Amazing morning today-
saw three lions take down three wildebeest in a manner of minutes. We first saw
the lions just a few minutes after telling a tour car that we had seen “hakuna
simba” this morning. It was the two subadult males and what we think is their
sister, possibly this is Arya, Bran, and Rickon. The males look maybe two years
old, just getting scruff around their necks. They were all looking extremely
skinny and were meandering on towards the river. We kept going and noticed a
lot of dust plumes coming up from across the river. We haven’t had any good
rain since those rainy weeks in September and the dust has gotten absolutely
horrendous. As we drive closer we realize that some wildebeest are just about
to cross the river! It’s very late in the season for a crossing but there have
still been a lot of wildebeest and zebra around so perhaps not too unusual. Wes
saw a crossing in December when he first got out here last year. The lions that
we’d just driven away from are walking this way and we quickly try and position
ourselves to watch what they do. All three sneak into the longer grass and take
up points where they can watch the wildebeest.
At first it looks as if the
wildebeest have psyched themselves out and are going to turn around but then a
few start to cross and suddenly the whole herd and swimming across. The lions
are right there on the bank when the wildebeest start to climb up this side!
Dripping wet and lowing (with zebras kwakwaing) first one of the submales dives
in and appears to take down a wildebeest just on the bank before dispearing
below the edge. Next the female who has been waiting on the left side tears
after a wildebeest and it runs into the longer grass where she pulls it down.
Then, seconds after, the second male runs at an adult wildebeest and grabs its
neck just in front of us. Within a minute he has pulled it to the ground. Three
lions and three wildebeest!! The two subadult males actually chase a few more
wildebeest as the crossing finishes up before standing still, panting and out
of breath. The female remained with her kill, keeping a bite on it until it is
100% dead. Totally wild!! The wildebeest were freaking out, having to cross the
river with hungry lions waiting for them on the other side.
Anyway, lots has happened
since I last journaled. Amanda got bitten by a dog a few days after she got
back to the mara (after a Nairobi trip filled with lots of car problems). It
was one of the sniffing dogs that works at the gates and the bridge. Apparently
it had gotten sick a week ago and the drugs they had put it on had changed its
behavior and it became way more aggressive with anyone but its handler. The day
before it had bitten a small child so they’d moved it to the other gate away
from the bridge. When Amanda got out of her car to say hi to the handler the
dog lunged and bit away part of her lip. She’s been in Nairobi ever since but
apparently there are great plastic surgeons and they were able to sew her lip
back up.
The cruiser is finally
fixed and I think for good this time. Laragin came out and did some more work
on it and he finally admitted that there was probably an alternator or
electrical problem that is deeper than just battery or starter problems. He
cleaned the alternator and charged the battery which kept the car going until
Halloween before it died again. So finally he went through and checked all the
current and found that there is not sufficient electrical voltage going to the
battery. After two nights of working he ordered a new voltage regulator and got
an electrician “ja-wire” to come out and take a look at the cruiser. After
replacing the voltage regulator, cleaning the alternator, and redoing half the
wiring the cruiser charged the battery from dead to full! No boost-charging,
car charged the battery on its own which makes me think we’re good to go for
real this time.
However the maruti now
has a broken spring leaf, we were driving it out and it snapped going over a
few ruts. A few weeks ago the mechanics said that the spring leaves were
wearing out so this wasn’t too surprising but seeing as both camps were almost
out of camp cash (and personal cash) this was just one more thing. So for a day
we had no car until the cruiser got fixed. However having the evening off was
nice because we got to watch a solar eclipse on the evening of nov. 3rd.
Halloween was fun though-
we sprayed painted t-shirts and went up to the lodge for drinks where we bumped
into Daniel, the balloon pilot, and his wife Joyce. They joined us a little
later and we chilled out with Allan, a guide in training, at the bar as well.
Still no sign of George
but we did see LogC this morning, but that only made us more worried about
LogC. She was wandering behind Sherman and Hooker looked submissive and like
she didn’t know what to do with herself. Hooker and Sherman led the way the
whole time and LogC actually went ears back and did some submissive postures
and head bobbing to them which is totally crazy. We didn’t see Waffles in her
natal den either so we were thinking either Waffles died or Sherman has
overthrown waffles and taken over or George is dead and LogC is just so
depressed that she is acting submissive to these two. Any of those options is
crazy but I really hope little George isn’t dead! LogC has been such a good mom
and George was getting big and strong so quickly. There’s been a million lions
around though so I don’t know.
Biscuit on the other hand
I’m already worried about. That cub is way too bold and crazy for her own good
and though George was always safe and careful and LogC was always keeping a
watchful eye on him Biscuit is a little cub that is out of control. Bellagio
usually looks so exhausted that when she IS there she is fast asleep and
Biscuit is doing whatever she feels like. Biscuit was playing and greeting with
Cruz the other night, running as far as 10m away from the den following BLG
(who was trying to leave) and other cubs. She was play romping with Sula and
Star who are both about a year old now and actually holding her own with play
bites and running around. She was chewing on Marten’s collar the other night
and I don’t doubt her ability to damage that thing. Bellagio only once tried to
get Biscuit to go back to the den but it was when Biscuit was not being all
that crazy and the moment Bellagio let go of her she was off running around
again. I haven’t even seen Higgs or George (who are both waaaay older) being
anywhere near this bold. Komo is still hogging the den hole but I did see a
torn phallus on Whiz so maybe we’ll see a few more babies soon! Java’s points
were clustering some in the field across from the den so maybe Java has some
babies in a natal den too.
Submitted my NSF
yesterday which feels great, but still waiting on Carrie’s reference letter. So
won’t feel totally relaxed until everything is all in and official. Reference
letter deadline is not until the 14th. Now just helping Zoe with
hers!!
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