Mara Guides’ Most Memorable Sightings of 2025

Angama Mara Head Guide, Sammy Komu

We were on a morning drive when we noticed a female lion intently staring in one direction. We weren’t sure what she was looking at, so we decided to investigate.  

After scanning with our binos, we noticed a cat-like figure, and with a closer look, we realised it was a leopard resting on top of a grassy termite mound... The decision was made, we quickly rushed to the scene.

When we arrived there, everyone was excited to take photos of what looked like a relaxed leopard. After a few minutes of taking pictures, we heard a screeching sound coming from inside the mound.  

In that moment, a hyena raised its head, and that's when we realised how special this sighting really was: The hyena had jaws locked onto a big warthog that tried to hide in its burrow and was now being pulled out.  

Eventually the hyena managed to drag the warthog out and a fight erupted between the leopard and the hyena, eventually the leopard won, dragging the kill past our vehicle and up on a sausage tree. It was truly an amazing sight to experience. 

John Mathu

Five minutes after picking up guests from the balloon landing area, we came across three prime-aged male lions walking along the road. Because it was still early and the cats were very active, we decided to follow them for a while. 

About 200 metres ahead of us, there was a herd of buffalo grazing on one side of the road, while on the other side stood a lone cow. We soon realised she had a young calf that was struggling to keep up with the rest of the herd. 

The moment the lions spotted this, they broke into a run toward the lone cow. Within just a few minutes, they caught up with her. She tried desperately to defend herself and her calf, but the three males were too strong, bringing her down, and one of the males grabbed the calf by the neck and ran toward a nearby bush. 

Everything happened so quickly, it was faster than any lion hunt I have ever witnessed before. 

Wilson Naitoi

We were in the perfect place at the ideal moment. Out of nowhere, a lioness burst into a full sprint toward a massive herd of wildebeest. In seconds, she isolated one and brought it down. As she made the kill, thousands of wildebeest gathered in the background, watching in tense silence. It was a rare, breathtaking moment of raw nature.

One day, a few male lions had their eyes on a big herd of buffalo and wanted to hunt, but the buffalo noticed them and chased them away. One male got cornered, and his only safety was to climb a tree. But the tree wasn’t high enough. At one point, it looked like the buffalo even tried to lick his tail, and others were standing up on their hind legs in unstable positions, trying to reach him.

Another sighting that was too special not to mention. While on a drive, we noticed something strange near a termite mound, only to see it was the rare temmick ground pangolin!

Ericson Lemaalo

The Mara never disappoints. I experienced a rare sighting of lions versus the elusive cat. It was very early in the morning, as usual, here in my beautiful office. As the English say, 'The early bird catches the worm.'

We drove down he mighty Oloololo Escarpment with full intentions of finding the Owino Pride. We were so lucky to find them strolling on the base of the escarpment. The four older cubs were excited, sniffing the ground.

Then, in the blink of an eye, we saw something darting through the grass, an elusive cat on the run. Guess what? A rare serval.

The cubs took an opportunity to practise their hunting skills. But in the end, the serval managed to narrowly escape the lion’s claws. What a day it was in the mighty Mara ecosystem.

Ekai Ekalale

From the very remote south-western corners of the Mara Triangle, we were parked alone, scanning the area, hoping to spot a big cat. Suddenly, we heard a topi alarming again and again, 'Pfffuu... pfffuu…' but when we looked in that direction, we couldn't see anything.

This sound caught the attention of a clan of at least 15 hyenas, all of them running around trying to figure out what the topi had seen. Then, from nowhere, a young female leopard burst out of the tall brown grass, sprinting toward a nearby thicket. The hyenas must have sensed there was food nearby — maybe a carcass.

And they were right. Within seconds, one of them emerged with a topi calf in its jaws. That’s when the real chaos began. A full-on fight broke out, with every hyena desperate for a bite.

Ken Tanui

One of the most memorable guest experiences I delivered this year occurred on a morning drive, when my guests requested that I show them a successful hunt. 

After a few hours of searching, we encountered two lionesses from River Pride. They had stashed their cubs in a nearby bush, not far from where a dazzle of zebras was grazing, oblivious to nearby danger.  
We sat with this lioness patiently for almost 30 minutes, anticipating a hunt. 

One lioness suddenly perked up, just as the zebras began moving closer to where we were. That’s when the strategy began. The family had a young calf with them, less than two weeks old. As we sat there, the young one began nursing.

I remember turning to my guests and saying half-jokingly, 'This baby might be nursing for the last time.’ I know that sounds painful, but it turned out to be true. The lioness made her move, and the baby became the target. She didn’t make it. 

Definitely one of the most highlighted safari experiences I’ve had this year.

Moses Kibet

We were guiding a family of eight, along with my colleague John. On this particular drive, the guests had been very keen to see a leopard, so we set off south-east, a promising area for leopards.  

As we approached the area called BBC Drift, word came in about the Purungat Pride on a wildebeest kill, and also a leopard sighting in the Greater Mara. We briefed the guests on the possibilities of crowds and a slightly longer drive. But first, we made a little detour, which turned out to be one of the best they’ve ever had ( and they’ve been on many safaris).

When we arrived at the Purungat Pride feasting, one lioness spotted an oblivious wildebeest resting 500 metres away. She snuck so cautiously and made an amazing kill — the guests were overjoyed! 

However, our mission wasn't over, and we managed to reach the leopard that had a kill. She fed for a while, then started playing with the poor reedbuck. And just when the guest thought it couldn’t get any better, on our way back to the Triangle, we made a final detour to see a cheetah, also high on their wish list. 
 
They were dumbfounded. Having done so many safaris, they told us that this particular drive was simply epic. 

Jackson Etoot

Of all the wildlife moments I witnessed this year, one stands above the rest — not because it was joyful or spectacular, but because it revealed the deepest and most touching emotion I have ever seen in the wild. It was the story of an elephant mother and her heartbreaking loss.

I came across her early one morning, standing completely still among a cluster of shrubs. At first, I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t moving with the rest of her herd. Then I noticed the tiny, motionless form lying at her feet — her calf, a newborn that had tragically been stillborn. 

For the next four days, I watched a scene that will stay with me forever. The mother never left the spot. She did not feed. She barely shifted her weight. She simply stood guard over her baby, as if her presence alone might somehow bring it back. Every now and then, she reached out with her trunk, gently touching and nudging the calf, performing the same tender gestures mothers make to encourage a newborn to stand. 

But this time, there was no response. 

What moved me most was the quietness around her. Other members of the herd approached in turn, touching the mother and the calf in what looked unmistakably like their own form of mourning. Then they stepped back, giving her space, as though they understood she needed this time to say goodbye. 

Seeing such raw emotion in an animal reminded me that grief is not uniquely human. This mother’s devotion, her refusal to leave, and the silent respect shown by the herd revealed a depth of connection that many people never expect wildlife to have. It was heartbreaking, but also profoundly beautiful. 

Although it was a sad sighting, it was by far the most meaningful one I experienced this year. It taught me more about empathy and the bonds of family than any book or documentary ever could. Watching that elephant mother keep vigil over her lost calf is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Fred Sinon

The Migration seasons always bring more life to the Mara; this year was no exception.  

The river crossings were good and rowdy as usual. But my favourite part of the Migration is when the herds spread far afield, transforming the vast grasslands into a sea of life.  

During one of my full-day drives in October, we decided to explore the Southwestern part of the Mara Triangle, an area still densely populated with mega herds. For the early part of the drive from the 50km junction, Kampi ya Mungu, we were driving through massive herds of wildebeest.  

At midday, we stopped for lunch at the Saltlick area, where a small group of wildebeest were peacefully grazing.  While we were having lunch, I did a random look around, and I spotted a lioness walking towards the wildebeest’s herd. It was boiling, and I knew she was up to something.  

We quickly packed our picnic stuff and drove closer. The lioness was downwind, with long, dense grass that perfectly hid everything in her favour, and she capitalised on the opportunity without wasting time. There, my sighting in 2025 unfolded.

Derrick Nabaala

This year, I decided to tell my sighting differently, in the form of a poem. 

In the burning dawn of the Mara plain,
Muaji rises — mane lit like flame.
Two prides kneel to his shadowed roar,
River and Oloololo at his command.
Yet his fiercest act was mercy—
A lone young male taken in,
Forged beside him into power.
Not blood, but choice,
Made their coalition roar.
They trying hunting buffalo's but buffalo turned in good numbers.
That morning light, standoff like praising the morning made it my best photo.