Trip Report

18 March 2015

Kenya - March 2015

David & Marilyn Thompson

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Trip Report
18 March 2015

Our Experiences
Kicheche Mara North & Bush Camps
Our fourth time to the Mara and this was one of our best safaris ever.
The weather was good, the camps delightful, and the wildlife this time
around was just something else.
We have been to both Kicheche Mara and Bush camps before and so
had an idea of what to expect. Friends have asked us why we go back to
somewhere we have already travelled to before when there are so many
other places to see; a good point, and one we often ask of ourselves. But
anyone who has had the great privilege to visit these places knows it is not
an easy thing to answer. Apart from the wonderful experience of being in
the conservancies, staying in very comfortable tented camps, there is
something inexplicable that gets under your skin, something that grows
inside and keeps calling you back. It is like a thirst that grows, which every
now and again, needs to be quenched. That thirst is of course the need to
be at one with nature.
And being with nature was certainly what we experienced. When I
tell people we were within Gifteen feet from a full grown lion, that had it
chosen to could easily have jumped into the vehicle to join us; or, that a full
grown leopard walked casually towards us and then continued right
underneath our vehicle; or being so close to an elephant that we could
have almost touched it, they look on in disbelief.
As keen photographers we were in our element, and paying the
extra levy for sole vehicle occupancy, which at Girst seemed somewhat
extravagant, was absolutely the right thing for us to have done. We were
free to come and go as we wished and both our guide/drivers not only
understood our needs, which are perhaps different from your average
tourist (forget viewing through binoculars we need to be close enough to
capture the animal on camera without enormous lenses) they looked after
us. They were skilled, knowledgeable and best of all good-humoured.
James, our guide at Bush Camp was also a bit of a photographer himself so
fully understood what we were after. He even got us to places and

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positions that facilitated getting images that we hadnt envisioned. And

thats something that is perhaps unique to the experience of being at
Kicheche - they really do understand a photographers needs. A testament
to this was that nearly all the guests at both camps were photographers,
either enthusiasts or professional.
Being set up to deal with photographers really does make a
difference to us and Kicheche really is good at this. Firstly, the open-sided
vehicles many with Gitted platforms to use with beanbags, allow you to get
low in the vehicle and photograph almost at eye-to-eye level with the
animal. Secondly, there are plenty of charging strips available and power is
not limited to just a few hours a day. I cant tell you how important this is.
When you are using high-powered cameras with motor drives and the
action happens, the demand on battery power takes it strain. There is
nothing more anxiety inducing than worrying if you are going to run out of
batteries when you need them most. Its critical to have batteries and
spares fully charged for that once in a lifetime moment. When the power is
limited for charging, (as in some camps like OfGbeat where it is limited to
just four hours per day) and everyone needs to get plugged in, it makes a
big difference.
The Kicheche guide/drivers proved to be very much in tune with the
photographers needs. When you can concentrate on photography without
having to advise the driver where you want to be for the most
advantageous position, its a real bonus. Our experience shows that
Kicheche guides really do know how to anticipate both the animal
behaviour and the photographers mind set, they work hard to get you into
the right position for maximum photography potential.
Although we have seen lots of wildlife on previous trips, this time
we felt there was so much more game about. The wildebeest were quite
proliGic and many were actually in the camps. Fencing in the north of the
country had resulted in the animals being unable to follow their normal
route and so many had returned south and were staying around the
conservancies. The wildebeest even provided us with a mini migration
experience as one day at Mara North we saw a small herd cross the little
river not far from camp. Obviously we didnt get the huge mass of animals
of the main migration season, but we did see quite a few jumping across
the river with only our vehicle present to record the action; no jostling for
position against lots of other vehicles, or stress of missing the event, just
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great fun concentrating on photography. We also saw lots of wildebeest

calves around; a totally new experience for us
Also at Mara North we had zebras actually walking to within feet of
the lounge tent. Its an incredible privilege to be amongst wild animals that
are so trusting. Of course, one cant become complacent and its important
to observe the safety rules of the camp, such as being escorted by an Askari
watchman during the hours of darkness when walking to and from your
tent. The importance of this was highlighted one evening when whilst
walking to dinner, the Askari shone his torch onto two large hippos that
were lurking in the bushes not more than twenty meters from our tented
accommodation.
Naturally, there were lots of predators around too. One morning at
Mara North we saw something in the region of Give lionesses, twenty cubs
and a large male (all Acacia Pride) feeding on the remains of a wildebeest,
all this in the most wonderful lighting at dawn.
It wasnt a good week for wildebeest and during our time there we
saw the remains of a number of kills. In turn, this presented opportunities
to photograph the many animals and raptors drawn to the event. Having
opportunity to photograph Tawny Eagles, Martial Eagles, and the many
types of vultures in Glight was wonderful.
The lions in both conservancies were busy in the process of making
more lions. It was incredible to see these creatures doing their thing. The
spats and grimaces during the courting rituals made for excellent photo
opportunities. One late afternoon, at Mara North, we saw a mother
involved in the mating process while her baby cub looked on somewhat
perplexed. Afterwards, she then casually lifted the cub up in her mouth
and walked off with the male in tow. Our guide Joseph said she was
probably an inexperienced mother because if as a result of this coupling
she had another cub, then the male would kill the one we were looking at
as it had been sired by a different male.
Another morning a pair of courting lions sat on a mound silhouetted
against the early pre dawn light. We sat in awe as the sun rose providing a
wonderful rim light on our subjects; a photographers dream.
Spring must have been in the air because we also came across an old
friend, a leopard called Fig who was also courting with a large male.
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Unfortunately we didn't see the act as they were hidden in the bushes, but
we did hear the roars, then Gleetingly got to see them later that day walking
along the river valley before they were hidden by undergrowth. And not to
be outdone in the courting rituals a young hyena in a crche of juveniles
was also trying his luck.
This time, unusual sightings seemed to be a feature of our trip. One
evening we witnessed (albeit momentarily) three porcupines run from a
bush to disappear into a burrow. Joseph, our guide, said it had been ten
years since he had seen a wild porcupine. We also saw a large Monitor
Lizard stealthily walk from some reeds before disappearing into a patch of
water.
Then there was the morning when the two mating lions had a stand
off with a large Cape Buffalo, which Ginished with the buffalo chasing the
lions away. Then on another occasion we saw a juvenile Tawny Eagle
having a dust up with some jackals over the remains of a kill they were
competing for; it was thrilling.
Seeing nature in the raw is very special and sometimes it is sad too.
On a drive from Bush Camp we saw that a large baboon had come out of
the tree line by the river and was heading towards a baby Thompson
Gazelle way out on the open plane. James had spotted the potential and
quickly headed towards the action. Sure enough, the baboon picked up the
baby gazelle and started running off with it in its jaws. But the mother was
not going to let this happen without a Gight and started to give chase, even
using its small antlers to try and charge the baboon. She was a brave
mother. The baboon dropped the baby and then lashed out at the mother.
There was a stand off with the young tommy trying to stand before the
baboon picked it up again and the process was repeated. This went on for
the next Give or ten minutes until the youngsters short life was ended.
Another Girst for us was seeing a journey of giraffes crossing a river,
there were around twenty of these graceful creatures gathered around all
wondering who was going to be the Girst brave sole to step into the water.
Then, later that day, as we sipped our gin and tonic out on the open
expanse of grassland, we watched around half a dozen of them glide across
the horizon against a deep orange sky as the sun slowly sank and
disappeared.

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And so it went on, rarely a game drive went by without there being a
highlight of some sort or another, whether it was a great photo
opportunity, a new bird or animal, or being presented with a wonderful
sunrise or sunset.
As the weather was kinder to us this time around we frequently sat
around the boma each evening before dinner swapping experiences and
sightings with other guests over an evening drink. One evening was
extraordinarily special, as in celebration of a guests milestone birthday the
camp staff put on a display of Masai dancing. The deep rhythmic chant of
their singing as they danced and performed their characteristic jumps is
something that will live with us forever.
We returned home somewhat dusty but wearing large smiles and
our thirst for wildlife encounters quenched. Well, at least for now.

David Thompson

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