BIG CATS of the Maasai Mara photo safari TRIP REPORT Sept / Oct 2018
Posted by Wild4 Photo Safaris on 18th Oct 2018
The September “Big Cats of the Maasai Mara” departure 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 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 photos from the trip.
Best wishes
Stu
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The Wild 4 team made my trip to South Africa a truly memorable experience. Photographing some of the orphaned captive animals at the private game reserve on the extension was a great way to start the holiday, and Stu's tuition on techniques, composition and familiarity with your gear was the foundation for the rest of the trip.
In Kruger we had some wonderful sightings - including the 'Big 5' all in one day on two consecutive days! The highlights were spending 20 minutes with a leopard cub in a tree no more than 30 metres away, and on the last day watching a pride of 14 lions stalking a herd of zebra for more than an hour - just wonderful experiences! I'm sure the quality of the shots I took was infinitely better than if I'd gone on a regular safari, as the whole focus of the experience is expertly designed to maximise photographic opportunities - including only 3 photographers in the specially designed vehicle.
Stu's knowledge, enthusiasm and patience were boundless, and Ann's spotting and catering skills were also priceless! I hope to visit Africa again soon, and without doubt Wild 4 will be my first option.
Greg Morgan, UK
This was our second trip with Stu and our first in Tanzania, the sightings exceeded all our expectations including a selection of births, deaths, and marriages with a variety of wildlife. One of many highlights was seeing 22 lions drinking at a stream in the Ngorongoro crater . The accommodation was once again first class, even the tented camps. Stu, together with our African guides James and Jeremiah managed to always have the vehicle in exactly the right position for the best pictures. Can't wait to go again.
John & Lorraine Carnemolla, Australia
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