2012-08-27 Masai Mara NR, Kenya

Our last day in the Mara before going to Nakuru was a nice and very wet one. In the morning olive’s daughter Bahati, the young female leopard, was busy hunting. She was really keen and we stayed with her for some time, watching her stalk and approach different groups of gazelles. However, there was so
Much vehicle pressure on her that it became disturbing. Vehicles with photographers on board, including renown professionals, did not give her a break the whole morning and accompanied closely every move that she made, making it impossible for her to have a chance at hunting. I feel that when an animal is clearly keen to hunt, it should be left alone and given a lot of space to behave naturally.
During lunch time the steaming heat gave way to big dark clouds and heavy rain. We spent the afternoon with Narasha and her cubs enduring the thunderstorm, and licking each other. After the rain and under amazing skies in every direction she hunted a Thompson gazelle fawn and brought it back to her cubs. Meanwhile also the Hyenas were busy hunting, scattering the wildebeests in the fading light.