March Mara Game Report - part 2

Thanks to our partners at Governor's Camp in Masai Mara for this March game report.

Rhino lived up to their reputation and were ever elusive. Our drivers were patient and persistent however, and amazed many guests with their uncanny ability to almost sense where these prehistoric beasts were. Various individuals were seen but memorably, towards the middle of the month, three were found together - mother, calf and adult male. The adults were mating! Watch this space in fifteen month's time!

Towards the middle of the month we were treated with a douse of extremely welcome rain! The whole Mara seemed to take a deep breath and change into a new gear. The Mara River rose almost immediately and very soon a different pattern of animal movement became visible. Cheetahs, for which fairly large distance had to be travelled previously, were seen much closer to our camps. This is most likely because of there suddenly being a greater availability of food for herbivores and their subsequent decrease of movement. Less prey movement meant less large predator movement and thus a relatively safer environment for less robust predators such as cheetahs.

More water meant a better deal for elephants and indeed, a large number (in big groups as opposed to the smaller family groups of February) is still to be seen around the marshes. The African Green Heart tree is still bearing fruit and there is still a group of elephants that visit the camps regularly to take advantage of the shorter grass and Green Heart fruit. A little more work for our watchmen to keep us forewarned and a marvelous sight for all!

An interesting phenomenon brought about by the rain is the slow return of the Loita zebra to their residential area. As conditions improve the attraction of home draws them south and east of us. Many of them had been caught on the "wrong" side of the Mara River and, amazingly, a crossing of some seven hundred zebra and - fourteen giraffe - was seen on the 29th of March! Only one poor little zebra was caught by crocs.

Photos courtesy Samuel Kiplangat and Kate McLellan