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GOVERNORS' CAMP
Walking and game reports.
Month: January 2007
Weather and grasslands:
Warm and a little humid with scattered
showers in most areas of the Mara reserve, there were some heavy down pours in
the early weeks of the month. Some of the more common grasses such as drop seed
grass (Sporobolus sp), star grass (Cynodon Dactylon) and the prominent Red Oat
Grass (Themeda Triandra) have grown very quickly as can be seen on the open
grass and in some places the grass is nearly 4ft tall. Min Temps 16-18ºC and
midday temps are 30ºC. 55-65% relative humidity recorded in some parts of the
country. Total rainfall for the month is 180mm.
General Game:
With the continued rain and latterly being
more localised game viewing has been rewarding although vehicles could not go
far a field. Many species had moved out of the Marsh during December and early
January, perhaps this was due to ‘wet feet’ the ground was really quite
saturated. With the generous weather pattern in the last two months most species
are looking content and well covered.
- Defassa Waterbuck:
Several herds in various sizes of females with 4-9 month old calves are
seen within the grassland fringes of the riverine woodlands and
alongside the Marsh. Young males reaching the age of approximately 9
months will be chased out of the nursery/breeding herd by the dominant
bull and these young males will end up in a bachelor herd and will
remain untill mature, depending on environmental conditions and herd
densities male Waterbuck are relatively slow in maturing and will be
mature at the age of 5-6 years old. A large satellite herd of bachelors
can be seen on west side of the Marsh close to the junction to IL Moran
Camp.
- Impala: ‘Elegant residents’
sufficiently suited to this environment, many of them in varying herd
numbers can always be seen on the way in and out of the camps.
Conditions are good at the moment and they are often within the
woodlands of the camps.
- Olive Baboons.
Large troops are evident in most places with good
cover of trees or rocks. Many young infants have been born this month.
They are black in colour when born and are an intrigued fascination for
many of the troop members, the infants cling onto their mothers belly to
start off with and will ride ‘jockey’ style when approximately 6 weeks
old. Large adult males have been seen killing and eating young impala
and Thomson gazelle fawns.
- Eland
in small herds with calves averaging 3-6 months of age can been seen on
the woodlands side of the Paradise plains and rhino ridge. There are
also scattered herds within the conservation areas of Koiyaki. Breeding
males are considerably larger and more sexually dimorphic than the
females; those that are exceptionally large are very impressive,
especially noticeable is when a large bull is seen to jump astonishingly
high for such a large and heavy animal.
- Cokes Hartebeest.
Small herd sizes with 1-2 month old calves will be seen in the more open
grassland plains of Bila Shaka and Topi plains, the conservation areas
are also good places to see them.
- Topi
can be found in good numbers on Topi plains, Rhino ridge and on the
Paradise plains where there are some well used ‘Leks’ and quite a few
territorial males are lekking at the moment. Reasonable numbers of them
can be found in the conservation areas of the adjacent group ranches.
Many young calves varying from two to three months old will be seen
within these breeding herds. A few now have been seen in the marsh
grasslands and the moment it rains again they move out with the
exception of a few territorial male property owners.
- Thomson and Grants Gazelle
are more readily seen on the open short grass plains and ideal places
are the grassland plains in the conservation areas where grasslands have
been kept down by livestock competition.
- Elephant:
Small herds in related units of 4-12 individuals can be seen in and
around the Marsh and within the riverine woodlands, these groups of
Elephant have spent some time in this specific area with two more calves
being recorded born this month. It appears that they spend part time
between the grasslands and the riverine woodlands. During the early
morning and cooler hours they are in the grasslands and then during the
heat of the day move into the woodlands, although many move through the
camps during the course of the night, they are fond of the fruit from
the African green heart tree (Warburgia Ugandensis). On the 22nd of this
month in the evening a male and female were seen mating and the
extraordinary thing noted was that the bull although quite large was a
relatively young individual and apparently not in ‘Musth’ the female was
also apparently young. There are a few large sized bulls about and some
of these are in very much in ‘Musth’ as can be noted with the rancid
smell that is associated with Musth bulls.
- Warthog:
Are still being seen despite the long grass and their
young piglets which are 3-4 months old. Many females are being seen with
one or two piglets and many of these piglets and including adults are
being preyed upon by Lion particularly in the Bila Shaka and Musiara
grassland plains areas.
- Giraffe:
Good viewing and sightings of them close to the camps is not uncommon,
with some large bulls that come and go between the camps and the
woodlands. Loose herds with calves of various ages can be found through
out the reserve and conservation areas. Being a browser they will be
found wherever there is woodlands and stands of Acacia which they are
fond of.
- Spotted
Hyena: Hyenas are more prevalent in the conservation
areas of the group ranches, although in the reserve there may not be as
many, reasonable numbers can still be seen with a few dens that are
visited regularly. Females give birth to a mean of two cubs and the
female is dominant at birth, often young male cubs do not make it to
three months of age. Spotted Hyena do not bring food caches back to den
sights and will eat on the spot, there is often severe competition
amongst clan members when feeding and perhaps as a result cubs are
suckled quite a lot longer than most the other carnivores, the cubs are
weaned at approximately 12-14 months old. At the age of 1½ - 2 years old
they will forage fro themselves. The morning of the 19th three male Lion
had killed a bull Buffalo and 16 Hyena were abiding time on the
periphery due to the fact that these lion were males, Hyena are afraid
of male lion and will give them a wide birth, had only Lionesses been
feeding off the kill the tables would have likely turned. Hyenas on the
Paradise plains and in the conservation areas have been seen feeding on
Topi and their calves, Hyenas are cursorials in that they run their prey
down very similar to wolves and dogs, and for this they have tremendous
stamina for these long chasses.
- Bat eared Fox:
These insectivorous canids live in small family
parties and good times to see them are the early mornings and the
termitarias are good places to find them. With their large ears acting
like satellite dishes which pick up the slightest sounds of the insects
that the prey upon. Harvester termites (Family Hodotermitidae) are an
important part of their diet.
Lion:
- The Bila Shaka pride
of one male, four females, four twenty two-month-old male cubs, four
nineteen-month old cubs and now one two-month old cub, the disappearance
of the other cub is a daunting one as it has not been seen and is
thought to have died with the result of wet conditions in the early part
of the month. These lion are still residents within the Musiara Marsh
and Bila Shaka grassland areas. They are still feeding of Zebra and
warthog. On the morning of the 19th three of the young males and the
pride male were seen feeding on the remains of a buffalo bull.
- The Single female with her two
cubs estimated at seven months old are still seen within the Bila Shaka
and Musiara marsh areas. She has been seen spending more time with the
Bila Shaka females and appears to be accepted into this group of
lionesses. On the 24th she had killed a Topi near the airstrip and her
cubs were seen feeding of it with her.
- Frequently seen this month, The Paradise
pride of three males, five breeding females, three sub-adults,
six fourteen-month old cubs, four ten-month old cubs, one eight month
old cub and two-four month old cubs. These lion are still being seen
often in the Paradise plains area and again spending much time within
the vicinity of the crossing points on Paradise plains. They have been
seen feeding off Topi who are prevalent in this area.
- Seldom seen this month 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 twelve months old and one of the lionesses with three cubs
estimated at eight months old. These lion are apparently still in the OL
Kiombo region of the double crossing.
- Seldom seen this month the Rhino ridge
pride of two breeding females, two males and three fifteen
month old cubs which are seen within the eastern Rhino ridge plains and
the southern side plains of Bila Shaka.
- Seen more often this month the Single
Gorge/Acacia pride of 5 breeding females, three six month old
cubs and a male. Due to the good rain and general game dispersal they
are more often seen in the Koiyaki conservancy. On the 17th and 24th
they were seen near the ‘fly over’ ridge and there was a second large
blonde male with them.
Cheetah:
Sightings of Cheetah in the reserve have
not been as good as in the drier months, perhaps due to the long grass and this
could be that the reserve does not support the prey species that cheetah favour.
The shorter grass plains of the conservation areas are more suited for Cheetah
as these habitats support the smaller species like Thomson and Grants Gazelles.
Although in certain areas of the reserve where there are many Topi with calves
of 2-3 month old, Topi calves are an important food source for Cheetah who will
prey upon them regularly.
- The single female - Honey
with three male cubs estimated at nine
months old are still being seen daily in the grassland plains below
Kichwa Tembo Camp.
- A young female
has been seen north of the marsh and into the Koiyaki conservation area,
she has been seen feeding off Thomson Gazelles and their fawns.
- The single male is reported
being seen east of Bila Shaka and towards Rhino Ridge.
Leopard:
Good news:
A Leopard ‘sighting’ day was on the
24th with six Leopards being seen in one morning. Zawadi and her thirteen month
old male cub at the north side of the Marsh in the morning, later in the morning
two were seen at Bila Shaka and in the later again at mid day another two seen
at Paradise near the Serena pump house.
- No reports back of Bella as
driver guides have not gone over to the Talek River are this month.
- Zawadi
and her thirteen month old male cub have been seen on numerous occasions
this month. On the evening of the 16th with her male cub, the morning of
the 17th in the same location again, in the morning and evening of the
24th and 25th in the same area but the male cub was quite some way off.
On morning of the 26th north of the Marsh she was seen with a female
Thomson gazelle kill.
- The female with two cubs a male
and female and estimated at seven months old have been not been sighted
this month.
- The Male at the paradise
crossing points near the Serena pump has been seen again, on the
mornings of the 22nd, 24th and 25th were good days to see him, the clear
mornings and the soft light has helped.
- A Female has been seen more
often recently at Paradise near the crossing points. The 24th and 25th
were good days.
Walking in the Koiyaki Conservation
Area.
With the onset of the rains the area has
generally been too wet for any walks; although a few walks have been squeezed in
we do hear reports that the game viewing is still good. Elephant
are still being seen in the Acacia woodlands and many Zebra on
the top plains above the ‘fly over’. The acacia lion pride have
been seen often and with the good plains game about and cattle gone will keep
them in. Thompson and Grants gazelles are also in good numbers
on the open plains. Giraffe are a welcome
sight in the acacia woodlands. Eland are often seen on the
grassland plains in the conservation areas. The Spotted Hyena
clan above the ‘fly over’ are still active and are seen regularly in this area.
At a new den sight there are two black coloured cubs that would be under a month
old.
Governors'
Camp wins The Sunday Times Travel Magazine award for the
World's Best WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE
Website:
www.governorscamp.com Information:
info@governorscamp.com
Telephone: +254 (20) 2734000 Fax: +254 (20) 2734023
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