culture

images : getty ; alamy

BIG CAT CUBS Tumbling over their own toes and prowling after passing butterflies , Kenya ’ s big cats are a lot less intimidating in their infancy . Visit Maasai Mara in February , when lionesses begin to introduce their cubs to the pride . Socializing with their own species for the first time , the tiny predators are being trained to stalk small prey , gorging on gazelles their mothers drag home and dodging hyenas throughout their early months . Leopards and cheetahs both begin raising their cubs around the same season .

GREAT

WILDEBEEST

MIGRATION Between June and November , some 1.5 million wildebeest descend upon Maasai Mara . Following the rain and the mineral-rich soil , immense herds traverse the Kenyan and Tanzanian plains , navigating crocodile-infested waters and big cat hunting grounds . The wildebeest are joined by zebras , gazelles and eland . Though precise timings are unpredictable , the herds typically arrive in Maasai Mara from late July to early August .

BLACK

RHINO

RESTORATION There are less than 50 black rhinos left in Maasai Mara ; plagued by ivory poachers , their population decreased by 98 % between 1960 and 1995 . Conservationists have undertaken painstaking efforts to boost their numbers , and to introduce travelers to the rare giants . Take a day trip to the grounds of Mara Plains Camp for a chance to spot this most elusive of Africa ’ s ‘ Big 5 ’ in the high grasses .

THREE MORE : NATURE HOTSPOTS

Lake Nakuru Tinted pink by flocks of flamingos year-round , Lake Nakuru ’ s surface is rarely left tranquil . Rare wading birds like white pelicans and Malagasy pond herons roam the algae-rich waters under the watchful eye of greater spotted eagles and Rüppell ’ s vultures .

Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park With so many major mammals roaming inland , Kenya ’ s coastline is often unjustly overlooked . Head to Kisite- Mpunguti Marine National Park for a chance to swim with pods of dolphins , sea turtles and cute , curious clown fish .

Mount Kenya Mount Kenya is renowned among avid hikers , but its wildlife offering draws nature-lovers to extreme heights . Help abandoned or injured critters at the conservancy ’ s animal orphanage and learn about Kenya ’ s recent success in rewilding its highlands with the Mountain Bongo Breeding program .

spring 2024 • 27