TODAY WAS A DAY FOR CATS — Eine Katze Tag — although it began with a hopeful visit to the Mara River to watch the wildebeeste crossing. Fifty Land Cruisers parked helter-skelter on our side of the river while the animals massed on the Kenyan side, but croc-phobia or some other wildebeestey thing had them — and us — waiting for another day.
No Crossing Today
Omari spotted a pair of safari vehicles stopped near a lone acacia so we drove over for a looksee. A pair of cheetahs lay relaxing in the shade, probably brothers as they often form hunting coalitions that can last a lifetime. They may have been Kenyan cheetahs since we were only meters from the border, not that they care. After lunch we visited an area where a pair of leopard cubs had been reported. We watched them climbing around the tree for a while while their mom probably watched us.
Leopard Cubs
A dozen elephants, scores of crocodiles, numerous birds and thousands of gnus later, Omari noticed a lioness resting in the shade. A careful scan of the area revealed five more and we were able to move closer on a different road for some good photos.
Let sleeping lions lie
As we were heading southwest towards our new camp, Omari told us that the main part of the migration was already in the central Serengeti now, hard to believe, considering how many wildebeeste we saw up north. But it’s been a wet year with plentiful grass so there is no reason for the animals to travel so far into the Masai Mara. Also, controlled burns in large areas of Serengeti NP now have tender green grass — a major bone of contention between Kenya and Tanzania. More animals = more tourists = more money. QED.
Migration Route Thompson Gazelle in Burn Area
As we continued to camp we shared the road with hippos, bat-eared foxes, a couple of nightjars and a linx-like cerval cat. Maki Maki is owned by the same people as Mara Mara so we know what to expect. This time we get to spend two nights so maybe we’ll have a chance to enjoy it.
