The Great Migration Safari 2013: Day 8 with Amboseli add-on

Our final morning in the Masai Mara delivered photographic magic just as the rest of the safari had.  We started off with 7 lions playing with each other in the most beautiful morning light – a truly great hour.  When the lions had settled down, a hyaena was spotted in the distance carrying the remains of a thomson’s gazelle, so we followed for the better part of 30 minutes, which led us to 4 lionesses that were hunting wildebeest.  They had got themselves into a good position, but a warthog came running straight through the middle of the carefully planned hunt, causing the lions to give chase.  The warthog got away and the wildebeest moved off.

Transferring into Amboseli, we got started with our elephant viewing immediately, with a couple of herds swimming and feeding in the swamps.  Our first incredible view of the great Mount Kilimanjaro did not disappoint, and with both sightings of giraffes and elephants in front of Africa’s highest mountain, it was a photographer’s dream.  Some amazing bird life was also photographed today, including the rare lesser flamingo, and the grey crowned crane.

Major sightings of the day:

  • Large herd of buffalo
  • 7 lions playing
  • Hyaena carrying a thomson’s gazelle
  • 4 lionesses hunting wildebeest and chasing a warthog
  • Elephants
  • Mount Kilimanjaro
  • Elephants swimming in swamps as well as many other elephant herds
  • Spotted hyaena
  • Lesser flamingoes
  • Grey crowned crane

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The Great Migration Safari 2013: Day 7

Crossings, crossings and more crossings! Several thousand wildebeest and zebra made their river crossings today, giving us a spectacular front row seat to all the action – and there was a lot of action.  The crocodiles were out in full force killing 4 zebra, one of which set off an unbelievable feeding frenzy involving 2 hippos and around 40 seriously large crocs. A wildebeest was also caught by a crocodile, but against all odds, managed to drag himself and the croc to shallow water, and wrestle himself free.  Away from the crossings, a male lion, 3 cheetah, a female leopard with a baby impala kill and several hyaena were also seen.

Major sightings of the day:

  • 2 hyaena
  • 5 hyaena
  • Buffalo
  • Elephants
  • Several large river crossings of thousands of wildebeest and zebra
  • 4 crocodile kills, 1 wildebeest escaped after being caught
  • 2 hippos feeding on zebra and fighting with crocodiles
  • ±40 large crocodiles feeding on zebra
  • 1 male lion
  • 3 cheetah
  • Female leopard with a baby impala kill

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The Great Migration Safari 2013: Day 6

After a magnificent sunrise, the day really took off when we came across 3 cheetah which were out hunting.  We witnessed several chases providing us with lots of good photographic opportunities, but the trio were not in luck and will have to wait a little bit longer for a meal.  Not far off from the cheetah, were 4 lions resting in the shade.  The wildebeest were not keen to cross the river today, but we did see a few small crossings, mostly of youngsters that had been separated from their mothers.  The afternoon provided some more cats, with a pride of 4 lionesses and 4 cubs out hunting zebra, but the day finished off very nicely with a good half an hour at a hyaena den site, where 8 little cubs kept our cameras clicking until the very last minute!

Major sightings of the day:

  • Lioness
  • Herds of elephants
  • Herds of buffalo
  • 3 cheetah hunting
  • 4 lionesses within sight of the cheetah
  • Small river crossing of wildebeest
  • 4 lionesses with 4 cubs hunting zebra
  • 3 hyaenas with 8 cubs at den site

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The Great Migration Safari 2013: Day 5

Fantastic interaction between 2 male lions, 3 large bull buffalo and 5 hyaena kept us busy for most of the morning as they squabbled over the rights to a zebra kill.  The single lioness with the 3 small cubs showed herself again as well as a pride of 16 lions later in the afternoon.  2 more lionesses with a wildebeest kill, a hyaena with 4 youngsters and a very obliging black rhino finished off our day just in time to get back to camp before a spectacular African storm rolled in.

Major sightings of the day:

  • 2 male lions on a zebra kill
  • 3 male buffaloes chasing the lions off their kill
  • 5 hyeana stealing the zebra kill
  • Lioness and 3 month old cubs
  • Many herds of elephants
  • Pride of 16 lions
  • A hippo with a new born calf
  • 2 lionesses with a wildebeest kill
  • Hyeana at a den site with 4 cubs
  • Black rhino

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The Great Migration Safari 2013: Day 4

Just as we left camp we saw 7 hyaenas finishing off a baby giraffe kill from the night before, followed a few minutes later by 2 large male lions trying to work out territorial boundaries.  A third male lion also showed up on the scene, but left quickly after seeing the size of the other 2 males.  Several small river crossings kept our cameras clicking through the rest of the day, as well as many herds of elephants and a black rhino with a young calf.  Baboons playing in afternoon light with a female leopard not too far away ended the day off rather well.

Major sightings of the day:

  • 7 hyaenas on a baby giraffe kill
  • 2 large male lions
  • 1 young male lion
  • Many herds of elephants
  • Several herds of buffalo
  • Several river crossings of wildebeest and zebra
  • 3 crocodiles eating a zebra
  • 2 leopards
  • Black rhino and calf
  • Baboons playing

To join us on safari, click here!