Kicheche - Crossing the Mara

The next morning was probably our best on the trip. We left before daylight in hopes of seeing another nightjar or two. We did see one, but weren’t able to identify it as it flew away. A few minutes later we saw five jackals and seven hyenas. Thinking we must be near a kill, we were rewarded with a pair of lions walking by and another eating a recently killed zebra. We followed the couple as they headed for a waterhole and managed some great pictures of them drinking in the beautiful morning sun.

We drove around for a while looking for that elusive leopard without success. Headed for a breakfast spot on the Mara River, we did pass a large tree with four big birds: a Yellow-Billed stork, a Grey Heron, a Black-headed Heron, and a Maribou Stork. A bit later we saw our first Go-away Bird on this trip. They got their name because they warn others that a predator is nearby.

Wildebeest

Maribou Stork

White-bellied Go-Away Bird

Tawny Eagle

Gazelles

At the river, we had a special treat watching a tower of about 25 giraffes trying to cross the Mara. A few of them had walked down the slope to the river, but there they stopped. The leader carefully placed one foot in front of another tentatively finding safe footing before moving forward. Taking those last few steps took half an hour, but finally they began to actually cross the river followed by the zeal of zebra traveling with them. A few still refused to cross. Probably they would cross later, but we had other places to be.

The land around the Mara is beautiful open savannah covered by animals with trees scattered across the plains. Recent rain has greened up the Masai Mara savannah beautifully. With trees scattered across the plain, we enjoyed just traveling across. When we got the radio call that a leopard had been spotted we were able to enjoy a “Ferrari Safari” for the next 20 minutes across this savannah. We arrived to find the leopard lying in a small copse of trees. He soon got up from his rest, walked to another copse through the sunlight where we could get some nice pictures before almost literally disappearing as he climbed into one of the trees. It was a short but rather exciting viewing before we headed back to camp and lunch.

Notice how well hidden the leopard is

At lunch we were joined by some new guests. A woman from Atlanta was visiting her son who runs a fish farm on Lake Victoria. As a white American he was able to start the farm because he had plenty of money to invest and a desire to try a new method of fish farming. He works hard to make himself and his business an important part of the community by supporting local projects, employing fishermen no longer able to make a living on the depleted lake, and making sure people know how much he is spending for water and other supplies.

A few wildebeest who did not make the migration to the Serengeti

He is able to sell only in part of Kenya. The fish he was selling near Nairobi are now locked out by Chinese fish. Kenya tried stopping the import of Chinese fish to protect the local suppliers. In response, China cut off their funding for a railroad Kenya is building from Mombasa on the coast to Nairobi and beyond. He is also unable to sell in Tanzania where the Chinese have even more control. Tony, the camp manager, added that he thinks Kenya is doing well by weaning itself from China and eliminating corruption.

Surprising that he is still alive with his birth defect.
Notice the growth on the front legs

Tony is worried about the future of the conservancies. As they come up for renewal, younger Masai are looking to increase the fees. Tony is concerned that this will raise prices for tourists enough that attracting them will be more difficult even with the appeal of the Masai Mara and the wildebeest migration. This will be interesting to watch over the next few years as the renewals come up.