Once again we set out early onto the never ending plains. There were some jeeps far off so we started on our way on the bumpy roads. Once we made it across the river there was a ton of jeeps watching a cheetah hunting attempt. Like the first cheetah we saw hunting it had lost the element of surprise and the herd of gazelle were wary and keeping a good distance. The cheetah tried a few short runs but never got close to max speed. The gazelle kept their space and soon the cheetah moved on to look for something else to eat.
We continued on and saw an eagle eating something in a thorn bush surrounded by jackals and we finally got an up close look of an ostrich that was walking right on the side of the path.
There was also hundreds and hundreds of the water buffalo migrating in huge herds.
As we were watching the swarms of water buffalo we came up to a river with a few jeeps trying to see if it was too muddy to get across so Joe got out to see for himself. They decided it was shallow enough to get through. The other two jeeps made it through but we got stuck in the deep dug tracks of the first two. Luckily the people from the other jeeps helped us push the jeep out of the mud. After we thanked the other tour groups we made it to a nice spot for breakfast. The picnic spot was in the middle of a huge field and we were sitting underneath the only tree within a few miles.
The picnic was great and we had a good view of the water buffalo that looked like ants in a huge line stretching over into the horizon. (Mom says best picnic spot ever.)
After we climbed back into the jeep we went to see the lions again not far from where we saw them the day before. We couldn't see the young male so he must have been sleeping farther back. We left the lions and soon ran into the four cheetahs brothers again and this time the fifth was out in the open with them.
It was close to lunch and we had stayed out late the last two days so we turned back to camp and on the way through we ran into a bunch of trucks on either side of a river. We stopped and asked what they were looking at and the other guide told us there was a leopard lying in the rivers edge. We couldn't see him over the edge but after a few minutes he stood up started making his way up the river. We had a nice spot and it walked a few yards in front of us. Once he passed all the jeeps everybody scrambled to get a spot up river.
We kept up with the graceful cat as he traversed the rocky river banks and slopes. He made it to the river bend and crouched down and leaped across the river with ease. It was so cool.
There was also hundreds and hundreds of the water buffalo migrating in huge herds.
As we were watching the swarms of water buffalo we came up to a river with a few jeeps trying to see if it was too muddy to get across so Joe got out to see for himself. They decided it was shallow enough to get through. The other two jeeps made it through but we got stuck in the deep dug tracks of the first two. Luckily the people from the other jeeps helped us push the jeep out of the mud. After we thanked the other tour groups we made it to a nice spot for breakfast. The picnic spot was in the middle of a huge field and we were sitting underneath the only tree within a few miles.
The picnic was great and we had a good view of the water buffalo that looked like ants in a huge line stretching over into the horizon. (Mom says best picnic spot ever.)
After we climbed back into the jeep we went to see the lions again not far from where we saw them the day before. We couldn't see the young male so he must have been sleeping farther back. We left the lions and soon ran into the four cheetahs brothers again and this time the fifth was out in the open with them.
It was close to lunch and we had stayed out late the last two days so we turned back to camp and on the way through we ran into a bunch of trucks on either side of a river. We stopped and asked what they were looking at and the other guide told us there was a leopard lying in the rivers edge. We couldn't see him over the edge but after a few minutes he stood up started making his way up the river. We had a nice spot and it walked a few yards in front of us. Once he passed all the jeeps everybody scrambled to get a spot up river.
We kept up with the graceful cat as he traversed the rocky river banks and slopes. He made it to the river bend and crouched down and leaped across the river with ease. It was so cool.
He then climbed up the river bank and continued walking right in-between all the jeeps not afraid of them in the slightest. After cutting through the jeeps he stopped in the tall grass and sat on his hind legs and it almost looked like he was trying to inspect us all.
All of the trucks stopped and soon he stood back up and walked right in front of our jeep and into more of the savannah grass.
We decided after that incredible experience it was time to get back to camp. We went back for lunch and recharged the camera batteries.
At lunch we met Brian Everett, a photographer who visits the Masai Mara for two weeks every year to photograph lions. He was going to photograph a famous alpha-male lion named Scarface. We hadn't seen a male lion with a full mane and he said we could just follow his jeep when he went to see Scarface later that afternoon. So we asked Joe and were able to go.
Scarface was thirteen years old and had an injured leg so he doesn't cover too much ground and was most likely near the same area he had been seen days ago. Scarface used to be an alpha male with a big pride and lots of territory but after he got old most of the pride left. There were only three males and two females lying in the tall grass now spread out into three groups. The two other males were much younger and could've killed Scarface easily and earned quite a reputation but apparently they didn't out of respect for Scarface.
We watched the old lion limp to a new bed of grass followed by one of the females. Scarface's one eye was scratched out which is where he got his name and when he limped you could see the leg dragging along.
He still had a magnificent mane of hair but he was also quite frail for a lion and was soon going to die. The other young lions were asleep as well occasionally getting up and moving to a new spot.
We watched the lions until dark and had to head back to camp. We thanked Brian for letting us tag along and packed up and got ready to leave the Masai Mara the next morning.
At lunch we met Brian Everett, a photographer who visits the Masai Mara for two weeks every year to photograph lions. He was going to photograph a famous alpha-male lion named Scarface. We hadn't seen a male lion with a full mane and he said we could just follow his jeep when he went to see Scarface later that afternoon. So we asked Joe and were able to go.
Scarface was thirteen years old and had an injured leg so he doesn't cover too much ground and was most likely near the same area he had been seen days ago. Scarface used to be an alpha male with a big pride and lots of territory but after he got old most of the pride left. There were only three males and two females lying in the tall grass now spread out into three groups. The two other males were much younger and could've killed Scarface easily and earned quite a reputation but apparently they didn't out of respect for Scarface.
We watched the old lion limp to a new bed of grass followed by one of the females. Scarface's one eye was scratched out which is where he got his name and when he limped you could see the leg dragging along.
We watched the lions until dark and had to head back to camp. We thanked Brian for letting us tag along and packed up and got ready to leave the Masai Mara the next morning.
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