Seeing Spots!

For the last two decades, the population of cheetahs in the Mara has increased markedly. There is a fear that the cheetah population is facing a threat of inbreeding. These three brothers have a home range in the central part of the Mara. (Picture in front of my safari Land Rover.)

This year's Great Migration

This year, the great migration arrived at the Mara from the Serengeti earlier than usual. During the first week of June, the herds were already in the Masai Mara. Having arrived early, there are signs that the herds will leave earlier -- before end of October. Already most of the population have crossed the border. This photo shows that the herds have just dispatched from a meeting in the Mara plains and the next conference will be held in the Serengeti.

My Brother's Wedding

On September 11, 2010, our family, relatives and friends were all happy to welcome a new bride into the family. My younger brother, Simore, married a young maiden from another village 5 milies from Oltorotua.

It was a big party with about 200+ attendants. We butchered 6 lambs alongside cakes, soft drinks, chips and tea. Here are a few photos.

Looking Up to See a Lion

I was driving a family of tourists from Switzerland in the Masai Mara and trying to spot a leopard for my guests. When I looked up at a tree, I thought I saw a leopard and drove towards it. When we got closer, were realized it was a lioness, not a leopard. This is very uncommon behavior with lions in the Mara but with my experience in the bush, I have two thoughts about this sighting:

1. It is the rainy season and the grasses are tall. Lions need higher lookouts to locate prey.
2. The tall grasses harbor flies. These flies cause much discomfort to lions.

When a lioness has to be above the grass, she usually climbs rocks or kopjes. (A kopje is a small knob or hill.) With no kopjes nearby, the lioness was forced to climb a tree. And here is the photo I took of her.

A New Home

We will soon begin our house but first we are building a kraal for the cattle and other livestock. This kraal is not made with the traditional spiky fence from acacia tree branches with thorns 1½ to 2 inches long. Although the thorns may seem long and intimidating, that kind of fence gives limited protection from predators, especially lions, that roam the Kenyan plains at night. This kraal has barbed wire for better protection. At the right is a photo.