The word ‘coalition’ is generally employed to describe a perceived harmony between two odious political parties who have neutered past hostilities in the collective craving for greed and power.
Coalitions in the Mara read a little differently and right now there is cheetah box office the like of which no-one has ever seen. The five star’s provenance is unclear, but the smart money is on three separate litters and the origin probably the Serengeti.
They eschew the regular cheetah fare of gazelle and impala and are currently specialising in wildebeest. Good job too as there is about a million of them here and with some very heavy storms they show little signs of retreating from their Kenyan stronghold.
They have killed at night, even taking a young zebra and have moved up the ruminant food chain to adult gnu, astonishing when you realize they are all under three years.
This morning they downed a fawn in spectacular style at around eight a.m. As you can imagine these sort of A-listers attract plenty of attention, some of it without any shred of bush manners or decency. However, having killed one hundred meters inside the Reserve, they then carried their full bellies deep into the welcoming bosom of Olare Conservancy. Seeking their favorite Boscia tree they were perturbed to find mating lions already there!
There were only five vehicles all permitted to drive off-road, the rest were all turned back at the border. This is why we protect these Conservancies so feverishly. Currently as I type this they are asleep under a whistling thorn bush, scant comfort from the pre-storm heat: within a mile of them there is a cheetah with three tiny babies, eighteen lions and Fig with her cub.
The hordes of vehicles may just realise that just wearing ludicrous camouflage is an invalid visa to access the magnificent Conservancies. Next time they know where to stay.Conservancy fees are going to good use in Mara North, Naboisho, Olare et al and it appears that the regular visitors understand this, two legged and four. They are sensitive strongholds and jealously guarded.
If these Famous Five stay together, who knows what they will be bringing down in a few years …. hippo anyone?
