If really luck exists, then it was on our side on Monday evening. We saw four of ‘The Big Five’ in thirty minutes, in Maasai Mara, Kenya’s prized national park in Narok County.
We were lucky enough in light of the fact that some tourists go on expeditions without seeing one of the most sought-after animals. First, it was a glad leopard sleeping over branches of one of the trees in the big reserve.
Our tour guide went to lengths laboring to show us the leopard which was hidden in tree branch shrubberies. We could just see a tail hanging.
We were soon bored and requested to proceed however there was a reward some meters away. In the savannah open fields, a lazy, yet well-fed lion laid on its belly.
King of the jungle, elephants
Everybody, all of us tourists of the Kenyan Tourism Board (KTB), graciously took out our cameras to take photos of the king of the jungle. And as we did so, the lion, like it knew about being the celebrity of the moment, slept, yawned, played in the grass, and even glanced toward us as though to posture for the cameras.
Near to, elephants were feeding on shrubbery, reaching out with their trunks to break leaves off branches to feed in their usual peaceful way. They were in a group of five, likely a family. We could gravitate toward taking some close-up shots.
This amazing safari got us into a pride of lions, seven of them, in a family, playing about at the hour when the sun was simply setting. The young and old alike were having a good time and did wouldn’t fret the inquisitive vacationers who were excitedly continuously taking photos.
The big loners and leopard
Just a short distance away from the lions, buffaloes sat in the prairies, may be thrown out of the bigger herds. Our tour guide said such buffaloes live a lonely life and are frustrated, so they could bring about danger to animals as well as to tourists if provoked.
The buffaloes instead looked at us and as we moved closer, took off, and again stopped and looked our way, most likely wondering why we were so interested in them.
As we were returning back to the camp, we chanced on another leopard, hiding under a tree, scheming to attack zebras that were moving in pride. It was an unsuccessful attempt as the numbers turned out to intimidating the mighty hunter.
Minus the rhino, the evening game drive in the Masai Mara turned out rewarding and fruitful and as we retired to our lodge, Olare Mara Kempinski, it was with cheerful hearts and satisfaction for a well-spent safari.