Masai Mara: Day 5

Another day, another search for leopards... but all we could find was more lions in Supu's lugga. This was not good news for Supu and the cubs. Sooner or later, the lions would probably discover the leopards. If it is just one lion, then there is no problem - leopards are fast, agile and great tree climbers. But if there are enough lions to lay siege to the cubs, then the mother is helpless and the cubs are defenceless.

At one end of the lugga, laying out in full view, was a sub-adult male from the Kicheche pride. He was living and hunting on his own, growing very large as there was nobody to compete with over the kills. He was apparently leaving the squabbling and in-fighting to the other males, who were now considerably smaller. Maybe he would return in a few months and take over as the dominant male.


Running past the male lion at speed was another small line of wildebeest. I used a slower shutter speed and a steady pan to create a motion blur - still the best way to convey speed. These columns were a very common sight now, snaking their way across the plains, heading south for more grazing. The migration was now in its return cycle and the millions of grazers were pushing south to the Serengeti.

Finally, after three hours, we found the male cub sat under a bush. He was in deep cover and the skies were very gloomy, so I used a little off-camera flash to provide a little punch to the scene. He was unlikely to move so we just sat and watched.

After a very quick picnic breakfast (this was our last morning at Kicheche Mara Camp) we circled around to the neighbouring lugga. We found the rest of the Kicheche pride snoozing under small bushes. The content of their swollen bellies was soon discovered - an ostrich! The bones lay on the grass like a macabre string puppet. Lions are masters of relaxation, so we decided to end our stay in this northern conservancy with a final look at the single lion cub that was still awake.


Previous to this trip, we had never stayed at Kicheche's Bush Camp, we have always stayed in Kicheche Mara Camp. So, we had mixed emotions of excitement, anticipation, and apprehension as we set off, leaving for the unknown. The trek between camp would not be an easy one. After the torrential rail of the past five days, we were told that the road may be impassible and would therefore have to return. No great shame, as Kicheche Mara is such a brilliant place to stay anyway.

The rain had caused major disruption to the simple clay track. There was no hardcore foundation or surface, it was simple clay, raised off the ground and was now subsiding and extremely slippery. Julius battled hard to keep us on the road. Cars and trucks were stuck in the quagmire, but we couldn't stop to help. "If you stop, you lose momentum, then you are stuck too!" Julius shouted over the revving engine. I looked back at the unfortunate occupants that we were now spraying with mud.

To get round one truck we had to charge through a flooded drainage channel, across a submerged marsh, then launch over (and airborne) back onto the track. My heart was hammering! It was like a sodden Duke's of Hazard! The worst area was a natural bowl in the landscape. The whole area was flooded. The tiny concrete culvert looked like a bizarre military bunker as the earth on all sides had been washed clean away. There are no pictures as our gear was packed away and we were hanging on with white knuckles, clenched buttocks, and gritted teeth.

After about two hours hard driving (and a lot of mud splattering), we were through to the dry, arid country of Bush Camp. As if an invisible marker pen had drawn a line in the earth, the damp, waterlogged clay was replaced by rock and dust. We were now entering Olare and the second stage of our trip. Already, Kicheche Mara and the first week seemed like a world away.


As we followed the track through the open acacia woodlands, we passed topi and hartebeet crèches, many zebra, impala, giraffe, and a great deal of birds, including the colourful glossy and superb starlings. Suddenly, Jacq shouted out "There's a bloody serval, I can't believe it!" Just to the left of our jeep, a beautiful female serval was walking calmly through the tall grass, right towards us.


I thrashed around in the back of the jeep, trying to pull my camera from the bag. But there was no need to rush. The serval sat and posed for over 20mins. Walking with the light behind, then crossing the track to layout in the evening sunlight. Thank you Miss Serval! Quite simply, my best ever serval shots - which is not difficult as it is only the second time that I have photographed them.


When we thought things could not get better than this, we turned the vehicle around, drove back and stopped 50m later to see a leopard lounging in an acacia tree. The light was not great, but I shot a series of images anyway. The female leopard was stunning, a real beauty.


It was such a shock, having dismissed the potential for any leopard opportunities after Supu. What made this so magical, and so memorable, was the fact that we were the only people here. We were almost silent, apart from the audible ear-to-ear grinning and infrequent shutter release.


We watched until it was nearly dark. The serval had now approached the leopards grove and we were all thinking "look up and turn around!", but the leopard was not interested. After about 30mins, the leopard descended the tree, pausing to look at us with every step. On ISO 640, shooting at f/4, I was only getting 1/125th sec, but the images were sharp, thanks to the leopard's pause and fixed gaze. What a start!?