Saturday in the Maasai Mara

We change the game plan today and eat early, then head out for a long morning game drive.  We follow the animals today and our trip takes us down to the Mara River as we can see a huge herd of wildebeests poised to cross......or maybe not.  Not 15 minutes later, part of the herd turns and starts running away from the river.  Oh, nuts!  There goes our crossing .......or maybe not.  Aaron, our guide tells us to be patient and sure enough, the herd turns back towards the river.  Now the wait is on again.  In the meantime, at least three huge crocodiles are also waiting in the water for the crossing. The wildebeests are well aware that they are there, and this causes the eternal wait.  Several hippos play around in the water, just waiting for more action.

                    

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This only a small fraction of the huge herd numbering well over 1,000 including wildebeests and zebras.

  In spite of the crocodile, all make it but one....he grabs a weaker one and drowns it straight away.  We think this is pretty fortunate that all make it but one.  Then we realize that another wildebeest has made the crossing, but broken his leg.  He won't last long as we see a pack of hyenas heading in his direction.  These unfortunate deaths are Mother Nature at work as there are nearly 500,000 wildebeests born each year and if they all survived, the preserve could not support them.

After the river crossing, we wonder what will entertain us next as that event is pretty hard to top.  We are not disappointed as we find a mother wart hog and her three piglets.  They are all so ugly, they are cute.  Look closely and you see that the mother is on her knees.  Her neck is too short for her to bend down and graze.  Mother Nature messed up on this one!!!

            

We are glad we have had breakfast as we are in no hurry to return to the lodge.  Soon the hunt is on for the black rhino.  These rare animals have been poached to near extinction, so it will be something if we find one.  Not long after, we head off in a rush and sure enough, there is a lone female black rhino--quite rare indeed and we enjoy a great photo shoot.

                             

We make a pit stop ( pit is no exaggeration ) at the hippo pool and are treated to 7 hippos in the water.

 

          

  We end our morning game drive with our favorites...the elegant, graceful giraffes.

  We are having the absolutely the most wonderful adventure in Kenya with Aaron and Judy and our driver, Lawrence all of Tropical Woods Adventures.