A Morning on the Maasai Mara. . . . . . . . . . . .

Rise and shine!

It's dark with a definite chill in the air.

A stiff breeze billows the linen curtains covering the meshed tent walls.

One almost feels as if floating on a sailing ship.

There's nothing quite like the early morning on Kenya's Maasai Mara.

Your wake-up comes via the 5:30 AM requested delivery of tea, coffee to

hot chocolate at your tent entrance. The Maasai smiles and hands you a tray.

Peering through the canvas it's black as ink outside and the morning noises

 are muffled. A few early birds start to call. China clinks from the nearby kitchen tent,

and fragrant food smells waft through the air.

The monkeys and bush babies who played on your roof through the night are gone.

 The lions have stopped roaring, and hippo grunting has ceased.

By 6:15 AM you are washed (too cold to shower, that comes in the warmer afternoon)

 and warmly dressed. Louder birds call as the hippos slide back into the small

 river behind and below the tent. A tiny lizard runs up the outside

of the canvas walls. You can just make out a line of wildebeest crossing nearby as

the sky shows a narrow line of light on the horizon.

You gather your hat, scarf, day-pack, and most important your camera, flash your

 torch, step outside and zip up your tent flaps. 

Immediately a guard armed with just a machete appears from nearby

 bushes - where he has watched out for your safety through the night - to

accompany you on the short walk to the main tent. There are prints and droppings

 along the soft ground - usually hippo, and once a giraffe, they often visit at night,

 Your friends and guide are waiting. Skipping breakfast, which is there if you want it,

 you know your bush breakfast will be packed in the vehicle ready to enjoy

 when the sun is up and after you've seen some wonderful things. . . . . . . 

such as these. . . . . . . . . .all taken on the morning game drive.

Along the north and east boundaries of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, 
much of the cattle-grazing areas have been converted into wildlife conservancies. 
In these exclusive sanctuaries, the Maasai landowners (each own a small tract of
 unfenced ranch land) now benefit from safari tourism by agreeing to joint land use,
 and lease agreements with safari camp operators who pay their partners an
 annual rent and a daily fee for each visitor.  

Minor troubles aside, the conservancy model has been a huge success for both
 the Maasai landowners and the wildlife which has steadily adjusted, finding more
 safe havens where humans pose only a limited threat and the environment is
 returning to a state of healthy balance.

Conservancies have a limited number of smaller camps which are exclusive to
 their guests. They are permitted to take them into the National Reserve
 however conservancies do not permit safari travelers staying in larger camps
 and lodges to enter conservancies. All of this means more focus on conservation
 and more successful community integration.

Our ten day stay was at the seven tent Mara Plains in the Olare Motorogi
 Conservancy. There the benchmark has been set for sustainable Mara tourism
 in the conservancies, the limit being  just 12 tents per camp and at
 least 3 square kilometers of game viewing land per tent.

By the time the sun is fully risen, life on the Mara is wide awake.

 Driving across the golden landscape, with sweeping views across the plains,

 one felt privileged to be in one of the world's most magnificent wildlife havens. 

The Crossing -

On a hot afternoon on Kenya's Mara, Tirian, our Maasai guide and friend, maneuvered the hefty safari vehicle into a tiny open spot on the edge of the river bank high above the beached crocodiles. They sunned their 12-15 foot bodies, almost grinning, eyes closed, menacing teeth, their jaws clamped shut whilst waiting. 
We waited too. A couple of hours in the heat, watching for signs, listening for sounds. . . . . . . . would they come, would it happen?

There is no insurance available to guarantee viewing a migration crossing as part of a safari. There is only patience, and of course a great guide who will work diligently to make it part of your visit to the Maasai Mara if you are there at the right time of the year.

It's amazing how quiet these huge animals can be, moving in herds over the bush with barely a sound. Plodding in straight lines one behind the other, giant bulls, mothers with babies, staring ahead or stopping and staring at you!
Nowhere in the world is there a movement of animals as immense as the wildebeest migration. Over two million animals migrate in the search of greener pastures, following the rains which nourish the often completely dry ground.

The annual flow of African animals in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is known as the Great Migration. The 1.7 million wildebeest, together with 350,000 Thomson's gazelle, 200,000 zebra and 12,000 eland, make the daring crossings of the Mara River. The exact timing of their progress varies depending on rainfall and sprouting fresh grasses. They usually cross into Kenya around June then make their way around the Mara through July, August and September, before their return to the Serengeti sometime in late September and October. During their time in the Mara the animals have to cross the Mara River where the crocodiles lie in wait for them, an event that is spellbinding, horrifying and spectacular.

On this September afternoon, word was out. Radios crackled, mobile phones rang, Land Rovers and Land Cruisers braked, guides chatted back and forth in languages such as Ma and Swahili. In these photos you can see other safari vehicles vying for a good spot with a view and, before we could steady our cameras, it began. . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . the wildebeest herd which had been walking past us for a couple of hours, started to cross the Mara River, hippos moved out of the way to the bank, but crocodiles silently slid into the murky water all around.

It's almost impossible to put into words what happened in the following eleven minutes! Yes that's all it took for perhaps close to a thousand wildebeest of all ages and sizes, to cross the narrow river from the flat bank on our side to a mad scramble up the steeper bank on the opposite side!  The movement of the heaving mass of horned bodies through the water turned from brown to gleaming wet pewter, and all the while the huge crocodiles swam about grabbing the smaller animals, drowning them quickly.

At the end there were a few wildebeest still trying to decide whether to cross, but most then turned back. Within minutes all was quiet and it was almost like a dream. The hippos went back to swimming or lounging on the sand, the crocodiles floated down river with their evening meal taken care of. . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . .and when we pulled away from our spot on the bank, almost speechless at what we had just experienced, we were still surrounded by thousands more wildebeest, and this lovely Topi antelope, spread across the golden plain most likely contemplating the greener grass across the river and trying to decide when they would make their crossing during the days to come. In reality there is no single "migration" as the wildebeest have neither a start or finish in their endless search for water and the new green shoots of grass on which they feed. These are quite amazing animals and seeing a crossing was certainly a highlight of our safari.

Where we viewed the migration crossing was several miles from our camp. The long drive back from the river was a time to think about what we had experienced, and we knew how fortunate we were to be there at the right time, thanks to Tirian.

Tirian taking us 'home' to camp . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . and yes, often rough and rocky along the way!

We arrived back around sunset and still the wildebeest herds were moving, silently, all in one direction, through the bush alongside us - another day might see these at the Mara River taking the plunge and heading for greener pastures. It was a day to remember and a privilege to have viewed what many people sadly miss.

Stay tuned, more Africa stories yet to come!

Kenya's trees. . . . . . . . . . .

It was like a secret place, hidden in the trees.  
A necklace of green draped across the golden plain. 
A tiny river tributary ran through it. . . . . was responsible for it.

When our vehicle pulled up after a somewhat rough and bouncy ride from
 the airstrip, all that was visible was a swinging rope-handled, well-worn 
wooden bridge over the muddy water. . . . . . . and lurking hippos below!

Entering the main camp tented building, this stunning view greeted
 us from the deck. I will remember this lovely unexpected landscape always.

Trees are scarce in the Maasai Mara - these were some of my favorites.

The Cheetah on the early morning drive. . . . . . . .

Elegant and graceful, smaller that the other two African big cats, but by far the fastest,

the cheetah is built for speed at a short distance of about 100 yards.

With long, slim muscular legs, a small head (the black tear-stripes on the face

 thought to be for anti-glare during daytime hunting), and special pads on the feet

 for traction, this somewhat secretive and beautiful cat is found on open and 

partially open savannas.

Here the cheetah marked its territory by spraying the tree trunk prior to sitting

 down and cautiously eying the herd of grazing wildebeest.

He took his time - we sat patiently in the vehicle, happy that no other safari

 vehicles had arrived to clutter up the stunningly beautiful, peaceful and

 silent landscape.

A solitary animal with a lifespan of 10-20 years, the male will sometimes accompany

 a female for a short time after mating, but then she is left to raise her cubs, 

usually two to four, alone. 

The cheetah hunts during daylight, either early morning or early evening,

 but is also active on moonlit nights. Cheetahs do not roar, they purr, hiss, whine

 and growl - and their contact sound is similar to a bird chirp.

Between the above and below photos, the cheetah RAN. . . . . . . jumped

 on a young wildebeest and brought it to the ground.  With a point and shoot

 camera there was no way I could get that shot!

The cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3 seconds and then reach top

speed of about 75 mph as it takes down its prey.

Holding on to the neck of the wildebeest, the cat holds it down with its paws, 

biting its neck to suffocate it. They mostly prey on smaller antelopes such as
 impala and Thompson gazelles but, as proven here, also take down wildebeest,
 sometimes zebras.

The kill is eaten quickly before scavengers such as lions, leopards, hyenas, 

vultures and jackals can steal it away.

This was just one of many exciting happenings on our first morning game drive

 on the Maasai Mara. I know nature can appear as sad and raw, and some of you

 may prefer not to see the gritty side of a safari.

 But it is nature, and this is the way the animals - too many of whom are on 

the endangered list from poaching by humans - survive in the wild.

Saving these magnificent creatures is so important, and they need to 

be here in their true wild homes, living as wild creatures do, not in captivity.