July 2024

Singita Grumeti & Lamai

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Singita Grumeti & Lamai: July 2024

July has been a relatively dry month with only one large 40mm soaking at the very end of the month. The Grumeti River still flows, however, her water levels continue to drop steadily. The migratory herds of wildebeest remained with us through the majority of the month, in fact and we only started to see the last of the herds begin to head off to the north-east towards the end of the month.

Huge numbers of wildebeest arrived at the Mara River during the middle of July and they continue to push north to the grazing lands of the Lamai and further.

With the wildebeest passing through we have seen fantastic plains game in general across the reserve. Many thousands of zebra continue to roam the Grumeti Reserve, lovely gazelle numbers, giraffe and eland.

The scorched ground from fires have created some wonderful photographic opportunities this month with vivid colour contrasts. A magic month with truly excellent wildlife sightings!

Here’s a sightings snapshot for July:

Lions

  • Lion sightings this month have been nothing short of awesome! We have had some very interesting interactions with the prides around Sasakwa Hill on the plains to the south.
  • The once shy Mkomure Pride are relaxing a little and establishing themselves with confidence a short distance away from the north-eastern side of the hill, on the drainage. This pride have been there the entire month without much movement at all.
  • The Ridge Pride have been ruling the southern slopes of Sasakwa Hill and the plains towards Sasakwa Dam.
  • The Butamtam Pride have been observed this month in the Koroya Hill region, further south towards Nyati plains and the Pundamilia acacia woodlands.
  • The lions have fed well this month, with an abundance of prey on the reserve the buffalo can at last relax a little!
  • Nyasirori Pride continue to roam the Sabora plains offering some nice sightings close to Sabora Camp.
  • Ridge Pride lionesses have been based close to Sasakwa Dam this month ambushing wildebeest as they arrive to drink.

Leopards

  • Leopard sightings this month have been great.
  • Some lovely interactions with mother and two cubs around the Mbogo drainage. Mama and two shifted downstream after the Mkuyu Pride lions moved in on the northern region of Mbogo drainage. The mother ultimately led the two cubs away from danger and recently they have been spending time a little closer to Faru Faru lodge.
  • We have had some lovely sightings of the Mazingira female and single male cub on Sasakwa Hill.
  • An interesting occurrence of two similarly aged male leopards on the Mkomure drainage, just east of Sasakwa airstrip. The two males have been seen together and sharing kills. We believe them to be brothers, offspring of the Mazingira female from approximately two and a half years ago.
  • The Serengeti Hill male leopard was seen with a wildebeest calf kill on the Manangai drainage.
  • The Grumeti North male was seen on a number of occasions on the Sand Road/Grumeti West Road junction.
  • A shy female was seen on the Grumeti North drainage.

Cheetahs

  • Some great cheetah sightings this month, as expected with conditions changing.
  • A single female seen hunting in the Sabora Camp area.
  • A mother with a single sub-adult cub seen on a number of occasions west of Sabora Camp, on the edge of the rain tree woodlands.
  • A male cheetah seen on the Manangai drainage, central Sasakwa plains.
  • The cheetah on the reserve this month are just beginning to establish once again, after good numbers of wildebeest have opened up the environment for the cheetahs to settle. It is not long before we see the return of their favoured prey species, Thompson’s and Robert’s gazelle.

Elephants

  • Some lovely elephant numbers this month.
  • We have seen some huge herds rolling in to Sasakwa Dam to drink and bathe.
  • As the Grumeti River continues to drop elephant activity in and around the banks has been incredible. The river water flowing shallow and clear entices the herds in during the heat of the day.
  • Beautiful big bull elephants often revisit the river in the quiet of dusk, drinking and walking excitedly through the shallows.
  • Aggregations of breeding herds have been seen up to 200 strong both in the central regions and in the western rain tree woodlands.
  • Good breeding herds seen on the Raho drainage.

Buffalo

  • Fantastic buffalo numbers seen all over the reserve.
  • A lovely sighting of a herd of 400 crossing the Grumeti River in the Ikorongo.
  • Again, catching the buffalo herds coming to drink at the river during the heat of the day provides some exciting viewing. Throw a herd of wildebeest in the mix too with lions ambushing and you’ve got your work cut out!
  • Large breeding herds have been seen all over the property.
  • Some fantastic bull buffalo also observed with varied horn sizes, shapes and breadth.
  • Good buffalo bull numbers grazing up on Sasakwa Hill.
  • Many young calves seen within the herds, testament to their successes over the years.
  • Buffalo numbers, like lions, continue do boom. Ultimately a very interesting correlation.

Rhinos

  • Rhino sighting in the IPZ have been lovely this month.
  • We have noticed Eric spending quite some time close to Laikipia, shadowing her movements through the thickets on the hillside. We certainly hope that this proximity between the two may lead to something special once again.
  • Zaituni, the orphaned youngster, continues to do very well. She is fully grown now and we hope to see her, in the not too distant future, return to the wilds.
  • Other rhino individuals on the reserve are fit and well. All young calves are accounted for, fit and strong.
  • The rhino teams continue to keep a close eye on these individuals as they disperse over considerable distances.

Other interesting sightings

  • This month has been rather a special month in terms of rare bird sightings
  • Two very rare bird species were seen this month which, we believe, have not been recorded here on the Grumeti reserve before. The Madagascar squacco heron and the blue swallow both spotted this July! The Madagascar squacco heron was seen on the Manchira River, north-west Ikorongo, and the blue swallow has been seen close to Sasakwa Dam.
  • A caracal was seen close to Serengeti House this month.
  • Some fantastic wildebeest and zebra numbers surging through the reserve this month.
  • We had a few great serval sightings on the plains of the central region.
  • Huge herds of Topi seen out on the Kawanga plains.