubs that are now at 5 months old. Three of the other lionesses have 9 cubs altogether of which three are 11 months old and five are 15 months old, these lionesses and their cubs are now being seen on the open Paradise Plains in the southern areas of Paradise Plains.
Photo courtesy of Alan Murray
The Madomo Pride of 16 lion have been residing and hunting successfully in the Malima Tatu and South Topi grassland plains. Lioness madomoâs sister has three cubs that are three months old, there are also the four, ten month old sub-adult cubs of Madomo; Madomoâs daughter the pale lioness has two cubs that are six months old. Madomoâs other sister has one cub that is three months old and this little cub being single is very able to hold his own. The two male lions Lipstick who has sired all the madomo cubs and Blackie were last seen near the murram pits close to the southern Topi Plains. Madomoâs four, 20 month old sub-adults (three males and a female) are also with this pride although they come and go between the Kries River bed and south Topi Plains, the young three month old cubs has an affiliation with these sub-adults and will often be seen with them when they are all together. They have been feeding off the many zebra that have passed through this area of Topi Plains and also Topi that have been on the Kries river bed area.
Leopard
Siri the female leopard with her two, six month old cubs have been seen occasionally within the rocky Kopjes, she has been seen a few times this month particularly in the early mornings, and her two cubs are being seen more often.
Saba of the Olare Orok and her two ten month old cubs a male and female are very popular, the female cub is a very active cub and is often being seen out on her own. Saba has been feeding off the many warthog that are on the open plains close to the rocky crossing of the Olare Orok.
Photo curtesy of Alan Murray
A larger male leopard has been seen often in the lower reaches of Olare Orok River; he is the sire to the two cubs of Saba. He had killed a young topi in the woodlands near the double crossing and feeding off it while stashed deep into the euclea divinorum thickets. The female leopard Bahati has two cubs that are 5-6 months old also been seen near the Talek river crossing.
Romi the female leopard of the BBC campsite and riverine woodlands area has been not been seen much this month, we have had some sightings of her in the riverine woodlands of the north Maasai Conservation area which lies north of the Musiara Marsh, she has been seen with two cubs that are two months old.
Cheetah
Malaika with her two cubs (a male and female) who are now eleven months old; she has moved out of the Emartii areas and was last seen in the southern area of the reserve near Hammerkop Hill so we presumed that she had crossed the Talek River. She is also hunting between Lookout Hill and the Ol Keju Ronkai Plains with Thompson Gazelles and Impala ewesâ being seen eaten.
Musiara the female cheetah, has four cubs which we estimate to be around two months old, she had given birth under a thicket of croton trees on a crest of Rhino Ridge, last month she kept her cubs in the croton thicket whilst she went out on the southern fan of Rhino Ridge to hunt, lately she has moved out with her cubs and is being seen east of the Talek River downstream of the Olkiombo area and was seen resting beneath some croton thickets; on the 25th she had killed a young Thompson Gazelle.
The young male cheetah, son of the legendary cheetah Malaika has been seen hunting young gazelles near Malima Tatu he can and will also move into the open plains south of the Olare Orok River.
Noraâ the single female with her one 16 month old male cub; she has also moved into the southern open areas of the reserve and last month was seen hunting on the Ol Keju Ronkai river bed area with a young sub-adult cub to support Nora moves between the open plains in this southern area of the reserve.
