This Week at Angama #380

The Border Pride has taken to their new Lion King-like kingdom atop the Inselberg rocks and surrounding forest. We often see them climbing up at dawn, settling in to spend the day surveying the plains below. Now numbering at least twenty lions, they are the largest pride in the Mara Triangle — a powerful and promising sign for the future of the conservancy and the region's lions.

The Border female leopard gave us a sighting to remember. Draped in golden light, we found her feasting on a fresh gazelle kill, putting on a proper show. Once complete, she climbed down for a drink, her piercing eyes locking with ours. She lingered beneath the tree, alert and deliberate. We watched as she carefully covered scraps of fallen meat, using dirt to mask the scent and keep scavengers at bay, a rare glimpse into her cunning instinct. 

Those long, graceful necks aren’t just for feeding, drinking, or the occasional bout of necking to show dominance. They also bend for something gentler — affection. It is beautiful to watch a male or female giraffe lower its towering frame to nuzzle or groom its calf.

The Maji Machafu Pride thrives under the watchful rule of the formidable four Inselberg males. Their cubs look strong and healthy, learning the art of predation from their vigilant mothers and legendary fathers. We found the Pride sprawled across a sun-soaked rock, just metres from one of the iconic Great Migration crossing points, before they rose and slipped into the shade. 

Maji Machafu is one of the park's hotter, drier corners — a semi-arid landscape where survival demands grit. The region relies on conventional rainfall, which is often unpredictable. Long dry spells are common, making life here especially tough for the wildlife that call it home.

We’ve identified the three male cheetahs recently spotted in the Mara Triangle. Elena from the Mara Meru Cheetah Project confirmed they’ve moved in from the north and are known as the Lemek males, born and raised in Lemek Conservancy. 

Though both belong to the weaver family, Ploceidae — widowbirds stand in striking contrast to their relatives. The name comes from the males’ breeding plumage, predominantly black and reminiscent of the mourning attire once worn by widows.

The yellow-mantled widowbird male is a spectacle during breeding season, cloaked in deep black with a golden-yellow mantle and trailing tail feathers — a bold serenade to attract females and assert dominance. They favour moist grasslands and marshy areas, feeding on seeds and insects. Polygynous by nature, males often build several nests to entice potential mates.

The red-cowled widowbird male shares the same purpose, though his approach is crimson. He sports a jet-black body with a vivid red collar, crown, and long, graduated tail. Found in grasslands and bush clearings, his vibrant markings and tail length serve as striking sexual ornaments. Like their yellow-mantled cousins, red-cowled males claim and defend territories in hopes of winning over multiple mates.

The Maji Machafu female had stashed an impala kill high in a tree, then tested our patience like never before. We waited, hoping she’d make a move. She didn’t. Eventually, we gave in and went to check on some nearby lions. Of course, that’s when she made her move. She climbed the tree, paused delicately on a narrow branch, then continued upward before descending with the impala in a show of raw power, balance, and agility. Luckily, Guide Saitoti and his guest, Ray, were in the right place at the right time to witness and capture it all. 

The greater blue-eared starling dazzles with its iridescent plumage. Measuring about 22–24 cm. Both sexes share this vibrant appearance, while juveniles are duller with blackish-brown underparts. Highly social, these birds form large flocks, sometimes mixing with other starling species and roost communally in reed beds, thorn bushes, or acacia trees. — Japheth Supeyo

Craig continues his relentless search for a receptive female, tirelessly covering ground in hopes of finding a mate. His movements have been widespread, with sightings reported throughout the park and into neighbouring community lands. This wandering is typical of a bull elephant in musth, driven by heightened hormones and an instinctual urgency to breed. Despite his size and age, Craig moves with purpose.

With the rains behind us and the temporary pools dried up, wildlife movement has noticeably shifted, especially among elephants. Family herds are steadily moving into Amboseli National Park, drawn by the reliability of its permanent swamps, which serve as critical water sources during the dry months.

On an early morning drive into Amboseli National Park, multiple elephant herds could be seen making their way toward the swamps. These wetlands offer water and food in the form of reeds and grasses. These movements are essential for the survival of the herds, and with so many females now in the Park, perhaps this is Craig’s chance to finally encounter a receptive mate. The elephants' return to the Park's heart brings renewed life and energy to the ecosystem.  

Predators naturally follow closely behind herbivores as they steadily migrate toward Amboseli National Park's lush, swampy areas in search of water and fresh grazing. These wetlands become a hub of activity, an irresistible draw for both prey and predator.  

On a recent game drive, we found two cheetah brothers resting in the shade, their relaxed demeanour hinting at a recent kill. Here, the abundance and sustenance also become the stage for the timeless survival dance between hunter and hunted. 

One of the cutest creatures in Kimana Sanctuary is the bat-eared fox. Its unusually large ears resemble bats, hence the name. Primarily nocturnal, they are easy to spot by their distinctive ears, which can grow up to five inches long. They are found in East and Southern Africa. Though primarily insectivorous, they will also snack on small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fruit. 

Gerenuks have a unique feeding behaviour that sets them apart from other antelopes, helping them to thrive in arid regions where food can be scarce. Found only in East Africa, these long-necked antelopes are often seen standing upright on their hind legs to reach foliage beyond the grasp of other grazers. With a slender body stretched tall and front legs tucked, they browse acacia leaves and tender shoots with impressive balance and flexibility.

Black-backed jackals are opportunistic and adaptable, thriving in environments from arid savannahs and bushlands to the fringes of human settlements. While skilled hunters of small mammals, birds, and reptiles, they often scavenge from the kills of larger predators like lions, leopards, and hyenas. Their cunning nature extends to seizing chances when mothers leave their young unguarded. 

Often seen in pairs, jackals have mastered a coordinated hunting tactic where one distracts while the other strikes. We witnessed a heart-wrenching moment during a recent encounter as a Grant’s gazelle mother frantically tried to fend off two jackals. She chased them repeatedly, only to return to a spot where the jackals had already been feeding. Out of sight, it seemed likely that the opportunistic pair had taken her fawn, and she was desperately trying to protect whatever remained. —Robert Sayialel