Sunday, October 9, 2011

Cheetah chase in Maasai Mara


Last night we had a lecture on the Wildebeest migration. We had chosen the Maasai Mara because I had heard that they should be migrating across the Mara river in October. But apparently, this had occurred in August this year. They travel South to the Serengeti where their calves are born. Today, we're on our way to the Mara river, but on our way we see a cheetah in the distance, while we were watching he gook off in pursuit of an impala. While we thought the impala was a goner, it managed to escape. On our travels, we also encountered Cape Buffalo with Ox Picker birds eating bugs from their backs, followed by Secretary Birds, and vultures. Then we saw 3 cheetahs and watched a second chase, which also failed. Two chases in one day! Right afterwards our vehicle high centered with mud underneath the wheels. We were pulled out by another jeep.



At the river, we saw hippos lazing along the bank and in the water. While we were eating lunch, the vervet monkeys were trying to steal our food. After lunch, we took a walk to see more hippos, and two places where the wildebeest cross the river, one with the remains of a wildebeest skull.
Secretary Bird

It was an uneventful ride home passing Common Eland antelope and Grant's Gazelles as well as the usual zebra, giraffe, impalas, and wildebeest. We were pretty tired after our eight hour drive.

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