End of Year 2012 Game Sightings(,Notch's last Christmas/New Year Bash with The Boys)-Part 3

NOTCH’S LAST CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR BASH WITH HIS SONS

While we celebrate our Christmas by travelling to some places of interests or by partying in a special way, wild animals would never do that, they have no calendar to follow, but here on the Christmas eve >25^thof December 2012, our most photographed coalition of male lions in Maasai Mara Game Reserve had a Hippopotamus kill, one of the biggest mammal to be killed by lions.

Most of the safari camps and lodges were full of both local and international tourists who they came to celebrate   the 25th and the 1^st as special days of our calendar. And to top up the experience on the wildlife was watching the Notch and his four sons enjoying their kill, and for some days it was Notches’ starter, main course and even dessert.

I drove with my clients to watch the king on one of the afternoon and morning hours and there was nothing so special than watching him tearing off the fleshy hippo, and then being joined by his sons. He was still looking strong and healthy, thanks to the invaluable help from his 4 sons.

To me this was the last Christmas/New year bash he was having as a strongest coalition on the busy plains of our beloved Maasai Mara, he did not live to see the end of the year 2013 but he went missing in the middle of August 2013.At this time of the year the great migration of wildebeest and zebras were scattered in the Mara and there was enough food for them, and again he did not live to see the migration heading back to Tanzania. He might have been got and killed by some other coalitions of lions on his own. It was at this time of the year that they were splitting a lot…..

Killing of a fully grown hippo by lions is a skilled acquired through experience. Hippos are big animals with a weight of almost 2600 to 3000kilos, and also well armed with their strong, big and sharp teeth called tusks .If a lion is got by a hippo’s bite then that would be the end of its life. This Notch coalition has made the highest number of hippo kills in the Mara than any other pride. I have never seen them hunting down hippos, and if there is somebody who has seen this then may be less than 2!

Hippos have very sensitive heat to sun heat and they only come out at night to graze. Lions too are active at night, and when this coalition of 5 lions find a hippo then they would hunt it down with a lot of caution, starting from the rear side tearing of the legs tendon, and once the hippo has fallen down they would kill by tearing off flesh on the sides of the body and eventually the hippo will die out of pain, strangulating a fully grown hippo is impossible and that is why it is done only with lions that have acquired such skills.

This year January, 2014, his sons have killed highest number in a month!

A fully grown Hippo-App.2.8 tonnes.

King Notch getting his piece

A break is always recommended when having a big meal.

Inspecting his land from a distance to ensure there is no intrusion

How about the untouched back?

One of his sons coming to join him.

Happy dad and his son

He's feeling the heat and he's off to Croton bushes 

0

End Of Year 2012 Game Sightings With Marsh Pride and The Notches-Part 2

Playing Marsh Pride Cubs.

Playing lions cubs made our afternoon trip around the famous Marsh pride breeding area called Bilashaka.They were climbing one of the tree,at one point one was seemed to be stucked there but still he/she was the super climber despite being harassed by his colleagues.

The rest of the cubs kept pushing his/her to come down but still they couldn’t for some time until when they gave up.We enjoyed watching them a lot.Having such a big litter in pride is a golden luck and chances of survival are high because their mothers would in most cases hunt together for the general benefit of the pride.

What a "Lioncubbed" Experience

Come for me was his message to his brothers and sisters

And he was caught,"come down"

I can go higher,i mean higher and higher

One was going up only to be got by the tail

He was not happy and they went quarreling 

He got an old branch and he was ready to defend his position

A little comfort

He was laughing at his colleagues

On Honeymoon
Not far away from the playing cubs were the lions mating.What is so amazing here is that ,from the time this pride was taken over by 4 new male lions dozens of mating has been done and some the girls seems not be into the affair. Some conceived already and cubs are the proof,while others were still to and that is common with the Lions kingdom.Not all matings result in conception

King of the action

The love Bite for stimulation

He was enjoying the action,but she was concentrating on something else

SPOTTING OF NOTCH AND HIS SONS AT THE INJURY TIME OF SAFARI

It was on the last day of guiding one of the Big cats fan in the Mara (Alex Black) when we spotted Notch and his sons together with their girlfriends on the  Burrungat plains.Our biggest excitement was following Notch on the move together with one lioness from Olkeju Rongai pride called Napejo and then to where he was welcomed by his sons and other females.

He was stronger and still dominating huge tract of land in maasai mara with his 4 sons and that is what it made him difficult to spot.He did not have one territory where you will go and look him but h,if he is wel fed among the thickets then he will go for some days without being seen.

There is nothing special than finding what your client wanted most while leading safaris and only at the last minute.

Notch following the movement of his family from a distance.

His eyes were unique,i loved them

Romantic Hug from Napejo

He Rules the land

One of his sons

End Of The Year 2012 Game Sightings-Part 1

Upon leaving the camp ,we found marsh pride lioness’ with their cubs heading back to the Croton bushes from their hunting ground.The golden light for photography  and to top up with the lions playing was so special. They were heading to their maternity area, Bilashaka lugga .Grass were wet due to morning dew and all cats hate becoming wet and that is why they preferred walking on the vehicles tracks.

Our lovely Talek leopard gave us the best of her photos ,she was not too far from where her mum was, probably hunting .At this stage she was being left on her own for she was no longer  young to verge for herself. She must have been lonely but that is their way of living.

On our way back to the camp, at around mid day, one of the marsh pride male was on “Honey moon”, planting his own genes. They both look well fed and fit for the very exhaustive affair. After we witnessed the action, he sprayed on the bushes to show his dominance over his partner.

We had splendid sightings of other game from the hippos on their Double crossing pool, Herd of Elephants having afternoon mud bath and one big male Elephant majestically walking on the middle of the road-we had to give him a space,Heavily pregnant Masai Giraffe on the company of his friend, Muddy Cape Buffalo in amongst other herbivores. Secretary birds foraging.

Marsh pride lioness' leading the cubs to the croton Bushes

Cubs on the Move-Golden morning light.

Family playing

Talek River leopardito

African Hoopoe foraging

Olkiombo Pride Lioness.

Hippo pool,Double Crossing area

Caught in action

After the affair

Spray Marking the Bushes

Solitary big male on the move,Please respect them and give way.

 

 

 

"Muddy" old male in company of Water buck (In the Background)

Having mud bath

Secretaries foraging.