Morning News: Several herds of wildebeests were observed on the move in the direction of crossing the Mara River!
“Everyone, mount your vehicles…we’re moving out!” came the announcement.
Breakfast over, we were anxious to witness one of nature’s greatest shows: The most massive migration of land animals (wildebeests and zebras), at a point where they need to cross the hazardous Mara River which cuts through their 500-1,000 mile annual migration path. It is driven by their continuing search for water and grasslands. As described on the Out to Africa website, the wildebeest “…looks like it was assembled from spare parts – the forequarters could have come from an ox, the hindquarters from an antelope and the mane and tail from a horse. The antics of the territorial bulls during the breeding season have earned them the name “clowns of the savanna.” They weigh in the range of 300-600 pounds and live about 20 years.
During our drive, our guides talked about the Great Migration. The migration consists of 1 to 1.5 million wildebeests, that are divided among several herds. There is generally the main herd, with a number of smaller packs hovering nearby. They believe the smaller herds came about as a result of the mating season when an alpha wildebeest attracts and collects hundreds of females and guards them against other males, by separating from the main herd. Most of these small herds meld back into the big group at some point. So today, we should expect to see several clusters of wildebeests, instead of one massive body. The herds travel with an entourage of about 250,000 zebras, plus Thomson’s gazelles and a spectrum of predators.
The symbiotic relationship between the wildebeests and zebras is founded on several benefits. The wildebeests like to graze on tall grass, while the zebras forage the short grass left by the wildebeests. There is no competition for food. The wildebeests ‘mow’ the tall savanna grass, leaving stubs that are eaten by zebras. The wildebeests have a great sense of hearing while the Zebras have keen eyesight. Wildebeests can divine water, while the Zebras are far more intelligent and can remember what routes the herd took during prior migrations and the locations of danger and safety. The combined strengths enable the movement to survive and thrive.
A new life begins!
A newborn.
Breakfast is not ready – come back later.
A Topi checking for predators
A half-hour after leaving camp we chanced upon a giraffe, 50 feet of the road, that had recently given birth. Daniel estimated that the calf was only about a half hour old. Amazing! The mother, with remnants of the placenta, still attached, was cleaning the newborn, almost knocking it over as she kept an eye on us. The calf took a few, unsteady steps while the mother hovered over it. Instinctively, the calf approached the mother, looking for its first feeding. Not yet…as she walked away to snack on the nearest acacia tree. We retreated stealthily. The calf is very vulnerable during the first week – so the mother will stay close to protect it and to ensure it does not fall. As Daniel described a group of giraffes, know as a tower, he would expect this mother to move the calf into her tower, which will most likely include a ‘nursery’ of young giraffes, protected by the bulls and cows. As we looked around, we could not spot her tower. There were several zebras and a Topi nearby, which served as lookouts for predators. If they didn’t move, there was no immediate danger. We didn’t see any signs of cats, so the cow and her newborn had a window of opportunity to reach safety.
Ready for lunch to come by.
As we approached the river at a place the wildebeest would most likely cross, we were joined by tens of other safari vehicles. Each jostling to secure an excellent location to watch the migration. Each speculating where the crossing might take place. If one truck broke away with speed and direction, others assume they had more information and immediately follow them. There was lots of tension as one vehicle would cut in front of the line of sight of another. Picture a scene with lots of safari trucks, lots of dust, lots of jostling, absent the stars: the migrating herds. Looking down the river, we spotted huge (~20 feet long) crocodiles, each weighing close to a ton, also in position. Waiting! Drooling! Cameras were ready, zoom lenses attached. Everyone was prepared to see the struggled crossing, the encounters with predators, the devouring of today’s catch. Somewhat gruesome.
Where are the herds? Scanning the horizon with our binoculars, we spotted several large clusters. A cloud of dust signaled that a group was on the move. Others remained stationary. Across the river, about a quarter of a mile downstream we could see one of the herds on the move, clearing the trees and brush, on its way to the river. The river is a dubious ordeal for these thirsty, hungry, and exhausted herds. The perilous river banks dump the animals into the fast-moving water filled with crocodiles. After fording the river, survival requires them to scramble up steep, slippery river banks, only to be welcomed by the ever-present roadies of lions, cheetahs, and hyenas, ready to down any isolated or weak animals. They cross the river at the expense of thousands of wildebeest and zebra lives.
Waiting! Watching!
Someone spotted the herd moving towards the river! This is it! A few of the Safari trucks were too close which could frighten them. Park rules require they move back immediately. The vehicles retreated tentatively, trying to maintain a position as close as possible to the crossing.
The herd reached the edge of the river, and stopped! We’re trying to understand what or who triggers a pack to commit to the crossing? Daniel explained that while the herds have alpha males for mating purposes, they are not in fact leaders, they do not bugle to initiate the charge! So what triggers them to start? Studies suggest they are governed by swarm intelligence, wherein they collectively decide to overcome the obstruction. OK, but what starts it? The best we could come up with is that since they are driven by thirst and hunger, they must reach a common tipping point which becomes the dominant initiative to start the dash.
Waiting! Watching!
Someone had spotted movement down the bank and passed the information to other guides over their walkie-talkies.
The buzz and excitement reached a new high.
Everyone’s attention was fixated on the group lining the top of the river bank. Maybe the pushing and shoving will knock some of the animals over the edge and start the crossing. This may be it!
Wait! The herd retreated from the edge and began to move away and follow the river downstream, away from us. Disappointed, we continued to watch, to hope, for the next half hour. What seemed like safari vehicle ‘swarm intelligence’, all concluded that the crossing was not going to happen today. They all dispersed, each looking for a treed oasis to break for lunch, remorseful for not seeing the event, knowing they have missed their one chance. One member of our party tried to salvage the crossing by reporting she had seen something fording the river…a goat? A gazelle? Not even the crocodiles took note.
No crossing of the Mara River – BUT there is always lunch
Returning to our campsite, our guides took us by way of an oasis of trees and shrubs. Inching around a turn of trees, we were surprised to see a lioness and two cubs, only 20 feet away. A wonderful surprise! The cubs were about three months old. The lioness had three cubs, but one was killed a couple of weeks earlier. She has isolated herself and her cubs away from the pride. At some point, she will introduce her cubs to the group. There is a danger in bringing the young cubs into the family too early. If the pride’s male discovered that one of the new cubs was a male, he would most likely kill it.
Mom trying to get some shuteye
Wake up, mom! I want to play.
Let’s play with elephant droppings.
Time to clean up.
It was fun to see the two cubs playing, bugging their mother who was trying to get some sleep. They would stalk and wrestle each other like house kittens and wrestle over a couple of large elephant droppings as if they were toys. Euch! Or they would bat their mothers fanning tail, jump on her, being a nuisance. She caressed them, and lovingly licked them. After about a half hour, the lioness got up and made her way into the thick brush, with the two playful cubs tripping after her.
Continuing our trip back to camp, we crossed a savannah void of any trees as far as we could see. But in the middle was a single hippopotamus wandering along. There was no water anywhere nearby. There were no other hippos anywhere in sight. What was this guy doing out here all by himself? Perhaps to get a private moment to enjoy the coming sunset.
A lost hippo in a savanna
Back at camp, we had a chance to chill out, to enjoy the gentle sounds of the river. Time to consider another safari in our future to see the Great Migration crossing the Mara River. Maybe! But that’s for later consideration. Stay with today. It had been a good day!
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