Wildlife Portfolio Pictures & Their Stories

Cheetah’s two brothers

They just made an opportunistic kill of a baby wildebeest, they eat one leg and left and they are only drinking water then they will go to the shade to rest. Since their bellies are really full.
This were the 3 brothers but only 2 of them are alive now. And they do occupy the area between the Mara triangle and Serengeti border. Always keeping us busy on drives to Mara.
After 18 months they live their mother and they will start living on their own. Males will live in coalition while females will always live on their own unless they are seeking for a mate and it’s very rare sighting them.

African Elephants in one line

This is just a magical moment to experience, they move in a straight line being led by the dominant and oldest female known as the Matriarch.
During this time or upon seeing this behaviour, their mood is usually good and calm we drive onto their path and switch of the jeep and everybody should be calm and quite.
They will come close to about a meter and curve overtaking the jeep.
The sound of their feet rubbing on the ground and the sound on their bellies which is a sign of communication among them is magical and worth experiencing.

Giraffe in Action

They are the tallest land mammals but Elephants have the highest rich. Patience and knowing their behaviour will enable you get the best of this pictures.
We waited for him to cross the road in anticipation that it will go and browse on those balanitis trees you see at the back of the picture. And that was exactly what happen.
By also the help of their long prehensile tongue.Despite their long neck they only have 7 vertebrae on the neck same as human beings. For more lesson and guiding on this animals please book with us.

 

The elusive leopard

Their home range is around peninsular crossing overlapping to the two drainage near main bridge in Masai Mara. And their mother loves a tree close to a place called majimachafu meaning dirty water as a result of hippo dung.

Sighting them is hard but with a dedicated guide everything is possible. The best time to spot them is early in the morning or late I the evening. Or even some time during the day when it has food on top of the tree.

They do take their food up the tree so as to avoid harassment from other predators like lion and a clan of hyenas who tend to take vantage over them.

 

     Leopard unique sighting

He is the biggest boy in town and seeing them up and down the tree is just magical. Or the best experience one can ever get.

Most of the time when it becomes uncomfortable with the presence of many jeeps around it will slowly come down and walk to the thickets.

 

Lioness Mash pride & piglet on the mouth.

The lioness is part of the bigger mash pride, found along the little governor’s area and buy her look she looks lactating very young cubs.

They do go out on their own to hunt so as to have enough milk to nurse her young ones. We saw the chase but unable to take pictures coz we were still driving. But we manage to get some great shots of her carrying the piglet. And even feeding from a distance.

 

  Wildebeest migration just magical and dramatic.

Epic time in the Mara the urge to cross to the other side in search of short grass and greener pasture, will make this animals do anything so as to get to the other side

Jumping above each other breaking their legs, swimming back for their young ones and young ones back to their mums is just magical.

They wait and gather around crossing points, then wait for pressure to pile up before they start crossing.

NOTE  Get the full story on this on migration photo safari.

 

Safaricom hill lioness and cubs

Lioness do practise synchronise oestrus that is 2 to 3 females from the same pride give birth at almost the same. That is 2 to 3 lioness giving birth to 3 to 4 cubs at about a week time.

The number of cubs will be 9 to 12, they will live together and get hidden on the same den for about 6 weeks before being introduce to the pride.

The cubs will suckle all of their mums with no choosing a specific one since other might have gone out to hunt for the pride.

In a case where one lioness cubs are more than 3 weeks younger than the others. Their mum will keep them hidden and take care of them on her own until they are fully grown. Reason is the others will be having vantage over them because of size and they may not make in life.

 

Scarface brother making a roar

One of the dominant males around mushaira and little governors’ areas around the marsh area. They do cross the river to and from since they have families both sides.

It was early in the morning and this guy was busy looking for its pride members. The light was just magical and golden and the giant was on top of the mount.

The roar was just magical and amazing to hear, the sound can travel up to 5 kilometres on a calm day. So just imagine yourself less than 5 meters from the king of the jungle. This is how manei destinations rocks.

 

       Cheetah and jackal challenge

This family were busy feeding on the Impala kill, there were 3 silver backed Jackals at their back who were busy disturbing. Until one of the cheetahs got annoyed and said enough is enough and decided to chase one of them.

The jackal was chased for about 30 meters and then the cheetah just decide to let go, what was funny is the kind of sound the jackal was making after and during the chase.

I think it’s also a lesson in life to all those who like to mingle with people’s lives you may get a chase to.

 

       Leopard on a tree

The big boy on the tree, to cool, rest and avoid the day’s heat. Their difference from cheetahs is their body has rosettes and cheetahs spots. Happy days guys.

                African Buffalo mud bath

Taking a mud bath so as to control ticks and also as a temperature controller. By covering all its body with mud , ticks will not have access to its skin and the ones already on the skin will be covered by mud and on the day of scrubbing it will get rid of them.

In terms of temperature, the mud on the skin will reduce the amount of heat and rays reflecting on the body hence maintaining a constant body temperature.

 

Lioness cute facts

Its spots on the legs indicates that it is still growing. They can live 15 up to 20 years as oppose to male lions living a maximum of 12 years. Reason is the life of lioness is more active being the ones contacting most activities In the pride like most killing

Lioness will make a kill but the male will have the first share and it will tolerate young cubs to have a feast with him. Though others will have to wait.

Male lions job on the pride is taking care of the safety of lioness and cubs from clans of hyenas and  nomadic male who wander looking for territories to conquer.

 

 

Lioness and young ones less than one month old

The young cubs are 3 weeks old and that is the method that the lioness will use in transporting them from place to place

The lioness will not allow any other of the pride members to carry her young ones, she went 3 times getting her young ones to the right and safe place.

 

Cheetah story

In 2014 September they were 3 months old and were 6 of them plus their mum and this is a picture of them in January 2016 meaning they are 16 months old. Its only 3 months remaining before their mums  lives them to survive on their own.

Soon all of them will go on separate ways males making a coalition and females separating but within the same territory. Males will keep wondering from place to place trying to establish themselves.

Currently the mum is trying to gage their ability on surviving on their own. So when she decide to live they will be capable of surviving on their own.

 

 

      Zebras on the Savannah

The blue sky and the savannah grassland, endless plains, and Zebras moving across the plains is just magical.

They also migrate in search of good pasture and they are normally the first to arrive feeding on the grass and after clearing the top the wildebeest will come and clear the shorter grass remaining.