The Mara

Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya
June 9th, 2009

We entered the Mara early taking advantage of a 6:30 am game park opening time. Noticing the high number of lodge vehicles touring the park with long radio antenna (even though it is still low season) parked on a hillside we decided to investigate. This did not disappoint. There was a pride of lion snacking, actually more like feasting upon a buffalo carcass. We stayed here watching them with fascination as they pulled and tore the meat off the bones. Incredible.

Noticing our neighbours were slowly leaving we decided to follow them once more. This time we were led straight to a leopard lunging in a tree. The leopard was huge. We happily snapped away.

Again we saw that people were leaving and we decided they must be on route to cheetah because really what would you leave a leopard for. We were right. There were three cheetah. It was only 8:30. In two hours we saw eleven lion, a leopard and three cheetah. We stayed with the cheetah for awhile, seeing them lying down, sitting up and then going hunting.

At 9:00 we then headed towards the Mara river. This is the river that the wildebeest cross when they migrate from the Serengeti towards the grass here. This river is also home to many crocodile that supposedly eat only once a year- when the wildebeest cross. The river was stunning and we did see a massive crocodile along with some hippo.

After eating a huge lunch and enjoying the views at the Serena Lodge we made our way once more. We saw huge herds of giraffe numbering more than twenty in each, elephant, buffalo, gazelle and birds. We were also lucky enough to see another leopard and to later see an impala carcass in a tree- the leopard unfortunately wasn’t there any longer but it was impressive to see the carcass nonetheless.