News from Porini Safari Camps

With best wishes,

Aleema

Aleema Noormohamed
Marketing Executive
Porini Safari Camps

Photo courtesy of Richard Pye.

It’s been a dry February, the temperatures have been soaring and the grass is turning from green to brown. Wildebeests have had their calves, the most recent ones being on the 3rd of March – this collective calving ensures a maximum survival rate for the upcoming migration cycle that begins with the battle across the Serengeti-Mara eco system.

Olare Motorogi saw a good 36 hour downpour 2 weeks ago that gave it a huge influx of plains wildlife moving into the central conservancy from Motorogi to the north. Groupings of over one hundred Topi led the way followed by Zebra families with close to two thousand head of wildebeest ( they are always there…).

What are the wildlife up to in Olare Motorogi?

• Amani the cheetah, made a Topi kill with her three cubs and they stuffed themselves to the maximum capacity. The three spent the first part of the month hunting scrub hares, after which they enjoyed bullying the reedbuck along the hammerkop stream. They even had a go at a very unfortunate serval cat who nearly tripped before he cantered to safety. They finally killed an adult impala on the 1st of March, and the young Topi on the 5th of March.
• A lioness from the elusive Eseketa pride ( a branch of the Moniko pride) was enjoying her wildebeest kill on the road onto the Olkuroto plains.
• A big herd of elephants were seen moving through the Motorogi river valley
• Fig the Leopard has been keeping herself very busy. She made a wildebeest kill one night, and then the next day at 14.45hrs she had another successful go at the 2000 wildebeest that crossed the Ntiakitaik River (along which Porini Lion Camp is located). Fig spent the first week of the month in her usual haunt on the hammerkop stream, disappeared for a few days, and then appeared on the riverline behind Olare in what we could say is “Acacia’s” (Fig’s mother) territory.
• Speaking of Acacia – she was only seen on a few occasions. She took a few days to eat and recover from a large male Thompson, and was found again with an Impala fawn ( survival in the wild).
• Fig’s new sister – Namynak was also seen by many Olare Motorogi guests this month. She was found in the vicinity of her mother only once, and is obviously preparing to go off on her own very soon.
• A lion from the Enkoyeni pride had attempted a raid on a Maasai boma but was injured in the process. He is not limping anymore, and the Lion research and conservancy crew and guides are keeping a close watch on him to ensure his healing. He is part of a pride with 13 individuals in the southern part of the Olare Motorogi Conservancy (including 2 cubs).

The Moniko pride – the conservancies largest pride of lions spent the first part of the month on the Moniko hill before taking advantage of the herds on the plains south of the Eseketa valley. The pride moved further east onto the grass plains of Naboisho during the end of the month. The two males (Nguro and Jicho) with this “crazy eye” look have been found around Moniko hill – maybe causing the move of the Moniko pride towards the east?

Photo courtesy of Lorna Buchanan-Jardine

Highlights of the month:

• Unusual sighting of a number of giraffes – their slow motions make you feel the slow pace of the Africa bush
• Sighting of the duo of Nguro (half tail) and Jicho (one eye) doing well in the central conservancy despite not having a pride.
• Large groups of Kongoni (Coke’s hartebeest) were sighted in the conservancy when these animals are said to be in fast decline in the region.
• Sighting of large families of elephants coming through the area
• Sighting of the two families of bat-eared foxes as the pups grow and reach sub-adulthood (one east of the Ntiakitaik river and one on Porini hill).
• Witnessing the return of the large herds of wildebeest and zebra back into the area promising a time of super action in the coming months.

KWT’s research team discovered the need of an eye clinic in the Amboseli area – a core wildlife area where KWT operates in. KWT decided to collaborate with the Lion Guardians program to reap the benefits of the eye clinic. Phase one of the project targeted and screened different communities in the Olgulului and Eselenkei Group Ranches in Amboseli. The screen team stayed at Porini Amboseli Camp, and consisted of two doctors who visited six locations to screen patients over six days. During this period, the team treated over 500 patients with a variety of medication and eye drops. It was made clear to each patient, that the benefits they were receiving was due to their tolerance of lions and peaceful coexistence with wildlife.

Phase two of the project was for patients who registered during the screening process. Gamewatchers Safaris transported patients from Loirero, Iltuleta and Lenkisem to the clinic that was being set up to the Esiteti School. Two classrooms were allocated to the clinic for the week, one for any surgeries and one for “inpatients”. Once again, patients were advised that the KWT program was linked the Lion Guardians program and visuals of these reminders were set up accordingly.

KWT witnessed many successful operations, and the impact of the eye clinic played a huge part in favouring the support towards reducing human-wildlife conflict within the various communities. Word spread through the region, and the clinic attracted many walk-in patients. Patients started referring to the KWT medical team as the “Lion’s Doctors” which reinforced their understanding of the link between their treatments and the Lion Guardians program whose main focus is lion conservation.

Please email chantal for more information.