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| The Migration is on |
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 Migration 21.10.2008
Dear esteemed clients ! I have just returned from a fabulous trip to the famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve where I have stayed at Mara Bush Camp which is situated right in the migratory path of the wildebeest migration. Large herds of wildebeest are still present in the area between Mara Bush Camp & Mara Serena as well as the Musiara side. Most of our clients witnessed an unexpected and dramatic crossing on Friday morning at 08.00 hrs from look out hill. Further crossings could be taking place in the next few days as herds left in the Mara (still in their thousands) are preparing to cross back into the Serengeti & across the Mara River. The weather is sunny & warm at the moment and the recent rains seem to have sub-sided. We were lucky enough to get a glimpse of Kike, the cheetah who was blessed with 03 little cubs. Another exciting aspect was the fight between a baby hippo and a large adult hippo that took place in the Mara River. Unfortunately, the baby hippo fell prey to two large crocodiles and would have not survived its injuries, inflicted by the larger male. Lucky enough we also managed to see a caring female lioness with two tiny cubs which went frequently to the river for a drink & to play with each other in the tall grass & hide in burrows. It was truly a gorgeous moment. The Mara is currently green & lush and all the plains game seem to enjoy the fresh green grass that has now appeared after the rains. It is truly a paradise and whoever wants to see young wildebeest, baby zebra, baby Impala & Thompson Gazelle as well as young cubs of Cheetah, Leopard & Lion, should visit now.... 22.09.2008 As it looked like the wildebeest had left the Maasai Mara Game Reserve we did not report anything last week. However, suddenly due to recent rain fall much to dismay of some clients, the animals turned around and are now back in large numbers around Sand River & Keekorok areas. This weekend various crossings were witnessed by a number of our clients staying at Mara Bush Camp. Meanwhile, a great number of wildebeest have collected near the camp area and many are once again near Mara Bridge. Two large crossings were witnessed on Saturday & on Sunday from Look out hill. 09.09.2008 A wonderful crossing appeared on Saturday at lunch time with thousands of Wildebeest crossing at Look out Hill over the Mara River. The rest of the herd crossed the next day, on Sunday morning at approx. 9.30 hrs. The crossing was short but exceptional as the wildebeest jumped over a very steep river bank whereby the animals were literally rolling down the hill into the water. Crocodiles were waiting in anticipation but without success since the wildebeest jumped so high that they even stepped on some of the crocodiles. Around the Oloo Plains the wildebeest have started moving towards Sand River in large herds. The grass is shorter on the Sand River side. The three male resident cheetahs near Governor's are hunting wildebeest & topis on a daily basis. In the past 02 days however they moved to the Mara Look out hill due to a number of hyenas who kept snatching their meat away from them. A large lion pride of 14 including 07 cubs (aged between 10 months to 01 year) were spotted near Serena whereby they had hunted a large wildebeest. Only 1,5 kms near Mara Bush Camp a mother leopard with 2 cubs were seen feeding on a baby wildebeest by Edwin, our guide. There are approx. 04 leopards in the same area. The most beautiful sunsets & sunrises have been experienced by our clients staying at Mara Bush Camp and many marvel at the outstanding light sequences of the Maasai Mara's beautiful sky. 03.09.2008 Dear esteemed clients, more exciting game sightings have been seen by our guests at Mara Bush Camp the last few days. Some outstanding encounters have been experienced by one of our photographers, Mr. Theo Allofs who actually witnessed two cheetah & one leopart hunt & kill within a span of 03 days after his arrival. He told us that nothing could top these three days that he had in the Mara and that even during a one month Botswana Safari he did not encounter what he saw in three days in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Wildebeest crossings continue to take place near the Serena area and not far off from Mara Bush Camp. Just yesterday, our expert guide Steve had spotted 04 baby jackals (3 - 4 months old) near the entrance of Mara Bush Camp. A herd of 13 elephants has been passing the camp frequently & can be seen near the Olare Oruk River, enjoying the green and lush vegetation. Clients staying at the camp have been raving about the personalized service & friendliness by our camp staff. Check out the various comments on our web-site's guestbook: www.marabushcamp.com/en There is still space in October - we are looking forward to welcoming you ! 26.08.2008 The last couple of days have been rather hot and sunny in the Mara Game Reserve and only on Saturday it finally rained and cooled off a bit. Game sightings have been once again unrivalled with a number of our clients experiencing large crossings near the Mara Serena area, not far from Mara Bush Camp. They are not as frequent as during the previous 2 weeks but the wildebeest are still crossing in large numbers. Lions with cubs & cheetahs with cubs are to be seen regularly. Around Mara Bush Camp a resident leopard can be seen not far away & it so happened on Saturday afternoon that 03 leopards at once were spotted by our expert guides. One leopard was found resting in the tree and two leopards were down in the grass, stretching in front of our clients & posing for fantastic photographs. Other clients spotted a cheetah Mum with 4 cubs (only a few weeks old) and a cheetah Mum with two older cubs in the area. Another outstanding event was witnessed whereby three adult lions tried to bring down a giraffe which is indeed an ambitious undertaking. One client commented his stay & safari was so exciting because every single day brings new and unexpected adventures. 17.08.2008 This year’s Wildebeest Migration has exceeded everyone’s expectations by far. Large herds of Wildebeest are currently present in the Mara but most of all there are spectacular River crossing which are being witnessed by our clients and guides. So was the case last week, where by one particular River crossing continued for 10 hours non-stop! Something which our experienced Guides said it’s a rare occurrence. Such an eventful River crossing was last seen in the year 2001. All guests who are yet to travel can look forward to an unforgettable experience. 10.08.2008 Our Guides have just confirmed to us that large herds of Wildebeests have started moving into the Mara Game Reserve and have now gathered around Keekorok Lodge & Mara Conservancy area as well as Koyaki Lemek. At the beginning of the year, the animals had deserted the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve and this time round we are expecting a sensational line-up and crossings at Sand River / Talek & Mara River. The recent rainfalls in the Mara have contributed to the migration and crossings starting slightly earlier this year. The Ol Kiombo Area where Mara Bush Camp is located is slowly receiving the first herds of animals. There was a spectacular mother leopard and its cub that has been spotted by one of our photographers, Mr. Romain Grisius. Further, cheetah cubs with their mother were discovered not far from the camp too. 20.07.2008 The light showers that swept across the central Mara over the last week have drawn more herds from the northern Seremgeti. The Mara River, about 3 kilometers north of the south-Mara bridge, has been the main arena over the past few days. Heavy crossings have taken place as thousends of the Serengeti herds crossed west on the Mara Triangle. |