This Week at Angama #361

The small Owino Pride, once under the reign of the Bila Shaka males, is now firmly under the control of the Nyati males — a rising coalition from the Sausage Tree area. The pride consists of just two adult females and four cubs, approximately six months old, sired by the Nyati males. This small pride has faced significant challenges in raising cubs to adulthood. To our recollection, the last successful offspring to reach full maturity was the Owino Male, who later joined forces with the Nomad Killer male. 

The dynamics of lion prides are complex and fascinating, especially when exploring their history and interactions with other groups. Guide Sammy Komu explains that the Owino Pride and the Sausage Tree Pride, located further south near the Tanzanian border, were once part of the larger Ololoolo Pride before breaking away several years ago.

The fathers of these four cubs are the Nyati males, born from the Sausage Tree pride, who managed to escape after their father was killed by the Lamai males from Tanzania.

With unparalleled hunting prowess, the martial eagle can spot prey several kilometres away. Its powerful talons and muscular build enable it to take down prey much larger than itself, including small antelopes, monkeys, and large birds like guinea fowl. These exceptional birds of prey also include small rodents in their diet.

Leopards are naturally shy and elusive, an evolutionary trait shaped by their need to avoid danger, maximise hunting success, and adapt to their environment. This behaviour makes them fascinating yet challenging to observe in the wild — ask any Guide. While some leopards, especially older ones, are accustomed to the presence of vehicles, others, like this female near the military area, offer only fleeting glimpses. She gave us two seconds as she descended a tree before vanishing into the dense vegetation.

Photographing birds can be incredibly rewarding but requires patience, skill, and the right techniques to capture beautiful shots like this lilac-breasted roller, a strikingly colourful bird native to sub-Saharan Africa. Its name comes from the lilac hue on its chest and throat, complemented by bright blue wings and tail feathers.

There are a few tricks to taking a photograph like this: first, you must understand and predict the subject's movements. Then, you must use a telephoto lens and fast shutter speeds, like, in this case, 1/4000, to freeze motion. You must also use continuous autofocus (AI-Servo or AF-C) to track movement. Finally, you must use a wider aperture for a sharp subject and a blurred background. Most importantly, you must have patience.  

Its features of a blend of lilac, turquoise, green, and blue make it one of the most photographed birds on the continent. These birds are often seen perched on tree branches or utility poles, scanning for prey. They are opportunistic hunters, feeding on insects, small reptiles, and amphibians, which they catch in swift moves — famous for their acrobatic flight displays, especially during courtship, where they perform impressive rolls and dives.

The lilac-breasted roller prefers open savannahs, woodlands and grasslands. It is territorial and often nests in tree cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes. As a symbol of Africa’s natural beauty, it's the national bird of Kenya and is loved by bird enthusiasts worldwide.

A new cheetah to the Triangle was also spotted this week; he was very shy and constantly on the move. We caught up with him heading towards the south of the Triangle, on his way to shorter grass with plenty of potential for prey. Hopefully, he finds what he's looking for and decides to stay. —Robert Sayialel 

In the animal kingdom, the battle for survival often extends to reproduction. Males compete intensely for mating rights, employing strategies ranging from physical combat to elaborate displays. This ensures that only the strongest or most desirable males pass on their genes, maintaining the species' evolutionary fitness.

African elephants experience a periodic condition called musth, during which their testosterone levels skyrocket to over 60 times the norm. During this phase, bulls become highly aggressive, secreting a pungent fluid from their temporal glands, urinating frequently, and adopting a stiff-legged, confident walk.

Musth is closely tied to mating dominance. Bulls in this state are more likely to dominate rivals and access females in oestrus (fertile females). Physical confrontations between musth bulls can be severe and sometimes fatal, involving tusk clashes and displays of physical strength. Older bulls in musth often dominate younger ones, highlighting the importance of size, experience, and age in reproductive success.

This week, we highlight an extraordinary female cheetah whose maternal skills defy the odds for her species. Fewer than 50% of cheetah cubs survive past the early months in the wild due to predators, like lions and hyenas, disease, and even starvation pose constant threats.

Despite being the fastest land animals, their speed hasn’t helped them outrun the threats of habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and dwindling prey populations. The global cheetah population is estimated at around 7,000, and the species remains classified as vulnerable. Yet, one mother in Amboseli has defied these grim statistics.

She is currently raising a litter of five cubs, all thriving at 8–10 months old. This is a critical milestone as cubs at this age are learning essential survival skills like hunting and predator evasion. Her vigilance and teaching have kept them healthy and strong.

Her success story is a beacon of hope for cheetah conservation. By raising multiple cubs to adulthood, she enhances her population's genetic diversity and inspires conservationists and visitors to double efforts to protect these magnificent creatures.

The tallest animal on earth stands against the spectacular backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. There’s something uniquely powerful about seeing these two giants side by side, both towering in their own right and commanding the landscape in their own way. With its graceful stature, the giraffe seems almost in conversation with the mountain, both proud symbols of grandeur.

During our safari with Guide Jeremy, we witnessed firsthand the importance of keeping wildlife parks clean. Jeremy’s diligence in collecting litter was a powerful reminder that every small action matters. Litter not only disrupts the park's natural beauty but also threatens the survival of the wildlife we cherish. It destroys habitats by choking plant life, and wildlife often mistakes it for food, leading to choking and starvation or severe health issues. This isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about preserving life.

Fischer’s lovebirds hybridise due to interbreeding with other lovebird species, possibly the yellow-collared lovebird (Agapornis personatus), which shares overlapping habitats. The Kimana ecosystem, with its diverse flora and fauna, provides an ideal setting for these interactions.

Hybrids often display a blend of traits, such as muted or intermediate colouration and may even exhibit unique vocalisations or mating behaviours. While hybrids are not uncommon in nature, their occurrence in Kimana presents a rare chance to study its dynamics in a semi-protected ecosystem. For birdwatchers and ecotourists, spotting a hybrid Fischer’s lovebird is a rare delight, emphasising Kimana’s role as a biodiversity hotspot. —Rio Marvin