This is a historically busy time of year in Camp. Consequently there has been a full dinner table most evenings.
The drought continues without there being any significant rain since August 2005. The only respite was on 7th January when the camp and surrounding area of The Mara received a welcome cloud burst that lasted for an hour or so. Since then there has been cloud build up which has raised hopes of further rain. The effects of the dry conditions are really starting to be reflected in both the condition and behaviour of the animals. The Hippos in Camp have been uncharacteristically less vocal during the night, which some might say is a blessing! Many Hippos have been seen out of the water during the day – some considerable distances from the safe haven of the pools and rivers. This is mainly due to the fact that they are topping up their night time grazing during the day. Inevitably there have been casualties. A large Hippo by the Rongai River died within the last couple of days and the Rongai pride of lions have predictably taken the opportunity to feast on this welcome free meal. It is anticipated that there will be some interesting antics among the scavengers and lions in the coming days around the carcass. Other ‘victims’ of the harsh weather conditions have been some of the smaller antelope.
Game viewing continues to be spectacular. A repeat guest (8th visit), Rob Stowers, left us with a “morning report”, here are some of his recounts.
“...After seeing a group of Elephants, just before sunrise, John (Kaelo) pointed out a pair of Serval Cats making their way across the terrain. Although these interesting and beautiful cats are not rare, they are particularly difficult to spot. We continued south towards The Rongai and a tell tale ‘clue’ to what was to be seen next was fairly high up in a moderately dense area of woodland - a dead Zebra Foal about 10 Metres up a tree. Two Hyena were circling around the bottom, then a deep growl came from the same direction and a female Leopard darted towards one of the Hyena demonstrating an impressive show of force towards the, now sheepish, Hyena! This was a brief glimpse of the elusive Leopard, but we were to be treated to further encounters in the coming days.
After a picturesque breakfast by the Sand River, John carefully drove around the perimeter of the thick bush that forms part of the terrain in that particular area of The Mara. A crack and crash emanated from our right, John ‘whizzed’ around the thicket to the other side to see a female Rhino and calf trot across the plain in front of us. We skirted along the south side of the river and were treated to another interesting sight – four newborn lion cubs (according to John and Nelson no older than a week). They were strategically secreted behind the root system of a tree alongside the north of the riverbank. Their eyes had only just opened. This was particularly special as cubs this young are very rarely seen due to the fact that they are hidden in caves or dense undergrowth. Next on the “list” to see (which of course wasn’t discussed!) was a Buffalo. We weren’t to be disappointed - just over the next hill was a herd – completing “The Big Five” in less than 4 hours! Just to put the polish on the morning’s outing we also saw a female Cheetah relaxing under a tree. We returned to the Leopard’s location and were lucky enough to have a further sighting!
The Leopard has since obliged with further sightings. She has been seen relaxing on a tree on more than one occasion. The list of fascinating sightings goes on. Two Hyenas were seen feasting on a Wildebeest early one morning. Nothing unusual about that you might think, however, the Wildebeest was in a pool of water, as was one of the Hyenas. The gruesome aspect was that the meal was still alive! Although this is the way Hyenas deal with their own prey (rather than scavenged meals) and in that respect not unusual, it was initially quite a shocking thing to witness.
A male Lion (part of The Rongai Pride) was witnessed making a kill of his own on the 10th January. The Lion was typically sleeping next to a bush by the river when two Zebra came down to drink. Inevitably the Lion took his chance a killed a pretty large Stallion. This was a particularly exciting opportunist kill to witness for the guests being guided by the ever-reliable Jimmy.
Gerard and Rainee’s son, Charlie, continues to be a regular “attraction” and one of his latest tricks is steering The Land Cruiser between his tent and camp!
The guides continue to impress with their professionalism and enthusiasm. The camp and The Mara continue to deliver exciting and interesting experiences and game viewing”.
Read their previous newsletter
|
|
Print
Page