Hide & Seek

Hide and Seek

The Masai Mara, a vastness of land enriched by the habitat; animals, birds and flora. Approximately 290,000 tourist to the Masai Mara National Park every year. One of Africa's greatest destinations.

A journey across valleys and plains. 

On this particular day, during an entire days game drive in the Masai Mara with Bushbuck Adventures, we ended up 'playing a game',a game of 'hide and seek'.

In the distance we spot vehicles circled next to some bushes, cameras on tripods for that steady shot, roof hutches open, people in whispers; one could even sense the excitement. One wondered why people would be so keen and gathered around some bushes. So we inquired....and soon we were also fixated on the same bush, all because of the elusive spotted one.

Engines off, binoculars out, eyes peeled, will the spotted one reveal itself, or do we have to eagerly search? Reminds me of hide and seek, but this time the one we are seeking has the advantage of camouflage. Under the croton bushes, it ‘hides’, unaware of the buzz around.

Patience pays, perseverance is the key, but we seem to lack both, so we drive off, and hope to be fortunate later.

After driving around the Masai Mara Game Reserve, we stop somewhere by the bank of the Mara River. Zebra’s to our left grazing, as others debate cautiously whether to have a drink. We are also debating where to have a picnic. Mwaniki, the driver looks to the right and spots a lioness stalking, hidden by the bushes. Focus changes, all attention on the lioness. Patiently, a lesson we are all getting to learn, we wait, then suddenly a cub walks past the mother’s hunt-path and the zebras spot it. In a mad dash the zebras scatter, dust in the air, zebra’s calling, the hunt terminated; seems to be ‘lunch break’ in the Mara. But just as i had written earlier in King of the Jungle, lions may be kings of Masai Mara but they don't always have it their way. Only 1 in 5 attempts will be successful.

We drove off yet again, but this time with just a bit of patience and perserverance, the elusive one crossed our path. Curiosity killed the cat, but in this case, curiousity revealed a cat, one of the 'Big Five' in Kenya.

*GAME OVER*