Cheetahs in Masai Mara
 

Hi everyone.

We're planning a trip to Kenya next year. We'd love to see a lot of cheetahs...especially the cubs! When is the best time/month to see them?
Also, any lodge recommendations?

Thanks in advance :)

The Masai Mara is probably the best place to see Cheetah. But have also then seen at Samburu and Amboseli. But where exactly in these areas, how many and which female will have cubs, no one can say. Let alone surviving cubs. We've seen cheetah on every visit which have been during different months.

You have to remember... safari isn't like visiting a zoo. One day you might see lots of ellees, lions, wildebeests; another, maybe cheetah, antelope and giraffe. Monkey and baboons. On occasion the elusive leopard. Hippos, buffalo. And, many many others at different times of day or even months.

You take the game as you find them and where.

We stayed at Governors' Camp and saw at least 8 cheetahs multiple times. There are other camps where you could stay and see them, as well. As Sandi points out, however, you just never know what you'll see, but the open plains of the Mara are prime cheetah habitat.

Agree the Mara is probably the best place. If not cheetah, there are lots of other animals. Never know if there are cubs of cheetahs or any species around or not. I believe there will be more enforcement of proper vieiwng procedures around cheetah cubs in the future in the Mara so more survive, grow up, and can produce more of these sought after species.

Toto0430

after reading all the others, you now understand that nobody can guarantee cheetah (% especially cub)sightings...
but - i'll tell you what month to come:
since you didn't request tiny cubs, and since cubs stay with their mom for a year and a half, you should come when cheetah are easy to spot. spotting cheetahs is better when the grass is short, after the huge lawn mower (called migration)has cut it down. many tommies (Thomson Gazelles)come to select their food in those areas and they make ~2/3 of the spotted cat's diet. that means September to the first half of October.
If you stay in 2 camps in different areas for a total of 5-10 days you have a very good chance (still it is a <b>chance</b>)

any other date may be just as good, as long as you stay a few days and tell your guide you want the "madoadoa ya chini" & he'll use his radio,,,

bon voyage

aby

I've seen 2-month old cubs in early August in the Mara, which means you never know.

I've learned if you pin your hopes on a certain species or sighting, the whole trip takes on a less relaxed, less magical feel.

I do not know when Cheetahs mate,probably year round !

I was in the Masai Mara in late August to mid September and I saw about a dozen cheetahs and two of them had very small cubs...one had three and the other four.

I just wanted to see some cheetahs,so it was a bit of a bonus to see the cubs also.

However, doing five game drives in the Masai Mara I saw no Leopards...and I really wanted to see at least one.

When I got to the Serengeti , that first morning game drive I saw 4 Leopards!!

Yes ,I was there during at and after the "huge lawn mower" season.

You see what you see on any given game drive...as has been mentioned , this is not a "Zoo".......... well yes it is ,a Zoo in reverse !!!

Mara does not seem to be a big leopard viewing area. So it's nice to go to a couple of environments for a well rounded trip.

Your right atravelynn..... I was waiting to see a Leopard to complete my Big Five list and thought for sure I would see one in the Mara........

But no luck. ( But you know I cannot complain because I saw the Migration !)

Just returned from EA and yes - MM and it's northern respectively north eastern conservancies are excellent for cheetah sightings!

We watched the 3 brothers (approx. 8 years of age) within the reserve on a fresh red hartebeast kill - BLOODY encounter!

A mother cheetah with a TINY cub (approx. 2 months of age) close to Musiara airstrip.

A mother with her 2 male cubs (approx. 5 months of age still showing the fury neck) close to Kicheche Bush camp.

Regrettably SHAKIRA and her cubs have left towards Serengeti recently

Another coalition of 3 brothers close to Recero.

SV

Correct spelling - "Rekero"

atravelynn on Feb 20, 10 at 9:59pm
Mara does not seem to be a big leopard viewing area.

Hi Atravelynn

We have seen lots of Leopard around Ol Kiombo in the last 3 years. October last year, we saw 4 leopard near each other. Also we saw a female with 2 cubs feeding on an Impala. The sightings have been spectacular.

Toto has asked a question and never returned but the discussion goes on
Mara in a very good cheetah country indeed

atravelynn is right!
"I've learned if you pin your hopes on a certain species or sighting, the whole trip takes on a less relaxed, less magical feel."

There's an over-simplification in trying to compare leopard sightings in Serengeti to Masai-Mara
Percy - you have probably been to the Seronera area ("kumi na sita" maybe??) where leopard sightings are relatively easy... this draws more and more cars and radio eavesdroping, and creates a 'positive feedback' dynamics. other areas of Serengeti are a different case, just like different habitats in Mara

SV: is the coalition known specifically for 8 years?
is it known or assumed that they are brothers?
same queston to the Rekero "brothers"
a coalition does not always consist of brothers
so if someone knows these individuals as brothers, he must know the exact age

Honey's cubs are now 3 years and about 9 months old. They were born in May/June 2006. Honey died Feb 17, 2007.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...s-blunder.html

On Sept 8, 2008 they killed their first zebra, when they were just over 2 years old ... still cubs. The video is here:
http://tomtrowbridge.com/2008/09_Ken...ahKill_320.wmv

AfreakA
This coalition of 3 BROTHERS is confirmed: Wwe have been watching them regularly for the last 6 years. We have been watching them since they were abandoned by their mother when they were approx. 24 months of age.

The three male cheetahs we watched in the Rekero vicinity our guide did not have any knowledge on them and their age.

Yes - you're right. It's not always brothers. The latter is not confirmed, not our knowledge. The first is.

SV ((@))