March 2025

Singita Grumeti & Lamai

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Singita Grumeti & Lamai: March 2025

In March, the rainy season began with just a light drizzle at first, but as the month went on, the rainfall increased steadily. This brought a refreshing change to the landscape. The areas where we set controlled burns started to turn green and lush as new grass began to grow. The vibrant transformation of the land was a clear sign that nature was waking up.
This sudden growth of fresh vegetation attracted large numbers of plains game. The once dry areas turned to paradise for animals. Thousands of zebras and topis roamed these plains grazing on the new grass. Alongside them, hundreds of gazelles joined in, creating a stunning scene of wildlife in abundance.
The combination of the rainfall and the lush new grass brought about a game-changing experience for wildlife viewing. The atmosphere became alive with the sight of so many animals, all in one place.
March sightings snapshot for Grumeti:
Lions:
March was a month to remember when it came to lions. We had five lion prides that we saw throughout the month, which provided the best game experience.
  • The Ridge Pride was seen mostly along Sabora Access, Ridge Hill, and Farasi Road. The pride was accompanied by six cubs, and were all in good shape.
  • Butamtam Pride lionesses were seen with the Kombre males, as the Butamtam males had been defeated and moved south of the Sasakwa plain towards the Serengeti National Park.
  • Kombre Pride lionesses stayed in their territory, even though their males were gone. They were often seen at Sasakwa Hill during the night and would return to Kombre drainage in the mornings. All members, including the cubs, were healthy and strong.
  • Sabora Pride respected their boundaries and didn’t move far from the morum pit area just west of Sabora camp. They would leave to hunt and return to the area, as the new cubs were not able to move far, especially in the long grass.
  • Mkuyu Pride members were seen south-west of Faru Faru Lodge and the German Bridge area. They explored both sides of the Grumeti River as they searched for food.
Leopards:
In March, we had some amazing leopard sightings, especially on the eastern side of the concession. With the grass being so tall that side of the reserve, the leopards love to climb up into the trees, giving them a perfect vantage point. This makes it much easier for our guests to spot them, and it's such a special experience to watch these magnificent creatures lying along branches.
  • The famous male known as Mapengo was the highlight of the month, he was seen very often near the Faru areas.
  • Maruru male seems to have extended his territory further east of Maruru drainage as he has been seen in the Ikorongo area and is in very good condition. He had not been seen for about three months.
  • A female was seen west of Grumeti north drainage, resting up in a balanitis tree and taking full advantage of the surrounding view.
  • There was a very big but shy male leopard seen twice around Koroya Hill and the balloon site areas.
Cheetahs:
This month we didn’t see as many cheetahs compared to the past months, and we think the competition from the other predators, especially lions and hyenas, are limiting their presence in the area.
  • A new male was seen along Nyati plain near the Serengeti boundary area, and we think he came from the park. He moved in between the boundary border and Sasakwa plain.
  • Female with one cub were seen on the eastern side of the concession, south of Bangwesi Hill. These two animals were in excellent condition.
Elephants:
In March, we continued to see elephants spread out in small groups across the concession. These magnificent creatures were seen in different sizes ranging from 10 to over 100.
  • Small herds were seen throughout the month in the open plains of Sabora, Fisi, and the high ground of Nyasirori.
  • Sasakwa plain had small herds moving around, and in the afternoons, they gathered at Sasakwa Dam to drink.
  • The Grumeti River was the top spot to watch elephants as they came to drink and feed along the riverine vegetation.
  • On the Ikorongo side, small herds were seen on both sides of Bangwesi Hill and along the Rokare River in the afternoons.
  • Later towards the end of the month, we saw very large herds of about 100 each on the western side of the reserve.
Buffalos:
We must highlight that the buffalo population is steadily expanding across all areas of the concession, with some herds growing as large as 400 individuals in a single group. This remarkable increase in numbers ensures that the game viewing experience remains vibrant and dynamic.
  • There was a very large herd moving between Sasakwa airstrip, Serengeti House, Kombre drainage, and the marsh area. This herd was impressive in size and covered quite a distance.
  • As usual, Sasakwa plain had a very large herd roaming around the Old School, Helmetshrike, and Chui Link areas. These animals gathered at Sasakwa Dam to drink mid-morning, a perfect spot for a drink and rest.
  • A medium-sized herd was spotted around Biribai areas, Mbogo drainage and watershed areas. It was not as large as the others but still a wonderful sight to see.
  • Another medium-sized herd was seen west of Faru Faru Lodge and Grumeti North areas. This herd would either drink along Grumeti River or in the waterhole in front of the lodge.
  • A very large herd roamed Sabora plain, Fisi, and Rubana Link areas. These are areas known for their rich open plain vegetation, of which the herd took full advantage.
  • As expected, Gambaranyera plain had a very large herd, moving between the Raho drainage and Rubana River just west of the Explore camps. It’s always a beautiful sight to see the herd moving through these scenic areas, creating an unforgettable view.
Rhino:
  • The male eastern black rhino (photographed in the cover picture) was seen often walking on the eastern, northern and southern side of the boma and he appeared in good condition.