GOVERNORS’ CAMP

Walking and game reports.

Month: March 2006

Weather and grasslands:

Hot, humid, and wet is perhaps what one may want to say for this month. Mid day temperatures were averaging up to 34ºC and early morning temps averaging 18ºC; on the open grassland plains early morning temps can be as low as 15ºC. The plains areas and woodlands have greened up amazingly quickly within a month some grasses are now up to 6” in height.

The Musiara and adjacent grassland plains areas have received rain almost on a daily basis and the rainfall for the month is 205 mm.

General Game:

With the good rainfall this month many species of plains game can be seen spread out over the open grassland plains, there is a marked improvement in some species that were suffering with the dry weather earlier on, Hippo, Buffalo, Defassa waterbuck and Topi calves could be clinically seen as stressed and weak with some species as in the Hippo and Buffalo of which many actually died. Hippos are recovery and they are being seen more upright! And in their natural habitat which is a body of water specifically the Mara River.

Wildebeest and Zebra can be still seen around the Paradise plains, Bila Shaka and in the Koiyaki areas with many wildebeest females now with their calves, many of the resident Wildebeest females had calved down earlier than usual this year, it is often changes in environmental weather conditions which can alter calving times. Topi and their calves, which are showing good signs of improvement, are still being seen on the grassland plains with good numbers to be seen in the Musiara marsh. On the open plains a common sight are solitary Topi standing out preferably on a termite mound and appear to be standing there for hours in the ‘mid day sun’ these are territory holders and will be predominately males advertising their presence, females and young will also use these vantage points so one can say that termites mounds and Topi go together. Topi have a short reflective coat so have the ability to with stand these high mid day temperatures. Horning and pawing the ground are common patterns related to territorial behaviour. Topi also place their pre-orbital gland on a grass stem that has been cut them and will leave a clear secretion after which they seem to weave their forehead and horns back and forth over this secretion, soon after this they will wipe their horns over their bodies or drop to their knees and horn the ground.  Thomson and Grant’s gazelle can be more readily seen on the higher ground with better-drained soils whereby the various grasses are shorter and more palatable.

Zebra with mares and foals are fairly scattered and good numbers can be seen around the Paradise plains areas. The two Buffalo herds can still be seen in the paradise, Bila Shaka and Rhino Ridge grassland areas with a few of the old sedentary males who like to reside within the Marsh itself, their numbers are kept in check by the resident Bila Shaka lion pride.

Large herds of Elephant with many young are being seen more frequently in the marsh, Musiara and Bila Shaka plains areas. The African Green heart trees (Warburgia Ugandensis) are still fruiting and these fruit draw the elephant into the camps. During the dry spell many of these elephant had moved out to more wooded areas particularly into the acacia woodlands in the conservation areas which the elephant like very much as can be seen with the damaged trees in these woodlands, one should not contribute the destruction of the acacia woodlands to elephant it is fair to say that the Masai are just as destructive in the utilisation of these trees for their villagers and the use of the tree as a fuel. Reports back of Serval cats being seen, they prey on rodents and birds so a grassland habitat is preferred and the Musiara, Marsh and Bila Shaka grassland plains are very suitable. Theses delightful cats are quite commonly seen in the early mornings, evenings and not unusual to see them hunting at midday. The other grassland cat the African wildcat is a shy and reserved cat so sightings are seldom recorded but on the mornings of the 18th and 22nd near the windmill area one was seen each time and this could be the same cat for each sighting. Olive baboons with many young some of which are very young perhaps weeks old and are black in colour, these monkeys are scattered all through out the woodland verges and live in large troops up to 80 individuals.

Lion:

The Bila Shaka pride of four females, five fourteen-month-old cubs, three eleven-month old cubs and one handsome male who has a good lock of dark blonde hair as his mane are still being seen through out the Musiara marsh and Bila Shaka areas. These lion have held up very well during the dry time and have been seen feeding off Hippo, Buffalo and warthog. On the Bila Shaka plains on morning of the 9th at approx 10.30am these lion pulled down a three year old hippo it was a messy affair and were seen feeding of this animal for the next two days. A hippo is a large animal with a big head and a wide mouth so to carry this they have large necks, which is more noticeably expressed in the males. Lion will prey on these large animals but they have a problem asphyxiating or killing these animals outright so often what happens to such large prey is that they are eaten until they succumb to severe exhaustion or a vital organ is severed and this can take several hours and can be sometimes for some difficult to stomach. On the 23rd in the Marsh at 3.30pm they killed a warthog and a large bull buffalo, which they had cornered into a waterhole since 10.30am.

The maternity/ridge pride of 27 members including two males, eight breeding females, eleven sub adults and six cubs of which four are estimated at three months old. These lion are still being seen frequently within the double-crossing areas and have been feeding off the resident wildebeest, Zebra and Buffalo.

The paradise pride With the coalition of three males, five breeding females, three sub-adults, six seven-month old cubs and four 3 months old cubs are still being seen anywhere between the Rhino Ridge/Paradise plains and around the paradise crossing points on the Mara River. They have been seen feeding off Wildebeest, Topi, Buffalo and Zebra who are still about in fair numbers within the Paradise plains regions.

The Rhino ridge pride of 2 breeding females, 2 males and 3 six month old cubs are concentrated within the Rhino ridge and have been seen far as Topi plains. They have been feeding off Zebra and Topi, on the morning of the 18th they were all seen on a zebra kill with many Hyenas on the periphery so it could well be asked who killed the Zebra?

The Single Gorge pride consisting of 5 breeding females and one lioness has six 4 month old cubs, they appear to be more active in the early hours of the morning and late evening and this activity could well be due to Masai and their cattle who come and go in this area. They have been feeding off warthog, Buffalo and zebra.  

Three nomadic male lion that are seen often in the Topi plains region are being regarded as a coalition, one of which is suspected as being the one that was introduced some 18 months ago. These three lion move about in fairly large circles and on the 23rd were seen at the single crossing in the Koiyaki conservation area.

Two lionesses have been seen near Governors private camp and one of these lionesses is the single lioness that was introduced some 18 months ago and she had three cubs, which were about a month old and were sired by the Bila Shaka male. On the 16th of January two were found dead and one was rescued and sent back to Nairobi but we heard latterly that it had died, this lioness was also quite badly scratched up during this time, and she has cleared up nicely.

Cheetah:

Kike has been seen in the Talek River region of the OL Kiombo area and as far as the Burrangat plains.

The male coalition of three is still being seen within Rhino Ridge and the double crossing. They are very active and been seen feeding off Zebra foals, young Topi, Thomson Gazelle, yearling wildebeest and Impala. A coalition of three males as this has a better chance of securing and holing on to a territory as those single individual s who tend to move about more so and are known as ‘floaters’.

The older single male (driver guides call him ‘Upele’) who appears to have contracted mange again as can be seen on the tops of his ears and above his left eye, he has been seen more often within the woodlands between the camps. On the 29th in the evening he was seen again hunting impala and failed that day, his luck was in on the morning of the 30th as he managed to get a female impala near Governors’ IL Moran Camp.

The Young female who is still seen often on the Paradise and Rhino Ridge plains areas, she is being seen hunting Thomson Gazelles and their fawns.

Another young female has been seen north of the marsh and windmill, on the late evening of the 17th she was seen take down a female Thompson gazelle.   

Leopard:

Zawadi has been seen often this month any where between the double gorge to the Mara river woodlands that lie to the north of the gorge.

Unfortunately she appears to have lost a cub and it was on the 17th that this cub was seen partially eaten high up in a fig tree. There are many lion in the area she was in when this cub was killed and it would not be untrue to say that lion killed this cub, this kind of activity is called predator aggression or dominance among species and it is not uncommon for lion to kill leopard cubs. The mother can still be eating her cub and calling for it at the same time so collectively she is treating her cub as food.

Bella the Talek female has been seen again this month in the Talek river area; her male cub who is 32 months old has also been seen further down the Talek River.

Pole the young female who is often associated within the river woodlands between Governors’ main camp and Governors’ IL Moran camp, she has been heard more than seen and on the morning of the 28th she was seen with an impala kill near to the little governors crossing point.

A female with a female cub estimated at three months old has often been seen in the paradise plains river woodlands near the main crossing points, on the 16th evening she was seen in a croton thicket and on the 21st she was seen again with a Topi calf.

A large male is often seen near the Talek River from the paradise plains side. On the morning of the 10th it was seen near the pump house crossing points with a large male impala it had killed earlier.

Walking report in the Koiyaki group ranch:

The walking area is looking very lush with a good coverage of green grass specifically on the burnt areas, one could be in Europe.

The walks this month have reverted back to the old trails as many of the Masai and their cattle have moved out and back to their home grounds. This has made the walking trails more enjoyable although the dry months have played a large toll on their cattle with dead animals strewn all over the area with as many as 45 dead animals being left in abandoned villages. Some Masai cattle owners have said they have lost over 50% of their livestock.  

Wildebeest with females and calves on the open plains are still common sightings to be seen. Zebra can also be seen in good numbers. Impala are always present in the acacia woodlands with some good-sized breeding herds. Giraffe sightings in the acacia woodlands have been very good this month with many of them not moving very far from where they were last seen in a 24hr period. Many giraffe calves can be seen in crèches while the adults are feeding nearby. Elephant bulls are the most that have been seen with two males who are carrying remarkably good ivory for a savannah elephant. Lion, three females and two males are still about and tend to frequent the Olare Orok River. On the morning of the 27th in a croton thicket by the river a lioness was seen with enlarged mammary glands, she seemed very nervous that day, each subsequent morning she has been sighted and is in the same croton thicket so we are assuming she may have cubs but we are unsure of this as it is very thick and there is no way in or out. Still good signs of Aardvark activity with their frantic diggings into the many termite mounds that are very actively building on to their respective mounds and noticeably dark patches or extended towers from the different termite species can be seen in the early mornings. Many spotted hyena are being seen and heard on the grassland plains south of the ‘fly over’ escarpment their sounds indicate communication and frenzied feeding activity. On the 29th 6 hyenas were seen in a very excited mood with their tails cocked up and all 5 appeared to be mobbing an individual, this could well be ‘female baiting’ by a group of males.