We woke up and unzipped our tents to a sunrise over the plains. We had some breakfast and said goodbye to everyone before starting our way to the heart of the Masai Mara. The drive was an hour or so and we mostly drove through the small towns and villages with the tin roofed shacks and the roadside markets. Once we arrived at the park gate there were a lot of people selling necklaces, trinkets and carvings through the jeep windows. They were very persistent and they wouldn't stop offering deals until we drove into the park. Right past the gate we saw a herd of Grant Impalas, a topi, and some zebras.
We kept going and right up the road we saw some giraffe walking towards us over the hills. I'm sure everyone says this but it was crazy how tall they were. Eventually they got pretty close and we got to see them feeding in the high up branches.
After we left the giraffes we saw a huge water buffalo at the side of the road.
Up past the water buffalo there were a whole bunch of animals like Impalas, Elan, a Secretary Bird, Baboons, Marabou Stork, Zebras and Giraffes all in one spot. It was difficult to know where to point the camera.
We left all of the animals behind and continued towards camp on the bumpy road. Up the road a bit there were five or six safari jeeps all stopped at the side of the road with cameras out of the windows. Once we caught up to them we saw what they were looking at. There were four Cheetahs lying in the bushes right off the side of the road. The were lounging in the shade looking quite content. Joe told us that the four cheetahs were brothers that all hunt together. Usually there is five but the fifth must have been farther back in the bushes.
We got some photos and then just watched the big cats lying in the shade. After about ten minutes we had to start to camp if we were gonna make it for lunch. On the way back Joe heard about a cheetah on the hunt that wasn't far off course from the camp. The cheetah was walking towards a big herd of Thomson Gazelles and this time there was only one jeep there not including us so it was less crowded.
The Thompson Gazelles were aware of the cheetah's presence and were staying close enough to keep an eye on him while not being eaten. The cheetah kept walking up the winding tire tracks towards the herd but they made sure to keep their distance.
After awhile the cheetah gave up on the herd and went off to find something else for lunch. We started once again towards camp but were stopped by some thick mud on the road. Joe got out to see if we could get through without getting stuck. While we were stopped I noticed a herd of antelope running on the horizon I zoomed in with the camera and noticed a big cat like shadow in a bush nearby that must have startled the antelope. Once Joe got back in we drove up to get a better look at the big cat. Once we got close we saw that it was a cheetah in the shade of the bush.
We left the cheetah and drove the rest of the way to the camp. We pulled up to a grove of trees in the middle of the park to Matira Bush Camp. The camp was really nice with a large lounge and a couple of dining areas. We were shown to our tents and then had spaghetti for lunch. Kaden, Zaddek, and I had a tent to ourselves with actual beds instead of just mattresses. We were staying there for three nights so we could unpack a bit and get comfortable. After a bit of relaxing we went out for our afternoon Safari with fully charged cameras. Only a few minutes after we left the camp we saw a cheetah up on a hill with the rolling blue sky behind it.
It sat up on the small hill for a bit before walking down weaving right through the jeeps and into the savannah grass.
We left the cheetah behind and drove around the savannah for a bit looking for wildlife when Joe heard something on the radio. The rest of us couldn't hear what it was from the back of the truck but we immediately turned around and picked up a little more speed. We came up to twenty trucks surrounding a tree on the edge of a riverbank. Half way up the tree partially hidden by branches and leaves was a Leopard with a kill.
Just as we thought things couldn't get any better it got up and jumped up the edge of the river bank and walked right in front of us and right along the river. It paused for awhile as if taking in the view of the river and the leaped gracefully into the tree and started eating its share of the kill.
Joe told us that the first leopard was probably a two or three year old cub and the second leopard was the mother who had let her cub get her fill of the impala first. We could've watched the mother eat but the sun was almost down and you aren't supposed to be out after dark. We started to drive back and we went up the river to find a spot to cross when we saw some jeeps watching the cub lying next to the river.
Joe told us that the first leopard was probably a two or three year old cub and the second leopard was the mother who had let her cub get her fill of the impala first. We could've watched the mother eat but the sun was almost down and you aren't supposed to be out after dark. We started to drive back and we went up the river to find a spot to cross when we saw some jeeps watching the cub lying next to the river.
We watched the cub by the river mesmerized by its majestic coat until we officially had to start our way back to camp. We loved the dinner in the dining tent and went back to our tents after an amazing day.
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