Governors' Camp Game report
Game Report February 2008
We have had another wonderful month of Game Viewing here in the Governors’ area of the Masai Mara.
Rain arrived early in the month and brought a green flush to the grasslands which were drying out due to the high winds. The rains brought on a beautiful blossoming of wild flowers on the plains, cycnium tubolosum (white tissue paper flower) was seen everywhere. We also saw the yellow flowers of abuliton mauritanium, the blue wandering dew flower (commelina) and the orange and peach cossandras. These wildflowers bring colour to the plains and are always a delight to see.
The zebras have been crossing the Mara River back and forth this month and then spreading out on the plains to graze. Last year a large area of the Mara was burnt in a bush fire and the lush new growth is now attracting large numbers of plains game including Thomson and Grants Gazelles, Topis, Impala, Cokes Heartebeest and warthogs. The warthog families have lots of piglets on the plains this month and many have proved too easy a meal for the resident prides of lion.
The Bila Shaka and Marsh pride of lions have been doing well this month. It seems the three new dominant males (including Pavarotti the dark- maned male) have sired new offspring. Two of the females (including ‘one eye’) have five cubs which we estimate to be around a month old. Their eyes are now open and they are wobbling around on little legs. Their mothers keep them well hidden and away from danger in the croton thickets. On the 16th of February guests witnessed the pride devouring a hippo carcass and a few days later they were seen on a zebra Kill.
The Paradise or Ridge Pride is also thriving. This is a large pride with three males, five females and eleven cubs that we regularly see in the Paradise plains area and near the riverine woodlands. There are a further two females, three young cubs (who we estimate to be around two months old), six sub adult cubs and one male from the pride, who have now moved to the other side of the Mara River.
We have had lots of wonderful cheetah sightings this month, Honey and her three male cubs (23 months old) have been seen on the plains and the areas south of the Talek River and the three males have been seen hunting up on the ridges and down on the plains. Another female was seen this month on Paradise plains where she successfully hunted an impala only to lose the entire kill to a hungry hyena.
The leopards are also doing well this month, Pole Pole (pictured above) and her son Kijana have been seen in the Riverine forests near Little Governors’. Zawadi and her cub has been seen out on the plains and another female with two large cubs that (we estimate to be 20 months old) have been seen in the rocky croton thickets near the Mara River, her cubs are old enough now to move on (leopard cubs usually leave their mothers at around 18 months) so we expect that they will part company soon.
Jackman and the other black rhino we saw in December and January continue to be seen; these black rhino love to browse on croton bushes and are often hidden away from view in the thickets. Guests were thrilled when they recently witnessed these two chasing one another out on the plains.
The Musiara marsh and riverine woodlands have been popular with the elephant families again this month. Many of these family units have very young calves which is always a good sign of health in elephant herds, since the females will often miss oestrus cycles when stressed.
We have had some lovely walking safaris this month with guests seeing family units of elephant and herds of up to twenty giraffe in the acacia woodland. An aardwolf has been seen on a few occasions just after dawn and many Tawny eagles have been seen nesting.
We have had great bird sightings again this month Pallid and Montagu Harriers continue to be seen all over the grasslands, they have been here for sometime now and we believe they are wintering with us. On the 27th of February our guests were treated to a sight of twenty lesser kestrels, which was fantastic. Out on the plains we have seen many Abdim Storks and back in the camps we have heard the calls of banded snake eagles.
more to follow....if you would like to take a look at video footage for any of the lodges then please visit our main site at http://www.kenyaodyssey.com/
Game Report February 2008
We have had another wonderful month of Game Viewing here in the Governors’ area of the Masai Mara.
Rain arrived early in the month and brought a green flush to the grasslands which were drying out due to the high winds. The rains brought on a beautiful blossoming of wild flowers on the plains, cycnium tubolosum (white tissue paper flower) was seen everywhere. We also saw the yellow flowers of abuliton mauritanium, the blue wandering dew flower (commelina) and the orange and peach cossandras. These wildflowers bring colour to the plains and are always a delight to see.
The zebras have been crossing the Mara River back and forth this month and then spreading out on the plains to graze. Last year a large area of the Mara was burnt in a bush fire and the lush new growth is now attracting large numbers of plains game including Thomson and Grants Gazelles, Topis, Impala, Cokes Heartebeest and warthogs. The warthog families have lots of piglets on the plains this month and many have proved too easy a meal for the resident prides of lion.
The Bila Shaka and Marsh pride of lions have been doing well this month. It seems the three new dominant males (including Pavarotti the dark- maned male) have sired new offspring. Two of the females (including ‘one eye’) have five cubs which we estimate to be around a month old. Their eyes are now open and they are wobbling around on little legs. Their mothers keep them well hidden and away from danger in the croton thickets. On the 16th of February guests witnessed the pride devouring a hippo carcass and a few days later they were seen on a zebra Kill.
The Paradise or Ridge Pride is also thriving. This is a large pride with three males, five females and eleven cubs that we regularly see in the Paradise plains area and near the riverine woodlands. There are a further two females, three young cubs (who we estimate to be around two months old), six sub adult cubs and one male from the pride, who have now moved to the other side of the Mara River.
We have had lots of wonderful cheetah sightings this month, Honey and her three male cubs (23 months old) have been seen on the plains and the areas south of the Talek River and the three males have been seen hunting up on the ridges and down on the plains. Another female was seen this month on Paradise plains where she successfully hunted an impala only to lose the entire kill to a hungry hyena.
The leopards are also doing well this month, Pole Pole (pictured above) and her son Kijana have been seen in the Riverine forests near Little Governors’. Zawadi and her cub has been seen out on the plains and another female with two large cubs that (we estimate to be 20 months old) have been seen in the rocky croton thickets near the Mara River, her cubs are old enough now to move on (leopard cubs usually leave their mothers at around 18 months) so we expect that they will part company soon.
Jackman and the other black rhino we saw in December and January continue to be seen; these black rhino love to browse on croton bushes and are often hidden away from view in the thickets. Guests were thrilled when they recently witnessed these two chasing one another out on the plains.
The Musiara marsh and riverine woodlands have been popular with the elephant families again this month. Many of these family units have very young calves which is always a good sign of health in elephant herds, since the females will often miss oestrus cycles when stressed.
We have had some lovely walking safaris this month with guests seeing family units of elephant and herds of up to twenty giraffe in the acacia woodland. An aardwolf has been seen on a few occasions just after dawn and many Tawny eagles have been seen nesting.
We have had great bird sightings again this month Pallid and Montagu Harriers continue to be seen all over the grasslands, they have been here for sometime now and we believe they are wintering with us. On the 27th of February our guests were treated to a sight of twenty lesser kestrels, which was fantastic. Out on the plains we have seen many Abdim Storks and back in the camps we have heard the calls of banded snake eagles.
more to follow....if you would like to take a look at video footage for any of the lodges then please visit our main site at http://www.kenyaodyssey.com/
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