11/07/2016
Mara Migration 2016 Update
Over the past week the migration in the Mara progression has been quite fast, with wildebeest covering quite some distance per day. The herds have already reached the central plains and still highly mobile. However, the herds have split up as usual with one herds heading due north and the other heading west from the central plains towards lookout hill. These are expected to cross the river in the coming few days or by next week, going by the pace by which they have been moving across the plains over the past few days since they arrived in the Mara. Looking across into northern Serengeti, one can see herds concentrated on the plains south of the Mara Bridge towards Naima Lumbwa hills. These are expected to join the main herds into the Mara one they have mowed down all the short grass in the area where they have settled.
What has been unusual about this years migration is that the main migration from the south arrived in the Mara early ahead of the Loita herds (This is the Kenyan resident herds of wildebeest) which usually migrate into the Mara from the east of the park. Normally when we start seeing them move into the park, it is a sign that the main migration from the south is on the way. The grass on the Mara plains is very tall and we thought this will slow the movement of the wildebeest as they will have to keep feeding as they move on, but they seem just to be on a mission to migrate than looking for greener pasture.
The Mara predators, which have been starving over the lean period that was the past few months, are now waking upto a season of plenty. The prides of lion in the areas where the wildebeest have been through have already gorged themselves.. A few lion pairs have been seen to be mating at this time. Normally the arrival of the wildebeests triggers mating among the lions as it is believed that the want to have their cubs when the wildebeests are still in the Mara. The wildebeests were also seen mating aggressively when they first arrived in the Mara, but the rutting is now slowing down. The stage is now set for hunting activities in the Mara, as the predators seize the opportunity.
