This Week At Angama #176

The focus of the Mara has shifted towards the river with at least 16 zebra crossings over the last few days. All the action is happening at two points known as ‘Main Crossing’ and ‘Cul-de-sac’. Both are famous for outrageously high densities of monster-sized crocodiles. The timings tend to vary, between 11am and 6pm, mostly in the late afternoon.

I have witnessed just one crossing so far this year – somehow I always find myself at the right place but at the wrong time. But far more importantly, our guests and guides are having substantially better luck and you can hear the energy and excitement rippling around the campfire. Guests come back from drives enthused; memory cards full of photographs and videos, unforgettable moments of Mara magic captured forever. 

Charlotte, newly handling Angama’s social media, saw a wonderful crossing on her very first game drive in the Mara. Talk about lucky!

However, away from the river there is still so much going on – plenty to keep you busy day after day. In particular,  I have been bowled over by the giraffe sightings. For some reason, we are seeing mass gatherings of these gentle giants. Journeys in excess of 30 individuals silently meandering across the grasslands.   

The lions continue to provide endless entertainment and I have heard from the guides that all the prides in the Triangle are starting to show themselves more regularly. The Sausage Tree Pride have been showing off their new cubs, the Inselberg Males are becoming a more dominant force and moving further and further north, the Bila Shaka Males are mating yet again, and the Angama Pride, led by our precious Mama Kali, have been spending a lot of time hanging around in the trees. 

So as not to be completely lion-focused, there are many other wonderful creatures to be seen throughout the landscape. As mentioned last week, you can feel the palpable energy in the air when out on safari. 

This week also marked two special and important occasions. Firstly, Angama celebrated its sixth birthday – a milestone so beautifully summed up by Nicky in her post. The second celebration was the 20th anniversary of the Mara Conservancy. We hosted the members of the Board for a great night as a way of thanking them for their monumental work in creating and nurturing one of the greatest reserves in Africa. We are so fortunate for the work they do and we love being able to share this landscape with our guests day after day.

A year ago, we were enjoying magnificent sightings of the Inselberg Males. This strong coalition of males continues to provide us with fantastic sightings.

Two years ago, the wildebeest Migration arrived very early. The madness of the crossings took its toll on the wildebeest as hundreds of them drowned and washed up along the river banks and rocks. The unfortunate side of nature.