July, 2023
In my holidays, I went with my family to Maasai Mara in Kenya.
We took a flight from Mumbai to Nairobi and a smaller flight from Nairobi to Maasai Mara. The plane ride over the grasslands (African Savanna) was amazing. We saw Giraffes, Zebras, Elephants, hippos, Wild Buffaloes and Deer’s. From the sky! At Maasai Mara we lived in a resort called Sarova Mara which was amidst the savannas.
Post lunch we immediately we went for our first game drive. As soon as we drove out of the gate we saw Giraffes, zebras, gazelles, elephants, antelopes and ostriches. I really hopped we could see a carnivore just then Jeffry our ranger told us that on the radio there was a news on a cheetah sighting. I shouted let’s go! Jeffry turned the jeep and went there as fast as he could.
Finally, we saw the fastest animal on earth the cheetah! It was right next to our jeep!!! The cheetah was preparing for the kill the excitement was high I could hear my heart pounding in my ear but for some reason it did not attack. Probably it got distracted with so many audiences around it.
When we were returning from the game drive we saw a young lone lion, what a lovely ending to our first game drive. In our next game we saw two jackals eating. Jeffry said this means there is a carnivore eating nearby because jackals are scavengers and we soon spotted a pride of lions feasting on a kill. It was hard to say what they were eating. Four lionesses were eating and the lion was sleeping. Jeffry told us that the lion eats first even though the lionesses hunt.
Thereafter we saw a gazelle give birth to its baby. Nature is amazing the baby get up and starts running in the next ten minutes. We saw another pride and Simba feeding on his mother milk yes lions are called Simba. We saw an elephant heard. We were told that the oldest female elephant is the leader. She protects her herd and guides her herd though the savannas.
Then we went to a lake. There we saw hippos and crocodiles. Hippos are herbivores but very aggressive. Never be in a hippo’s way or it will kill you. Even crocodiles don’t mess with hippos. A male hippo has many female hippos when a female hippo gives birth to a male hippo she hides the baby otherwise the father will kill it. Mother hippo looks after the baby secretly. Once the baby is old enough, he will challenge his father. Even if he loses his father will give him a few females to make his own group.
In Maasai Mara there is a tribe called the Maasai. Some facts about Maasai, the Maasai fallow the routine of a lion the women do most of the work and the men provide security. Men can have more than one wife. Number of wives depends on his wealth and wealth is determined on the number of cows he owns. In olden days men had to kill a lion before they could get married. Now they are all committed to protect the lions.
All Maasai people have the front two teeth of their lower jaw removed. While in the forest they wear red clothes, the do not have bath, smear mud on their face so that they smell like animals.
Apparently even lions fear the Maasai tribe. Most of the people know English. They have mastered the art of living one with nature and other living beings. I learnt a lovely song from Jeffrey Hakuna Matata
Jambo, Jambo bwana Habari gani, nzuri sana Wageni, Mwakaribishwa Kenya jetu hakuna matata
(Hello, hello mister How are you, very well Welcome, we receive you In our country, no problem)
