Freeman Safaris
‘Yesterday’s Safaris Today’
A big thank you for giving us a fantastic experience in Kenya, (your back yard), at home and in the bush.
We had the time of our lives day in and day out. We loved Samburu. The bird life there was incredible and it was great to see the Grevy's zebra, an incredibly striking animal. It is a wonderful place to camp.
We loved Lake Nakuru. It was great to see both black and white Rhino and the lake itself is of outstanding beauty. The Flamingo's are so pretty in pink; but we loved the Pelicans, big birds with huge characters, plus I (sandra) saw my first Leopard, a wonderful sight to see.
But nothing could beat the Masai Mara. Experiencing the anticipation of the migration after several teasing attempts was magical, its full of ooh's and aah's. We wanted every zebra and every wildebeest to make the crossing but loved it when the croc's struck…
We loved that most of the animals had young. How cute they all were, Zebra, Elephant, lion, Wildebeest, all the Gazelles, Warthog, Hippo, Giraffe, the list is endless. We experienced first hand a mother cheetah making a kill and calling for her siblings to enjoy her feast, a real insight on their daily lives. We loved the huge male lions sitting as if for portraits, many were sleeping and a few were making out with beautiful females. We saw young cubs of different ages, an absolute delight. Sighting the Serval cat at sunrise was a real bonus but finally seeing Leopards was the biggest thrill of all. Seeing a mother playing with her cubs, dad chilling out, and both feeding high up in the tree sure was a sight to behold.
The friends we made on our Safari was a real bonus, we would like to thank each and every one of you for making our trip more remarkable. Thanks again.
Sandra and John, September 2009.
Why is the Mara the Jewel of Africa?
The simple answer is that it matches everyone’s wildlife expectations. I have no hesitation in calling it the ‘Jewel of Africa’ for the simple reason that everyone, including people who have visited many other parts of Africa, all tell me so. I can hear many of you say I am biased but I assure you this is not the case and, as I am told it so often, let me tell you why.
The Mara quite simply provides one of the greatest wildlife experiences in the world. Where else can you see millions of migrating animals passing through each year in search of grass and water? Where else can you watch lions, leopards and cheetahs, day in day out, making kills out in the open plains, from start to finish? Where else can you see cubs of all the cats, not just once but often and on every safari. Or see the big males out in the open? The list of these and other species is endless.
First of all let me give you a very brief thumb sketch of ‘my area’ right in the middle of the real Mara, where all the action takes place where ‘no white mini buses fly’.
The Mara is 1,510 square kilometres in area and is located 275km from Nairobi within
the Great Rift Valley at an altitude of 1,500 metres above sea level. The climate
is rarely too hot and usually quite cool at night. There is occasional rain all year
round. However there are rainy seasons in November/December and April/May.
The Masai
Mara consists of many different eco-zones. There are the wetlands, the grasslands,
the riverine forests, the Mara river itself, and the seasonal rivers and gullies.
Each zone has its own characteristics which are, very briefly:
The wetlands
Mainly seasonal and occur where there is black cotton soil, and we all know how slippery that becomes! When wet, water is trapped at the surface or underground.
The Grasslands
The plains, which cover the vast majority of the Mara, are typical rolling savannah consisting of Red Oat and Thatch grasses with odd scattered trees. It is this area that supports the huge herds of wildebeest and zebras.
The Riverine Forests
These are now mainly confined to the banks of the Mara and Talek rivers and are home to buffalo, water buck and hundreds of birds.
The Mara River
The Mara meanders southwards through the park, in places between steep banks and over rocks, creating rapids and pools. It is home for a large number of hippos as well as the huge Nile crocodiles, who prey on the migrating herds as they run the gauntlet of crossing and re-crossing the river from June through to Oct.
Seasonal Rivers and Gullies
The Talek and Sandy rivers are probably the best known of these. These are seasonal rivers which are often a torrent but in the main just a trickle or a series of pools. The Talek river, the most famous, is home to a number of lovely leopards. The gullies fill up with water which runs off the plains creating a series of pools. These provide water not only to the grazing animals but also to the many different birds.
It is this diverse habitat, and particularly the open grasslands, that supports the great migration. It also supports indigenous species such as topi, Thomson’s gazelles, Buffalos and the many Wildebeest and Zebras that choose to remain behind. And, of course, these in turn support the lions, over 500 it is said, as well as cheetahs and leopards many other predators.
Well, that’s the technical stuff done so let me explain why my ‘back garden’ is so unique.
On every safari, and I mean every single one, we go out and enjoy the park from dawn to dusk., We enjoy large and small wildlife experiences, from the Tommy giving birth and the calf instinctively getting to its feet, to big lion making a kill out in the open. We are able to follow the cats throughout the season, the cheetah with her three cubs from last year is still here and her cubs are nearly fully grown. She is about to abandon them to their own devices. We have been able to observe them throughout their lives, seeing them hunt many times. We see a cheetah kill on every safari and so far we have enjoyed eight hunts in the last week.
I can go on and on giving you examples but you only have to read my Newsletters to get the true feeling of the Mara, the huge open spaces, the drama down on the river crossings, the big cats and their cubs, the sheer numbers of game. It is just pure magic, it’s Africa at its very best. I can honestly say I can’t remember anyone ever being disappointed and that is why so many of you return so often. Some even return every year as there are always new things to see, new experiences to enjoy, better pictures to take.
What makes it even better is the location of my camp, right bang in the middle of where all the action takes place. Literally every major part of the park, the Mara and Talek rivers, the major river crossings, Musiara swamp, Paradise and Topi plains, Rhino Ridge - nowhere that counts is more than 30 minutes away.
Unfortunately I don’t think that the Mara will remain in its present fantastic state for ever because more and more regulations will be applied, the infrastructure will be like an artificial safari park to meet international standards. Also there is increasing pressure on the surrounding land and, as a result there is encroachment of cattle into the park as herds increase in size, more permanent manyattas are built and, more worryingly, huge areas are now being used to grow grain, denying the passage of game. So it will cease to be the back yard I have loved for nearly all my life. When it becomes another ‘Kruger’ I just won’t want to know and will say ‘Kwaheri’. How far away that is I simply don’t know but it won’t be too long from now.
So if you want to enjoy it the way it is, the way it should be, then join me for a real ‘Yesterday’s Safari today’ You won’t be disappointed but whatever happens don’t leave it too long..
© Freemansafaris.com
The Masai Mara