BIG CATS of the Maasai Mara Kenya photo safari TRIP REPORT Sept / Oct 2018
Posted by Wild4 Photo Safaris on 18th Oct 2018
The September "Big Cats of the Maasai Mara" photo safari was a great success with lovely clear weather and many great photo opportunities with the Big Cats.
We split our 10 nights in the Mara into two different locations to make the most of different areas. Lions proved again to be the most regularly seen of the big cats and we saw a number of different prides, a group of sub adult males, males fighting with females, cubs, hunts, feeding and a young lioness killing a baboon.
We had a great sighting of the 5 male Cheetahs taking down a young wildebeest, these five are such a dominant force at the moment within the Mara and it is always a treat to see and photograph them. We also spent time with a female and her three small cubs.
We saw three different Leopards and spent some good time photographing all of them.
Of course the Mara in Kenya is known for its big cats, but there are so many other animals there too. We also managed to photograph a number of Spotted Hyaena, Hippos, Crocodiles, Giraffe, Zebra, Impala, Buffalo, Elephant and a beautiful Black Rhino. Birds too were good as usual, there were a lot of Vultures and Marabou Storks, Little Bee Eaters, and a great opportunity with a Yellow Throated Longclaw !!
The migration herds were still around and it is always great to see the mass of animals out on the open grasslands.
A big thanks goes to the staff at Mara Entim Camp and Mara Serena for looking after us so well and a very special thanks goes to our amazing guides, Mamai and Tim, always patient, courteous, helpful and incredibly hard working, it is a great pleasure to work with you both as always !
Thanks so much to Rita, Linda, Raj, Michael, Toni and Mischa for joining us again on a WILD4 Photo Safari in Kenya's Maasai Mara !!
Please enjoy a selection of images from this photo safari.
Best wishes
Stu
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If you are serious about nature photography, you can't do better than booking with Wild 4.
Wild 4's itinerary provides sun-up to sundown quality photo-ops, and you feel you are traveling with good friends who are showing you their favorite spots.
This was our fourth African photo safari (three others in East Africa) and we could not believe what a difference it makes, when a professional photographer, who understands light and animal behavior, just happens to be your driver, in a photo vehicle he designed himself. There was super spotting work from Ann from a separate radio equipped vehicle. We were the first on a leopard / impala kill thanks to one of Ann's incredible sightings, resulting in a sensational series of images shot over 45 minutes of the leopard dragging her prey to her den.
After an exciting, productive day in the field, we were treated to friendly conversation, sitting around a campfire, and wonderful feasts magically prepared by Ann.
Wild 4 is a totally professional and very special company.
Thanks Stu, Justyna and Ann for a sensational safari.
Lee & Doris Wiese, USA
Bastian and I enjoyed the Migration photo safari very much. We realize that we have been very fortunate to see so many crossings and animals in such a short period of time.
The safari was well organized, all accomondations were first class and the food certainly a nice surprise. One could not have expected such good food in the wilderness! James and Julius took good care of us and were one reason that we saw so much different and exciting wildlife. You picked a great support team for this safari!
Bastian and I learned a lot of new photo techniques from you, which we will use in the future to improve our photographic results. Bastian for sure got hooked on time lapse, I'm sure he will be back in touch with you, sharing some of the work I expect he will create soon. Thanks to you and all your preparation, your guidance and support, this was a once in a life time experience. We will never forget these fantastic sights and animals and our photographs will always remind us of you and the great time we spent together.
Now we have the difficult task to sort through thousands of images. One day it will be done and I hope my DVD will do justice reflecting the beauty of Masai Mara. Not an easy task but a welcomed challenge.
Bastian & Matthias Freund, USA
The three in our truck (Mischa, Toni, Micheal) had a blast. We have wonderful photo opportunities. The leopard in the fig tree and the cheetah coalition taking down the wildebeest was fantastic! Can’t want for our 5th safari with the Wild 4 Team!
Michael Anderson - January 29th, 2019 at 7:41pm