Mara Triangle Blog

June's Monthly Report Now Out

2009-07-03T08:32:40Z

I know I say this every month, but this month I mean it more than ever; if you like our work please consider making a donation. (Last month was quite tricky financially and there's a couple of bills that still need paying!)

For all those who wish to visit this season you will find the park ready - campsites are tidy, roads are graded, tracks mown, animals happy and migration on it's way any day now. Karibu sana!

Almost there..

2009-06-29T07:29:23Z

Well, about halfway. Hope you all like the new website and find it easier to get around. Obviously there's quite a bit more to go up, including things like maps to every campsite, and places of interest inside and outside the Triangle.

I'm actually out of the Mara at the moment, and will be for the next few days, but once I get back I'll finish the site off. Leave a comment if there's anything you would like to see on the website.

Elsewhere, Kenyans will know that we've been attacked again by the Local MP recently, hopefully this will resolve issues and stop the allegations, and then we'll be able to get back to our work.

And migration is on it's way, probably mid July.

Kwa heri for now.

Don't forget to catch up with the latest from the North Side Story - Episode II out now!

Dogs, Links & Migration

2009-06-19T07:22:43Z

The Mara Conservancy Canine Unit is now that - the dogs and the handlers are working well together, and on Wednesday they visited each Ranger Station for a briefing on how the rangers will work with the dogs and their handlers.

This Saturday there will also be a briefing at Kichwa Tembo for all managers and security staff of lodges and camps that use the Mara Triangle, followed by another briefing at Mara Safari Club in Ol Chorro.

There are a couple more links in the Mara blogosphere that should not be missed:

Definitely check out the pilot episode of The North Side Story:

In a land where Elf (the dominant female) is queen and clashes with lions are the norm, we bring you a clan. Located between the beautiful Oz Valley and the famous Mara River, this is where the drama unfolds. Known to many as “fisi,” we just call them “North.”

This is the North Side Story.

I have inside sources that tell me Episode II will be out any day now.

Elsewhere the River Researchers have managed to catch a unique case of Voyeurism: An Ostrich refusing to give a Thompson's Gazelle a little bit of privacy...

There are also rumours that the migration won't make it to Kenya this year... although I also heard this morning that it'll be here within the next two to three weeks. Start placing your bets.

The Mara Conservancy is still here..

2009-06-16T06:42:05Z

.. in case you were wondering.

It seems some emails were sent out last week around the Mara to say that we've gone. Well we haven't, we're still here, and we're continuing with our work like always.

Dog Training at Salt Lick

2009-06-13T06:19:55Z

These photos were taken by William Puya, who was watching the Tracker Dog Unit train near Salt Lick.

Rangers from both Iseiya and Ngiro-are were there to see the training in progress.

The training is going extrememly well, with Linda and John both very happy with the progress of the Unit.

First Sighting of Rhino Calf

2009-06-12T09:08:04Z

This is Mother Naishuro, and her new calf. We still don't know if it's a boy or a girl.

The calf is about two and a half months old and this is the first time I've seen it with the Mother. The Mother is very calm and stayed out in the open for the whole day, moving only for about a kilometre.

News Round Up: Lion Poisoned

2009-06-10T14:09:24Z

We've been a bit quiet on this issue because it happened on the other side of the Mara. WildlifeDirect did a good job on reporting on the incident, and have used it as part of their campaign to have furadan banned and taken off the shelves in Kenya.

Ole Letura posted about the poisoning and mentioned the need for hoteliers in the Mara to invest in and involve the Maasai in the management of their land.

And Paul Kirui also posted about the lion poisoning and discusses the increase in cattle grazing inside the reserve, which is raising the human-wildlife conflict in the area.

We should also mention the need to stop illegal grazing inside the reserve. This, I should imagine, would reduce the human-wildlife conflict quite a bit. However, if I was a man with a lot of cows that needed grass I would still take the risk of a predator attack and keep bringing my cows in to graze. Why? Because grass is short outside of the reserve - over grazing - and inside no one's going to stop me.

Website Changes

2009-06-02T08:26:14Z

Things might look a bit funny around here over the next couple of days, and a lot of the website content will disappear -it will be coming back, but hopefully in a more organised way. Any requests or suggestions to what is needed on the website are also welcome.

Mounds and trees.

2009-06-02T08:14:18Z

The pride of lions around Oloololo gate are monitored by Wilson Naitoi. Due to the long grass, hunting has not been easy to them. To locate their prey, they had to climb termite mounds and dead fallen trees and really utulise them as vantage points.

Lionesses on the termite mound.

They move from mound to mound with their cubs following from behind all the time. The cubs will learn this way of survival in the future.

Lionesses tries to scan around for prey.

Wandering in the Mara's grassland.

2009-05-31T08:40:13Z

I was surprised yesterday in the morning to find a pair of secretary birds foraging in the long grass within the reserve. I kept wondering how difficult for them to find their prey; grasshoppers and lizards. I silently followed them for a while, but did not see them get anything.

Secretary birds foraging in the long grass.

Also this morning i found a female cheetah spying out in one of the murrum pits,trying to locate Thomson gazelles in the long grass and at the same time making sure not to be seen. She instead saw a spotted hyena, thus bringing the intended mission to a halt.

Cheetah looking out for prey.

Two lions were desperately walking along the main road to Oloololo through Olpunyata swamp in the central plains.. There were no animals around that place. I took almost an hour watching their movements, but the only thing they can do was look out over the road side. They look so desperate and just stick to the road. The grass is long and wet. This time round many nomadic lions are wandering the savanna grassland looking for prides to take over.

Lions look out over the savanna grassland.

Immediately i left the lions, i kept wondering how this animals have adopted this changes. Sometimes dry with short grass and awet season like now. Topis are always associated to termite mounds and seeing this one this morning was so thrilling.

Topi overlooking the savanna on the termite mound.