Guides’ Best Sightings in the Mara

Jackson Etoot
The Mara Triangle has always been the crown jewel of the Mara ecosystem, and it delivered yet again this year. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to witness some truly spectacular sightings, but 2024 brought something I never thought possible. Shujaa, a well-known leopard, stunned us when he took down a crocodile in one of the streams feeding the Mara River. He surprised us as he used all his might to drag the crocodile up the tree. 

I’ve seen leopards take on pythons in the Mara before, but a leopard eating a crocodile high in the branches? That’s something I couldn’t have imagined. This incredibly rare sighting is, without question,  my best sighting of the year. 

Ericson Lemaalo
This year brought some of the most fascinating moments in the Mara ecosystem. The Migration was wild, with hundreds of thousands of wildebeest surging across the Mara Triangle in search of green grass and water. It was a remarkable year for the big herds.

Daniel Leshan
One evening, during a drive, we rolled into the Park hoping to see the Owino Pride and their tiny cubs. A storm was approaching, so I tried to dash through the main road to Owino but couldn’t make it in time. The darkness of the storm surrounded us when suddenly, I saw something crawling slowly from the bushes towards the road. I stopped immediately and told the guests to look. And behold — there it was, a giant Temminck's pangolin. Even though the storm poured its heart out on our ponchos, soaking us through, the sighting was worth it. I quickly called my colleagues to come and witness this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Kenneth Tanui
Night safari drives are not allowed in the Mara, so seeing nocturnal animals is rare. During a full-day safari, Leshan called over the radio to say he had seen something incredible: one of the world’s most trafficked and endangered animals — the pangolin! The guests and I were so excited and sped to the spot, and thankfully, luck was on our side. There it was, the incredible creature. After working in the Mara for over eight years without seeing one, I can finally say this was my best sighting of the year.

Wilson Naitoi
The baboon’s adaptation to terrestrial life in grassland habitats has made it one of the most widespread African primates. It is found virtually across the savannah and arid biomes: trees, water, cliffs, wherever. One morning, we saw a baboon nibbling on a young impala fawn. Male baboons use their canines to prey on hares or antelope fawns and their incisors to strip meat from the bones. This kind of prey is rarely deliberately hunted, but in large troops where hunting has become a tradition, males cooperate to stalk and chase game, even sharing the meat. Alongside this opportunistic behaviour, their diverse diet includes grass, rhizomes, and invertebrates.

Robert Kiprotich
During this year’s Great Migration season, the unpredictable happened when I witnessed a hippo take down a baby zebra — possibly as a display of territorial behaviour. It was astonishing to see this happen.

Sammy Komu, Head Guide at Angama Mara
One morning, we decided to drive towards the river on the southern side of the Mara. Just as we set off, I got a call from a colleague about a potential hunt sighting. We rushed, and to our amazement, we found a pride of lions surrounding a huge, old male buffalo whose back legs had already broken. Four females and a cub surrounded it, and we were sure it was only a matter of time before the lions made their kill.

But to our surprise, the buffalo put up an incredible fight, holding off the lions for nearly an hour. Eventually, the lions gave up and retreated into the bushes, distracted by a lone wildebeest. Unlike the buffalo, the wildebeest wasn’t so lucky. The following morning, we returned to check on the buffalo, but he was nowhere to be found. With his injuries, it’s likely he succumbed during the night. Nature has its way of ensuring only the strongest survive. In my opinion, the buffalo was my hero.

Peter Ekidor
After spending three beautiful days with a group of guests in the Mara, we decided to explore the Greater Mara Reserve on their final day. We left camp after breakfast at around 08:00 with a packed picnic lunch. As we drove through the Triangle, we spotted a dazzle of zebras and two male giraffes sparring, a behaviour known as 'necking.' Sometimes, males engage in behaviour beyond fighting for dominance, and they interact in other ways that strengthen their social bonds or establish hierarchy within their group.

Pleased by this sighting, we continued exploring the Greater Mara. Our patience paid off, as we were rewarded with a sighting of the queen herself — the famous Luluka of Olkeju Rongai — and her cub. We were so lucky, as only a few safari vehicles were around, making it a peaceful and intimate experience. The two leopards were relaxed, giving us an extraordinary show. They played, fed, and even strutted in front of our safari vehicle, offering perfect moments to photograph and film. It was pure magic.

Moses Kibet
During the Migration, we checked the main crossing point to see whether herds were ready to move to the other side on an afternoon drive. While we weren’t lucky enough to see a crossing, we saw an incredible sighting — a tug-of-war between crocodiles and hippos. The hippos seemed curious about what the crocs were eating (a wildebeest) and tried to bully them or break up the feeding frenzy.

Derrick Nabaala Tubula
While in the Mara Triangle, we had been waiting for a cheetah hiding nearby when I noticed a lion heading toward the trees where the cheetah was concealed. I thought we might get a clear view of the cheetah as it came out of the bush. But the lioness soon passed the bush, which left us wondering why she was so active in the middle of the day. We noticed some waterbuck grazing along the treeline and a group of warthogs. The small animals didn’t notice the lioness, and that’s when she seized her chance. Her presence ended up being as much a surprise to us as her prey.

Freddy Sinoni
One early morning, the sunrise was beautiful, bringing a burst of light through the horizon and illuminating the misty plains. Our focus for the day was to find the cheetahs spotted the previous evening not far from the Oloololo gate. It wasn't long before we found the Angama lioness taking her two cubs on a morning walk. The cubs were energetic, often chasing each other, wrestling, and climbing trees. It was not a bad way to start the day.

We left them to enjoy their fun and proceeded; shortly after, Kijana, the male lion, stepped onto the road to catch up with his family. Suddenly, his attention shifted. I looked around and spotted a stray buffalo running towards us. Kijana didn't hesitate and started advancing towards the buffalo as if to meet him halfway. We slowly followed him, and the buffalo felt the instinct toward danger. He turned around and started galloping in the opposite direction. Kijana launched an aggressive chase, the longest run of a lion I had ever seen. I thought he would give up, but the lion kept pressing, closing the gap until he struck. He delivered a mighty raw blow on the buffalo's rump; the rest was history.

John Mathu
During the Great Migration on a morning safari drive, we noticed more than fifty vultures circling and landing on the ground, with others perched in nearby trees — a clear sign of a fresh kill. As we approached, we found a freshly opened zebra carcass with a male lion feeding on it while another lay sound asleep beside it. About 300 metres away, a long line of wildebeest marched north from the border. Since lionesses usually hunt this prey, I was sure the rest of the pride wasn’t far. As I scanned the area, I spotted two more lions stalking the wildebeest herd. Excited, we repositioned the vehicle ahead of the herd to try and witness a hunt.

The lions were moving toward the wildebeest when, to our surprise, a leopard flashed out of a shrub that the lions were using for cover. The leopard started running toward us, heading for a nearby tree to climb to escape. Halfway there, one of the lions caught up with it and grabbed its leg, and a fierce growling ensued. For a few tense moments, it seemed like the leopard might be doomed. But it broke free and made another desperate dash for the tree. Injured, it slipped and fell while attempting to climb, and the lion caught up with it again. This time, the leopard was ready to fight for its life. In that dramatic moment, we captured a photo of the leopard and lion in the same frame — something I’ve never witnessed before. The leopard ran and hid inside a burrow, likely a warthog den.

Ekai Ekalale
We had been out on a full-day safari drive when a shy leopard in the BBC Lugga (in the Mara Triangle) made a brief appearance. Just a quick glimpse of her is something to appreciate. Later, on our way back to Angama Safari Camp, we stopped by a waterhole where a troop of baboons was busy foraging on the short, lush grass. Some infants clung underneath their mothers while others played, hanging on branches of a nearby tree.

What happened next was utterly unexpected. A guest recorded a video of one of the baboons walking along the water’s edge. Out of nowhere, a crocodile lunged from the shallow waters, snatching the baboon and dragging it under almost instantly. It was shocking how close this was. Once its prey was subdued, the crocodile seemed to display its catch to the rest of the troop, which was gathered nearby, shouting and protesting at the predator. It looked like the crocodile was trying to intimidate them —perhaps daring one to intervene, only to make another grab.

This moment reminded me never to underestimate the waterholes of the Mara.

Jeremy Macharia
The Great Migration is one of nature’s most spectacular events, and its variability over time makes it even more fascinating. The timing and intensity of the river crossings — shaped by rainfall patterns, vegetation, and water availability — add an unpredictable and dynamic element to the experience. The Mara River crossings are especially thrilling and dramatic, showcasing the resilience and determination of the herds against natural predators like crocodiles and the treacherous currents.

Witnessing five river crossings in one year was awe-inspiring. Those heart-stopping moments when the herds gather at the riverbanks, hesitating before surging into the water, are unforgettable.

Ntirra Johnson
Seeing Nashipae, the remarkable female cheetah, and her four cubs successfully take down an impala was an unforgettable experience for me as a new Guide at Angama Mara. This highlighted the cheetah family’s health and vitality.