The Lion and the Mara North Conservancy

Packed up with a picnic lunch and plenty of drinks we set off across the Reserve to our next stop in the Mara North Conservancy. Almost as it had become the norm, our first sighting leaving Salas Camp were 2 beautiful specimen black maned lions who had taken down a wildebeest overnight. Continuing on through the gnu and zebra filled plains we found three other prides before lunch, one of which numbered twelve. We also happened across a hyena den with twenty three hyenas. Although we did not see any small pups there were some sub adults that appeared very friendly and came right up to the vehicle. Late afternoon we arrived at Elephant Pepper Camp ready for a hot shower and a very cold gin and tonic.

The next morning we had not been gone from camp for five minutes when we found a lioness tucked inside a croton thicket. It seemed a little strange to be hiding so as she would have normally been ‘basking’ in the warm rising sun. Then suddenly it all became clear. Two tiny cubs appeared from behind her. Their eyes had not even opened so I guessed at under a week old. Clambering weakly through the bush they were searching blindly in order to suckle. We sat with them quietly for while before deciding to continue. Within a hundred yards we had found another two females with four other cubs about 2 months old, this time lying out in the sun. We were lucky enough to watch one mother carry one her cubs away in her mouth. Not something you see everyday!

It certainly seemed to be a lion location. Not only did we see the same pride almost every morning and evening with the cubs but we also found mating lions as well as two other males chasing after another female, obviously in oestrus. We had breakfast one morning near Acacia valley watching two different herds of elephant stroll by. One female in one of the herds in the distance suddenly let out a loud trumpet as she had been spooked by more lion lying in the bushes. Both parties moved off slowly in separate directions as we sipped on our coffees. Very special.

Unexpectedly, the short green grasslands of Mara North were literally covered with wildebeest as well as zebra, topi and thousands of Thomson’s gazelle. It was truly stunning. Leopard Gorge did not produce any leopard nor did the plains produce any cheetah but we watched some incredible sunsets and sunrises whilst big storms loomed in the background creating very dramatic skies. There were plenty of jackal about also and we found a den with five tiny cubs. We almost witnessed a kill, as two jackal tried to chase down a Thomson’s gazelle fawn without success as the mum bravely saw the jackals off.

Incredibly, we have had no rain so far, a very rare phenomenon for Peter and Helga as they always seem to bring the rain. The wind has been bitingly cold but it is off to Meru next for a change in temperature!