On Safari, July 19 Rekaro Camp Maasai Mara

You would think after going on eight safaris there would be little that would surprise you. That is not the case at all, Africa reveals itself to you a bit at a time and no one, even our experienced guides, can predict what the day will hold.

The morning started like every other morning, tea and coffee delivered to our tent at 6 AM for a 6:30 departure. The morning was especially crisp and cool with a delicate breeze. As usual we were the first group out. Our Maasai guide Daniel told us that there was a chance we could see the great migration and may even get a chance at a river crossing. But first we hand unfinished business, the previous evening we missed a leopard by only a few minutes. We found where she had stashed her gazelle in a tree out of reach of the ever-present hyenas but despite our best efforts she was nowhere to be found.

After a short drive around the leopard’s usual resting place, Daniel decided to run us back to the tree. Our first hint that she was there was the group hyenas lurking near the base of the tree. Daniel told us there was no way the leopard would come out of the tree with hyenas ready to attack. Hyenas are one of the fiercest of all carnivores in Maasai Mara having the ability to bring down a wildebeest.

We pulled up next to the tree and there she was, eating taking a break every so often to growl at the hyenas. The sun was rising so we decided to wait for the morning light to get a photo of her in the tree. We were in luck, because the hyenas realized they were in an impossible situation and left. At that point the leopard decided to come down, and with Daniel finding the perfect spot, we got a rare treat and a series of excellent photos.

After a quick lunch viewing a group of hippos bathing in the Mara river, we set off looking for the migration. We were lucky again as thousands of wildebeest were on the move. We took our time moving through them with a stop directly in the middle. There we were surrounded by wildebeest and zebra as far as the eye cds ould see. We followed the throng as it approached the Mara river and found it self with nowhere to go but across.

Again we found the best spot as the herd started to cross the river. It looked just like the BBC footage on Planet Earth of a river crossing of the great migration. The water was shallow so the wildebeest did not have to worry about crocks plucking the weak, but the experience was still awesome.

All in all not a bad morning as Africa continues to surprise and delight.