The Mara North Conservancy is home to all of the big cats due to the rich biodiversity from the undulating hills, tall Shepherd and Fig trees to the vast luscious green grasslands. In the last few days the rains have finally fallen and the Mara river which snakes through the savannah is once again bursting with the life source of the plains, water. Where previously the soil was cracked and parched, the earth is dark and moist, the grasses and white tissue flowers push their way through the mineral rich earth. The Offbeat pride of Lions find refuge from the heat of the mid-morning in the long marshy grasses. The oat tipped grasses have grown tall and strong, the purple and red tips are vibrant in the intense sun light. The pride has several young sub adult males with short Mohican manes, they grown and sigh in the heat, they walk through the grasses, the thick stems brushing against their tawny still rosetted spotted fur. They lay down heavily in the moist croton soil, the coolness of the water providing them with relief from the heat. A Lioness looks up, the males are still young enough to be under her protection, she too sighs, contented they are safe. The Lionesses are the matriarchs, keeping the pride together, they are protective, fierce and loving mothers.
Lions (Panthera Leo) are the very image of majesty and the very image of Africa itself. Their strength lies in the power of the pride, their close relationship. To ensure the pride remains strong there must be a lasting dynasty, it is the duty of the dominant pride males to mate with the females. This may not seem like duty but there is no love between the males and females. Most Lionesses born in a pride will stay with the pride for life unless pride numbers grow too large and pride splits in two when it becomes too difficult to hunt food for such a vast number. The Lionesses hunt together, give birth around the same time and bring up their young together. They are the very lifeblood of the pride, their strength comes from their tight bond of sisterhood. The males will leave the pride when they are fully mature and form coalitions with their brothers and become nomadic after leaving the pride. They will hunt together, fight together and even share mates. The strength of the males come from their brotherhood, they will die protecting each other, it is a lifelong bond. When a Lioness comes into oestrus she will leave the pride for three to five days with one of the dominant males and mate with him every fifteen minutes in the first day the intervals becoming subsequently longer as the days wear on until she is satisfied she is impregnated.
One of the younger dominant males of around six years old and a young fertile Lioness has left the pride to start their mating courtship. Quite possibly due to their young age they do not seem to be too jaded. The male Lenkoye (Maa for a bad eye) due to his youthful years still has a beautiful blonde mane, not quite full and little scarring on his face. The Lioness is small and light blonde, her legs scattered with beautiful rosettes of youth. The female chooses when and where they will mate, the male is subservient and follows her lead. He is surprisingly attentive to her, laying close, watching her every move. Finally she yawns and stretches, she pokes out her pink tongue and flexes her muscular shoulders. She rolls over rather playfully and coquettishly as if flirting with him. He stands over her as she bats his legs and face with his with her paws, teasing him. He bends down and licks her, he wants to win her favour. She really has the most beautiful face, she looks up at him her golden eyes glistening in the light. She gets to her feet, the male uses his Jacobson gland to draw in her scent as his nose connects with her rear end. She starts to walk and he literally keeps his body in contact with hers, claiming her. She does not walk far before crouching in front of him so he can mount her and copulate. He connects and starts to growl, this is passion and pain in its rawest wild form, she growls back, his barbed penis causing her pain. He bites her head and then chews her ear, she snarls back at him. The copulation is over in seconds, he jumps back immediately for fear of her lethal claws swiping him in anger. She rolls over to aid the flow of the sperm then walks over to the bushes for shade. He dutifully follows her, he will not let her out of his sight.
The Mara North is a Billashaka, a place of certainty. It is rich in flora and fauna. The herd of Elephants led by a matriarch march across the plains looking for the marshy waters to quench their thirst. They have young with them which they protect by ensuring they walk between the females. Elephants generate many sounds to communicate their happiness, fear and anger. The most ubiquitous being the trumpeting sound, which is frequently a warning. Elephants are highly protective mothers and they do not walk around objects, they will walk through anything in their path. A innumerable Ballanite trees lay snapped in their path, this destruction is minor in light of them being considered the gardeners of the plains. They eat large quantities of seeds which they do not fully digest and as they defecate the seeds are replanted in other areas of the plains sprouting new life. Their dung is also picked over by Baboons and dung beetles affording them with food. The Elephants are the iconic giants of the plains as they kick up dust and soil birds fly around their mighty feed feeding off of the insects that are dislodged as they walk.
Warthog or Pumba which is Swahili for stupid have become a much loved almost caricature of the plains. They are one of the ugly five due to their unusual proportions, a large head on a short stout body, large tusks and bristles. They kneel down as they feed on just their front legs shuffling along comically. They are very skittish due to their tasty flesh being a favourite of scavengers and predators alike. As soon as they are spooked they run fast on short skinny legs with their tails in the air, known as the Safari express. A mother has two piglets with her, as she runs through the long grasses her tails acts as a flag for them so they can follow her. Fortunately for the predators Pumba have short memories and will stop, forgetting why they were running in the first place giving the predators a second chance at hunting them. Herds of Zebra and Wildebeest graze nearby, grateful also for the recent rains. They prefer the shorter grasses to feed off of. The prey frequently graze in mixed herds in order to provide greater protection. The old adage your enemy is my enemy holds true here. The greater the number of eyes looking out for predators the greater their chance of survival.
Jackals are quite possibly the bravest mammals in the Mara. They are cunning as a fox but look like a small Alsatian with the same loyal temperament. Whether scavenging around a pride of Lions or a clan of Hyaenas they risk their lives every time they nip in to steal a morsel of a carcass. A clan of Hyaenas have made a young Zebra kill. Known as mangy scavengers they are actually efficient organised hunters in their own right led by an alpha female. Hyaena have a large range of vocal sounds to communicate to each other. Whilst ripping apart the kill they are manically laughing indicating their agitation at having to share it with other clan members. Two Hyaena use their impressive jaws which has a stronger bite than a Lions, to grab a leg, they both try and run off with it in different directions causing it to break in two, shards fly everywhere giving the Jackals perfect opportunity to nip it and acquire some. Another Hyaena has secured the rump of the Zebra, its distinctive plait of the tail recognisable. It runs off with it dangling macabrely from its mouth. Clan members chase it to try and make it drop it. The Hyaenas fight amongst themselves, their stomachs already turgid from gorging. Vultures and Marabou stalk fly in, the undertakers of the plains. They are there to clean up the kill after the carnage. The deep green grass is soaked with dark vibrant blood, the metallic smell will attract predators and scavengers alike.
A female Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus) is relaxing out on the open plains. It is mid-afternoon and extremely hot, the black tear marks running down from her eyes protect her vision from the glare of the sun. Close by two young Topi are hidden in the grass by their parents whilst they graze. Topi know if the herd are attacked by predators the calves will not be able to outrun the cats hence they secrete them in the long grasses to protect them. Fortunately for them the Cheetah has not spotted them yet. When the afternoon cools though she will be ready to hunt and like all cats have an exceptional sense of smell. Cats have more than two hundred million odour sensors in their noses; humans have just five million. Their sense of smell is fourteen times better than that of humans. Whilst not as sensitive as dogs, cats are better at discerning different scent and can detect the smell of food 126 – 154 feet away (roughly a football field wide). The plains are a redolence of pungent odours, some agreeable such as the heady scent of wild sage and mint whilst others acrid or foul such as a rotting carcass or predator faeces. The big cats can easily separate these to draw in the scent of hidden prey. That is why cats silently stalk through the grasses “tasting” the air, drawing in the taste of each scent. So no matter how still the calves sit the Cheetah will flush it out with its sensitive nose.
Nalangu (Maa for crossing) is the dominant female Leopard (Panthera Pardus) in this territory and has a son under her care called Jasiri (Maa meaning brave) he is just a year old so will be with his mother for another year. Leopards are notoriously solitary except when mating or raising young. She will spend up to two years, protecting, nurturing and teaching her young cub to hunt. At a year old Jasiri is already strong and confident, he will spend significantly more time away from his mother fending for himself, they will mainly be together when she is hunting as she has a significant amount to teach him. He is small and beautiful like a female, he has yet to develop the thick neck and muscular face of the older males, his testosterone levels are still low. His face is unscarred from hunting, mating and fighting. He is very kittenish, he is laying on the thick branch of a Sausage tree rolling over and rubbing his face on the course bark. He looks playful, his jade green round eyes mischievous as he scans the plains for small prey to practice his hunting skills on. Whilst he is still dependent on his mother for his main source of food still he will take the opportunity to hunt small prey for himself. His bronze fur covered with black rosettes looks burnished in the sun set. The deep reds and oranges of the sun fiery glow reflecting off of his distinctive coat. The light wind blows through the leaves around him, he gazes us ever playful. The heat of the stunning sunset is intense, the plains are ablaze with golden light. There is nothing more beautiful than an African sunset, the dust particles dance in the gentle breeze refracting the light giving a soft but intensely colourful hue of deep orange. Leopards are nocturnal, it is time he joined his mother for their nightly hunt.
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A young female Cheetah is hunting at sunrise, she is sat on mineral rich rocks, honed smooth from thousands of year of rain and sun, its smooth surface glinting in the dawn light. Long grasses sway around the Cheetahs body, she is bathed in the golden light of the sunrise. She searches for hunting opportunities, as she looks over her shoulder the sunlight catches in her beautiful amber eyes. Her spots are as unique to her as finger prints. The spots are darker down her spine, black spots on bronze to blonde fur. Her body is athlete and streamlined, evolved for speed and endurance. She lifts her foot to clean her face, the pads of her feet are like tyres, ridged for speed. The sun rises behind her, she is almost camouflaged, the gold of the grasses and the dark soil surrounding her. She flicks her thick strong tail, it is her rudder, enabling her to steer as she runs. She is hungry, her stomach concave she is looking for hunting opportunities. Up ahead a mating herd of Impala are grazing. She has her sights on the large male, he stands tall and strong, his prominent antlers punctuating the sky. She knows he is fast but as the fastest land mammal if she gets within striking distance she can outrun and outmanoeuvre him. She commences to walk, her body streamlined, her shoulders hunched, her eyes focused. The Impala however has great eye sight and spots her and starts to run. She stops, she will not waste her energy she will look for other prey to hunt.
Nalangu the female Leopard is languishing on the branches of a small Gardenia tree. The thick gnarly branches are perfectly shaped for her to spread her body over and to allow her limbs to dangle either side. Her fur is dark bronze, the black rosettes prominent, the pattern distinctive to each Leopard. When she lays flat on the brown textured branch she is almost camouflaged. She looks up, her deep green eyes are the exact same colour as the leaves. She is so attuned to her environment, as her thick tail hangs down, the white tip flicks to indicate her annoyance at the birds squawking above her. A lone Zebra grazes nearby, its black and white stripes reflecting and deflecting heat to regulate its temperature allowing it to be out on the plains in all weathers. Nalangu casually gazes at it, it is challenging prey as it is a full grown adult but she is satisfied from her Impala kill yesterday. She gets up, stretches, yawns widely showing off her lethal canines, turns and lays back down. The heat is intense making her tired, even the herd of Wildebeest with young cannot rouse her. She stretches out her leg and starts washing it slowly, meticulously. Drawing it back in she pulls it underneath her body and rests her beautiful head on her paw. She is the picture of contentment and serenity.
The plains contain natural salt licks that attract prey who need the minerals to supplement their vegetarian diet. Zebra, Eland, Wildebeest and Warthog descend the shallow pool to drink then lick the basin where the salt has gathered. A small herd of Eland are nervous of coming down, the watering holes attract predators and prey alike. The water is muddy and as they cross, their legs sink into the soft soil, they have to gallop their way out in order to unglue them. The recent rains has nourishment the soil with enough moisture for the grasses to grow, they are still short but long enough for the grazers to pull up the much needed food with their teeth. Prey have eyes in the side of their heads to allow them to have excellent peripheral vision. As they bend their heads to drink or feed they are constantly observing the movement around them. There is safety in numbers, the prey alert each other to threats. Across the plain a herd of Elephants also seek water, they eat as they walk, using their mighty feet to kick up roots and pull them up with the sensitive ends of their trunks like fingers. A safari of Giraffe pass, they are heading to the watering hole, their long lashed eyes blinking in the intense sunlight. It is a balance for the prey, they need water and minerals but they do not want to be vittles’ for the predators. Fortunately the intense heat makes the big cats sleepy, like Nalangu they seek shade to rest.
By early afternoon Nalangu has rested and descends the tree as she desires to hunt before the Lions wake. Even though Leopards are nocturnal hunters they have become diurnal as they do not want to compete with the great Lion prides. She has spotted a herd of Zebra across the plains, the grass is long which will give her good cover to stalk them. As an ambush predator she requires to get within twenty feet in order to chase down the prey. She looking for the youngest Zebras in the herd as the large males will be too challenging for her to take down. She also knows the fouls will be a challenge as they are protected by the herd and just one kick from a stallion could fatally wound her. Her beautiful green eyes are sharp and alert, the herd has not detected her so she has time to formulate her plan of attack. Leopards are stealth hunters they know how to walk undetected, they keep their bodies low and their footsteps silent. She is downwind of the prey and they pick up her scent, they cannot see her but their senses have been alerted. They turn in her direction and she stops in her tracks she does not want them to see her. The Zebra start to snort, the dominant males know she is there, they do not need to see her to know, they have such a keen sense of smell. She moves forward, they spot her and start to run. Zebras are fast, she starts to run after them even though they have had a head start but she is built for strength not speed or endurance. They easily outrun her, she stops then strangely starts to run after then again even though they are far ahead. She must be hungry as they second attempt clearly does not succeed.
The three Moniko pride sub adult males who were ejected from the pride are now fully grown and have taken over the Offbeat pride from the Marsh pride dominant males Halftail and Ololgol. Males Lions do not usually fight to the death, it is usually a test of power when they fight hence why the males have large manes to protect their faces when fighting. However the Moniko males outnumbered Ololgol who was much older than them and killed him, Halftail escaped back down to the Marsh area in Maasai Mara Reserve. The Moniko males are young and powerful and will look to take over many prides. Hence why Lenkoye has been mating with the young blonde Lioness from the pride, they need to establish their dynasty and ensure their genes live on in their cubs. Lenkoye, the blonde Lioness and an older darker Lioness are walking across the plains. The rest of the pride are sleeping in the bushes. Even though it is only late afternoon the air is cooler and they want to hunt. There is plenty of game in the Mara North Conservancy but they will need the rest of the pride to wake and hunt with them to subdue larger prey such as Buffalo which will feed the whole pride. The blonde Lioness is warm and decides to rest in the grasses, Lenkoye walks over to her, still attentive after their mating and sits near her. The darker Lions sits in the long grass, she is a true huntress and clearly one of the alpha Lionesses, the golden dry grasses sway around her, she is as beautiful as she is majestic. Her ears are chewed and scarred from mating and boisterous pride life. The Lions fight for hierarchy within the pride, tempers soar and fights happen when the balance shifts.
Jsiri has joined his mother Nalangu in the Gardenia Tree, she is laying one side looking at the prey and he is sat the other, rolling over on a thick branch. Even though it is cooler now they are still hot from the intense heat of the afternoon. A safari of Giraffe walk past the tree but they are too challenging for them to hunt. The Giraffe stop in their tracks, detecting something of interest then intensely stare into the tree observing the sleeping cats. Satisfied the cats are sleeping they walk on, curious as always. A lone Buffalo emerges from the bushes, it has poor eyesight but a strong sense of smell, he can smell the Leopards and walks close to the tree. The Leopards are no threat to him he is far too large prey for them. The Leopards look down at him, they are safe up on their branches. Jsiri stares up, Superb Starling have landed on the top branches of the tree and start to squawk they do not want predators in their tree, no doubt they have a nest there and they do not want a playful cub disturbing it. Jsiri is fascinated by the fretful birds, like all cats he sees an opportunity to hunt and play with the birds. He sits up and the birds squawk louder and more alarmingly, fortunately for them Jsiri gets distracted by more interesting prey out on the plains. He stretches and yawns, it is sunset and his nocturnal instincts means he is starting to wake to hunt with his mother. The sun sets in front of them, the golden light flooding the plains with warmth. The perfect fiery globe of the sun descends below the horizon, as it does the light spreads across the sky a vibrant span of deep oranges and reds. Birds return to roost, they are perfectly silhouetted against the sky, their call can be heard overhead. As the diurnal animals prepare for a night of challenges, the nocturnal animals are waking, energised for a night of foraging and hunting.
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Kweli the female Cheetah and her three almost fully grown sub adults cubs are hunting baby Thompson Gazelle at sunrise, the plains are flooded with golden light. Within the next year the cubs will leave their mother to fend for themselves so she must teach them how to hunt, defend themselves and be alert to all dangers from other predators and scavengers. Cheetahs are the smallest of the big cats and are therefore very vulnerable. They have a significant proportion of their kills taken by other predators and scavengers. Life is very challenging for them, only around five percent of cubs survive to adulthood. Cheetahs are incredible mothers like all cats, Kweli bonds with her cubs by playing with them. As they walk together they practice their hunting skills by hiding in the grass then leaping out on each other and pulling each other down. The cubs are learning how to trip each other up and bring the other off balance as they will need to do with prey in order to catch it. Kweli runs along with the cubs, tripping them up, pulling them down and subduing them on the ground. They enjoy the time together as a family, they are bonded. Kweli and her cubs walk in front of a herd of Impala, they know they have been seen so do not hunt them, the Impala snort their warning call. Kweli stops, yawns and starts washing, she is very relaxed. She is content her cubs are past the most vulnerable stage, they have a greater chance of survival now.
A herd of Elephants are cooling off in the heat of the morning in a watering hole. Elephants need to drink eighteen to twenty six gallons of water a day. The matriarch will lead the herd to water, this information is passed from each generation of female. Elephants also love to bathe in water and play in the mud either on their own or with each other. To do this, they need space to splash, roll around, submerge, and cover themselves in mud. Elephants have sensitive skin so keeping clean and parasite free is important to their health. They are very gregarious animals so bath time more than often turns into play time as the younger members of the herd copy the adults sucking up water and showering it over themselves. However their smaller trunks do not facilitate much of shower and they end up just spraying water everywhere. The calves love rolling around in the mud, they slip and slide and get truly covered so they can barely see. Their attentive mothers use their long trunks to help them out of the watering hole. The Elephants rolls around dust bathing, this is an important sunscreen for their sensitive skin, it stops them getting sun burnt. So the colour of an Elephant depends on the colour of the soil in their environment. The protective mothers lead the herd to browse on the tree and bushes.
Three of the six month cubs of the Offbeat pride are hiding in bushes, they have been told to stay there by their mother whilst she goes hunting with the other Lionesses. When the cubs are younger one of the Lionesses stays with them to protect them but these cubs are older and more able to fend for themselves. The cubs have been taught to hide, run or climb a tree if they are under threat. It is late afternoon and they have been sleeping all day and they want to join the rest of the pride, they come out of their hiding place in the bushes and start to play on top of a termite mound. The three cubs are a little sleepy still but they love to play with the twigs of the small bushes growing on the mound. Feeling a little more frisky they start to roll over, taunting each other. Tails and ears are chewed and attacked as they play fight with each other. Suddenly they spot the Lionesses across the Laga and know it is time to join them. The cubs confidently walk down the slopes of the bank and gingerly cross using exposed rocks as stepping stones to the other side. Unlike other big cats Lions do not like getting wet, the cubs shake water off of their paws, they are most indignant.
The cubs run towards the Lionesses they are so happy to see them, they feel safe, secure and loved with them. In return the Lionesses greet the cubs with equal love and affection, they run towards them leaping up in joy then rubbing heads, sharing their scent. For all cats, big or small, they have secretion glands in the corner of their mouths which they rub on another or object to mark it. The Lionesses mark their cubs with their scent, it is a shared bond and a mark of affection and ownership. The Lionesses and cubs start running around chasing each other, they play tag, trying to bring each other down. Play is another way of re-establishing bonds. The mother of the cubs leaps on top of a termite mound and lays down, it has been a long afternoon of hunting. The three cubs joyfully run up the mound and join her rubbing their faces to hers. She tilts her head to receive the greeting, there is such a look of love and contentment on her face. The cubs nestle down next to her, all four are lined up, shoulder to shoulder, head to head. It is such a beautiful scene of mother and child bonding. The Lionesses surveys the plains, in the distance she can see the rest of the pride waking and coming out of the bushes, it is time for the pride to reunite.
One of the dominant male Lions of the Offbeat pride alights from the bushes and shakes his mighty mane. Dust particles fly around him in an arc, they catch the light and resemble a halo. He cautiously approaches one of the younger Lionesses, she is light blonde and petite. He exhibits the flehmen response, drawing back his lips allowing her scent to reach his Jacobson’s organ to analyse her pheromones to see if she is in oestrus and receptive to mating. If she is not she will rebuke him, hence why he is being cautious around her as the Lionesses can be very aggressive with males if they do not want to mate, attacking them with their sharp claws. She however clearly is in oestrus and accepts his advances. She walks away from him, indicating to him he should follow which he eagerly does. The Lioness decides when and where they will mate, the male has to obediently follow. Just as she stops to crouch to mate with him the three cubs arrive disturbing them, the male is not happy, he growls at the cubs. They may have been sired by him but beyond that the male shows little interest in his offspring. Their mother roars for them across the plain she does not want them to be injured by the male. The blonde Lioness also responds to her call and runs to greet her sister, they rub heads in joyous response. This equally infuriates the male as clearly she has lost interest in mating and will join the other Lionesses.
The blonde Lioness and the other Lionesses start to play with the cubs. The plains are expansive and they use the space to run fast practicing their chasing skills and testing their speed. The cubs treat their mothers as prey and try to chase them down, using their paws to try and pull them off balance so they stumble so they can leap on them and bring them down. The Lionesses know the game and do not run at top speed so the cubs can catch them. They tumble to the ground and frolic and wrestle with the cubs, biting at each other’s necks playfully. The male Lion looks on, he is not happy and retreats to the croton bushes. The blonde Lioness finally joins him and teases him by pretending she wants to mate but jumps over him and lays down. The cubs and other Lionesses follow her into the bushes. The cubs try and play with their father but he is not happy and growls at them he wants to mate or sleep, he does not want to play. The cubs ignore their grumpy father and join the Lionesses, they are used to his unsociable mood. This is all too much for him and he has had enough, he just wants peace! He leaps up, his mane flying in the wind and rather hastily runs away. It is most comical as his tongue is out and he looks gleeful to escape the rumbustious cubs.
The male heads across the plains and the Lionesses dutifully follow him, he is their protection from nomadic Lions who would kill their cubs. In turn he draws in the scent of each Lioness to see who is receptive to mating, he will mate with all three is they all are. One of the Lionesses crouches before him indicating she will mate so he mounts her there and then in front of the whole pride and they mate for seconds. It is aggressive and dutiful, the male bites the top of her head and roars as he ejaculates and she growls back at him in pain. The cubs look on, used to the mating of the pride leaders, this is just all part of pride life. The success of Lion prides is in their bond as a pride, they share all aspects of life. The cubs are still very playful and run and jump at each other, pulling each other down. The sun is beginning to set, as nocturnal animals this is their time to be awake and active. Golden light floods the plains. The golden hour occurs just before sunset, when the sun is low on the horizon, creating that iconic warm glow. The fur of the Lions metaphorically burns red in the light, the deep colour of the sun reflects off of them. It is the most magical time of day to watch pride life, the Lions are at their most active and the light enhances their breath-taking beauty.
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The rising sun casts a dark red and orange hue across the early morning sky. Golden fingers of sunlight spreads across the plains warming everything it touches. As the sun rises it brings the anticipation of a new day, what will nature provide. The nocturnal animals turn from the light and head back to their dens and burrows, diurnal animals stretch their cold limbs after a long night, they run joyfully across the plains showing their delight at the warmth of the sun. Bat eared foxes sit at the opening of old termite mounds, they scurry back inside as the light reaches them. The plains become alive with activity and beautiful melodies. The dawn chorus heralds the rising of the sun, each bird seems to know when it is its time to sing. The melodic sound breathe life into the sky, the collective twittering’s and chirps of the wild songbirds is like the opening soundtrack of a film, it announces the drama and action the day will bring. The air is filled with the roars of the Lions as they walk back to their territories after a night of hunting, tired but sated. The pride stay together, they will find shelter from the heat of the rising sun in the croton bushes so they can sleep together, a tangled heap of limbs and bodies. Hyaena whoop and laugh, they would have followed the Lions on their nightly hunt hoping to scavenge. It is a wild cacophony of harsh but beautiful sounds, the soundtrack of the wild.
Saningo, one of the dominant male Lions was born of the Enkoyanai pride but after leaving his pride moved to the Mara North Conservancy. He is named after the river crossing where he was born in the main reserve. He is chasing a Lioness, she is teasing him, she knows he wants to mate but is making him work for it. Eventually she falls down on the grass rolls over playfully then allows him to mate with her. They have only just started their three to five days mating ritual, for once he has ejaculated after much growling it is only ten minutes before he mounts her again. After each copulation they sit apart, he lays down patiently waiting for her to decide when they will mate again. She rolls away from him onto her back, legs akimbo to aid the flow of sperm. At best she is indifferent to him, to her this is her duty, it is the price to produce cubs. Lionesses are incredible mothers she will protect them with her life. When they give birth they do so away from the pride so they can give them her undivided attention and protect them from rambunctious pride life. For her the male is just a necessity to their production and survival as he will guard and protect them.
Ndoto (meaning dream) the first daughter of Nalangu is walking along the edge of the Laga looking to hunt. She is a young beautiful Leopard of only four years old. Her stunning jade green eyes scan the plains for hunting opportunities. She has not given birth to cubs yet so her life is solitary as she learns to hunt larger prey so when she does have cubs she will be fully ready to take care of them as well as herself. She really is quite stunning, her face is as yet unscarred from battles over territory or mating. When she comes into oestrus she will have to contend with multiple males, much larger than herself fighting for mating rights. Her life is quite peaceful now her main concern is hunting. When Leopards first leave their mothers they focus on smaller prey such as scrub hare, mongoose and baby gazelles. This prey will sustain them when they are still small but they have to hunt several times to day to satisfy their appetite. As they grow and mature and they will need to hunt larger prey which will satisfy them for several days. Leopards can hunt prey up to twice their body weight and are of course known for dragging it up a tree away from other predators and scavengers. Leopards’ bodies have evolved for climbing, they have powerful back legs that can propel them into high places, very muscular backs, and strong claws that easily dig into tree bark. They also have a low centre of gravity, and relatively compact body size, both of which help them keep balanced. Ndoto silently stalks through the grasses, she may get lucky and find a young gazelle secreted in the grasses or a scrub hare hiding in the bushes.
A lone Lioness is out on the open plains in the mid-morning heat, she is an older Lioness from the Offbeat pride, she is looking for hunting opportunities. She is strong and incredibly beautiful, probably around ten years old, her body and face are scattered with scars from mating and battles with prey. She is large and muscular, no doubt an alpha female. Topi have spotted her and start to snort an alarm call. She sees a family of Pumba to hunt, she nestles down in the long grass, disappearing as her tawny fur is camouflaged by the dry golden stems. Her bronze eyes are focused, she knows she will have to be patient and wait for the sounder to get closer so she can ambush them. Then suddenly a herdsmen comes down the hill towards the Laga with a herd of sheep and goats, the Lioness looks up interested. This begs the question of the human wildlife conflict. Should the Maasai be allowed to graze their cattle in the Conservancies where there are predators, they could graze them outside of these wilderness areas. Fortunately for the herdsman the Lioness looks away she is more interested in the Pumba, he is an unwelcome distraction and will scare the sounder off. She lays down, once the herd has departed she will reconvene her hunt.
Malaika meaning Angel was one of the most loved female Cheetahs in the Maasai Mara. She was beautiful, hence her name, strong and a protective successful mother. In 2015 when the Maasai Mara suffered devastating floods and the banks of the Mara rivers flooded, more tragedy followed, both humans and wildlife lost their lives. Malaika had two male cubs still under her maternal care of just eighteen months old. In order to save them her risked her life to swim across the torrid Mara river to take them to safety. Sadly she was carried off down the river she could not fight the current, it was a devastating loss. Fortunately her sons survived, but what would become of them without their mother? It was thought they would not survive; they were not yet ready to fend for themselves without their mother. Thankfully they had each other and they survived firstly by just hunting small prey as their mother taught them such as scrub hare then as they grew in skill and confidence, they took on larger prey. Today they are nearly nine years old, still together. They are light blonde like their mother and very beautiful, her legacy lives on in them. They have mated over the years and sired cubs of their own. Through them Malaika’s genes live on.
The boys are under a beautiful Gardenia tree, it’s gnarly trunk giving way to beautiful dark green small leaves. Part of the trunk has split away from the tree and leans over, beautifully twisted. All male cats born together have a tight bond as they bond and stay together for life. The circumstances of these males tragic start has tightened this bond further. They lay together rolling over on the grass, one has found a lump of cow dung and has started to eat it, all dogs and cats seem to be the same when it comes to cow dung, the mineral rich excrement seem to be like cat nip to them. Having eaten part of it the brothers start grooming each other. They lay next to each other using their long raspy tongues to wash the dirt and ticks off of each other’s faces and bodies. They purr as they clean, contented in each other’s love and affection. The happiness on their faces is very apparent. They roll over and get up and walk towards the trunk of the tree. They take turns to scent mark the tree by spraying urine on it. They turn and sniff the branches to make sure their scent can be detected, they are sending a message to other cats that this is their territory. They further scent mark by rubbing their faces along the branches, transferring the scent from their cheek to the branch. One lays down perfectly framed by the fallen trunk, the contrast of the rough bark against their fur is stunning. Their amber eyes shine in the sun, it is breath-taking.
A Python has eaten a Thompson Gazelle, it’s bloated body lays in a narrow stream whilst it processes the food. Pythons are native to Africa and either fascinate or repel. Like most snakes, pythons do not chase after their prey, they are ambush hunters. They use both sight and smell to locate prey. Pythons also have an additional advantage: most have special temperature-sensitive “pits,” or holes, along their jaws that can sense the heat of a nearby animal. This helps them find warm-blooded prey even in the dark or among dense foliage. The python is a constrictor, it grabs its prey with its teeth, then quickly wraps coils of its body around the prey and squeezes. The python does not actually crush the prey and break its bones, though, instead it squeezes tightly so that its prey cannot breathe; each time its prey exhales, the constrictor tightens its coils to take up space, causing suffocation. The python can also feel the prey’s heart beating, so when it stops, the snake knows it is safe to release its coils and begin to eat. The snake then begins the leisurely process of unfolding its jaw and swallowing the prey whole, usually head first. The skull’s joints are able to flex and fold along with its extremely pliable skin to maximize the mouth space, allowing very large food items to pass through its oesophagus. This is accomplished with rhythmic muscular contractions that pull the prey down the snake’s throat and into its stomach. If this all sounds macabre, think about the feeding behaviour of a pride of lions, the python’s method is much more efficient. Depending on the size of the snake, pythons may eat rodents, birds, lizards, and mammals like monkeys or antelope. One rock python was even found to have a small leopard in its stomach. Once the meal is consumed, pythons look for a warm place to rest while their food is digested.
The Topi pride is the most successful pride in the Maasai Mara, they number nearly thirty strong. The late afternoon has brought rain and the pride hunker down, Lions do not like getting wet, they look very disgruntled . They huddle together for warmth and lick droplets of water from each other’s faces. This is a very bonded pride hence their success. One of the Lionesses from the pride is with her two young cubs in the bushes nearby enjoying a baby Pumbas kill. The cubs are snarling and growling enjoying the taste of meat, they are not fully weaned so most of their diet is their mother’s milk, but the meat will enable them to grow fast and strong. The cubs are enjoying the meal so much they are pulling the meat from their mothers mouth. She snarls at them, she wants them to be competitive but she also needs to feed to produce milk for them. Lions are selfish when it comes to food, they compete aggressively hence why many lions scars are from battle over food, they are taught from a young age to fight for their share. The cubs meow at their mother but she disciplines them by batting them with her large paw. This is the wild they have to be strong. The sky above is thick with thunderous grey clouds, thunder rumbles in the distance, electrifying lightning bolts rip across the sky. The sun sets behind the thick bank of cloud, the clouds are a dark battleship grey with a hint of dark red from the setting sun. The atmosphere is charged with electric, thrilling and intoxicating, added to this the Lions begin to roar, it resonates, a series of deep grunts, slowly increasing in volume and frequency before building up to a crescendo and then tapering off again with another series of grunts. The pride gathers, it is time to hunt.
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Pre-dawn the air is cool, the breeze rustles the long golden oat top grasses, and the moon is shining full in the dark blue sky lighting up the plains with blue light. Venus is still visible a bright star against the inky darkness. The sunrise over the Maasai Mara is breath-taking, the brilliant vibrant red light emerges over the plains spreading fingers of light. As the sun rises the light diffuses through the clouds into the most stunning deep shades of orange, reds and yellows, the wispy clouds soften the light creating the most beautiful pallet. The first hour after sunrise is the Golden hour or magic hour. It is that time of day when the sun is closer to the horizon. During this time of day, shadows become softer because the sun is at a lower angle to earth. The sun seems to glow and turn more golden as it approaches the horizon. Into this golden lights walks Lorkulup (meaning mucus in Maa) one of the dominant males of the Black Rock pride. He has a full mane, bronze around his large muscular head, tapering to black over his shoulders. The golden light intensifies its colour, he looks majestic as he patrols his territory. Across the African continent the Lion symbolises strength, courage, pride, wisdom, authority, and protection, while the lioness represents fierce motherhood and femininity. In Africa, the Lion, like all other felines, are also believed to possess special powers of protection. Certainly for the pride, the males role is to protect and fight for them.
The gregarious confident female Leopard Luluka is languishing on the high branches of a Ballanite tree with an Impala kill. She is in a reflective mood, only a few days ago she lost her two cubs to predation. It is believed Ologologol (meaning dewlap in Maa) the resident male Leopard came across them and killed then to bring her back into oestrus. Infanticide is rife with big cats, it is because the males have to compete to mate with the females. Whilst a female Leopard is nursing and raising cubs which she will do so for up to two years she is not receptive to mating. In a few days Ologologol will no doubt seek her out to try and mate with her as she will want to replace the cubs she has lost. In the meantime she would have eaten little when the cubs were a few weeks old and now hunts to regain her strength to give birth again. The Impala is perfectly strewn over a thick branch, it’s legs hanging one side and its neck and head lolling the other, its eyes blank in death. Luluka yawns widely, stretches and stands up and walks confidently along the branches towards her kill. She licks the skin to soften the flesh and then uses her sharp canines to tear into the body , blood and fluids drip from the incision. She licks around her mouth savouring the taste of the salty blood. She continues to tear into the flesh of the rump which is the meatiest, she is hungry and this kill will sustain her for a few days.
Oloimina (Maa to get lost) another of the dominant male Lions from the black rock pride is mating with a feisty beautiful Lioness. She keeps rubbing up against him, crouching before him and then when he tries to mount her she runs off. She does this several times making him chase after her. Another Lioness appears and Oloimina takes an interest in her, the feisty Lioness distracts him again by pretending she wants to mate. Once again she runs and he gives chase, he is now aggressive and angry. Finally she lets him mount her, he is angry and whilst mating is always aggressive, this is angry. There is no bond of love between Lions and Lionesses. He viciously bites right through the skin at the back of her neck, she roars and turns round and swipes him, he roars back, ejaculates and she lunges at him, fur flying as she claws at his face and mane. She bites his cheek and they wrestle on the ground. She is a Lioness she will not stand for such abuse. He is terrified of her retribution, he manages to get away from her by leaping back, he truly looks sorry. She finally calms down and they roll on the grass together. They have only just started mating and so copulation happens every fifteen minutes, still fiery but not so terrifyingly aggressive! When he has ejaculated he jumps straight back to avoid her swiping claws and sharp canines.
A very large male Serval has caught a monitor lizard and carries it through the long grasses. The Serval is a solitary carnivore and are primarily nocturnal hunters, though more diurnal than most cats. They are very active in the early morning hours, up to about 10:00 or 11:00, and again in the late afternoon, after 16:00 to 17:00 into the evening. They are specialists in catching rodents and birds in tall grass. It preys on rodents, particularly mice, rats, small birds, frogs, insects, and reptiles, using its sense of hearing to locate prey. Servals have large bat like ears enabling them to listen to movement in the grass. They have long legs and are built for height not speed so use a pouncing technique to catch prey. Monitor Lizards do not move fast so this would have been an easy target for him. The Serval starts to tear into the hard scales of the lizards body, you can hear the crunching of scales. He is nervous of having his catch being taken away from him so he picks it up and carries it through the long grasses once again. Sadly the monitor lizard is still alive, the Serval has eaten part of the tail, blood drips down macabrely. The skin of the monitor lizard is so thick he has not been able to cleanly kill it before eating it. He drops the Lizard down in the grass and starts eating again, the lizard tries to get away but it is too injured. Cats are usually clean hunters but the Serval is hungry and not thinking of the pain of the Lizard, it is just food.
Orkitok (Maa for Boss) is the dominant male of the Salas coalition, they are the pride leaders of the Topi pride. There are nearly thirty Lions now in the pride making them the most successful pride in the Mara. He is alone at sunset, he has separated from the pride to check his territory to ensure no other males have entered who would look to challenge his position. Males defend the pride’s territory, marking the area with urine, roaring menacingly to warn intruders, and chasing off animals that encroach on their territory. The males will also keep in line other animals such as clans of Hyaena who regularly kill cubs. On patrol male Lions have been known to attack and kill the female clan leader to send a message he is in charge of the territory. The Lions really are the rulers of the plains, they are not just iconic but they symbolise strength and power. The sound of the wild is the deep roar of Lions gathering the pride together at sunrise and sunset. The sound cuts through the air, the roar of a lion is one of the most thrilling and captivating vibrations that travels through the air and carries for miles. This characteristic call is typically delivered in a bout consisting of one or two soft moans followed by several loud, full-throated roars and a terminating sequence of grunts. As the air cools his breath condenses into lots of tiny droplets creating a beautiful fog cloud. As the sun disappears below the horizon, it symbolises completeness and harmony and the promise of renewal. The Lions iconic shape is perfectly silhouetted against the African deep orange sky. These interwoven stories from the plains of Africa tell of how animals, plants and even bacteria live together in a unique balance. These are true stories from the wild and an insight into how one of the last strongholds of the true wild is fighting to protect our planet and why we must connect with nature to ensure we have a planet that can sustain future generations.
