This Week at Angama #196

It’s been yet another brilliant week in the Mara, and again this leaves me wondering whether there’s such a thing as a dull week in this phenomenal reserve. I sit here, week after week, always excited to tell the stories of what I have experienced. No two days are identical in the Mara and that’s probably why we’ve managed to write 196 unique weekly blogs thus far. The Mara has so much to offer.

Although baby elephants may be a regular sighting, every time I encounter these bundles of joy, I’m left with a huge smile on my face. There’s just something about how they interact with their environment that I find captivating. They stumble about, exploring their surroundings inquisitively, yet acting ever-so silly while at it. These little ones have a lot of mistakes to make before they will gather enough wisdom to lead their herd. I think we humans can take a page out of their book and learn not to take things too seriously.

As we all know, rhino sightings can be few and far between. Also, sightings differ in quality, seeing a rhino from 100 metres away doesn’t really weigh up to a sighting that’s just 30 metres away. Unfortunately, since arriving in the Mara, I haven’t had any great rhino sightings; they all happened to be miles away or rushed into the bushes upon our arrival. Well, at least that was until this week, where we spent some quality time with a mother and her calf. We enjoyed over an hour of watching them stroll in the distance and I was filled with gratitude for having the opportunity to observe these beautiful creatures.

Typically, in most of my blogs, the highlights primarily consist of big cat sightings. However, this week’s highlight is different. As we were heading back to camp, on one of the lesser-used roads, we heard a loud shriek, and looking to the road we noticed a wattled lapwing. Typically, birds tend to fly away and avoid vehicles, however, this particular bird stood its ground, making even more noise as we approached and raising its wings in a display of aggression. Eventually, we brought our vehicle to a stop, less than one metre away. After reversing, we realised she had laid an egg in the middle of the road and was willing to protect it at all costs. She probably picked the worst possible place to lay an egg and I’m sure she will have plenty of vehicles to chase off in the near future.

There is no doubt that the Mara is defined by its amazing wildlife but equally as impressive are the magnificent landscapes and scenery found here, especially within the Triangle. It’s always a jaw-dropping experience witnessing golden hour in this part of the world. The endless vistas combined with the occasional mist makes for a phenomenal viewing experience. There’s such wonderful diversity found within the Triangle: balanite woodlands to open grasslands and of course the rocky escarpment which towers over the entire landscape. This week, I decided to slow down and truly take it all in, embracing all the magnificence of this sacred land. 

A year ago Adam was catching up with Rani, who was making full use of the post-Migration short grasses which enables her to reach her maximum speed of about 130km/h when hunting.