While the Masai Mara may seem like it is paradise to these happy-go-lucky animals, that is far from the truth.  The animals must be on their guard at all times, for every animal has its predators, and it is a jungle out there.  Like it or not, this is the Circle of Life.  We were able to witness several examples of the circle.  It was like watching the National Geographic Channel; only live.

The Cheetah (Duma) is a beautiful cat which bears a great resemblances to the leopard.  The real expert can tell them apart with no problem by their smaller size and also by looking at their faces.  The cheetah has a black tear mark which stretches from her eyes to her mouth.  The female cheetah lives a solitary life, except when she mates and when she has her cubs.  The cheetah usually gives birth to 2 to 6 babies, of which only few will survive.  The female cheetah will care for her cubs and teach them how to survive out there in the big world.  Here a mother cheetah and her two well-grown cubs are on the lookout for prey as they prepare to hunt for their lunch.

They spot a baby Thomson's Gazelle and begin quickly moving toward it.  While they are the fastest land animal in the world, they can only maintain those bursts of speed for a short time.  Therefor, they tty to approach their quarry as closely as possible before the final, explosive, burst.

The mother snatches the baby gazelle and we hear the baby gazelle's mother cry out in distress, but it is only in vain.  

The mother releases this small prey to her two cubs.  They must learn how to hunt under their mother's supervision.  The cubs play with the poor gazelle for several minutes, tripping it up when it attempts to flee, before finally going in for the kill.

Then it is time to feast, and it is every cheetah for him or herself.  We watched as the family ate the small snack.  They then cleaned each other's faces and relaxed in the afternoon African sun.

The lions also learn to hunt under the supervision of their mother, who is the great hunter for the family.  The adult male lion does not hunt.  Instead, he waits for the females to hunt.  He then gets the first licks at the meal that has dutifully been brought to him.  Here we saw a young lion chasing a giraffe.  The lion was no match for the fast giraffe who escaped with no problem.

Later, however, the lions were successful in catching a wildebeest.

During our last morning in the Masai Mara we witnessed a family of lions as they feasted on a zebra.  This lioness is finally getting an opportunity to enjoy her kill after her husband has gotten his fill and relaxes under a nearby tree.

She now calls her cubs to the dinner table.  Game driving in Africa is not for the faint at heart.  Kelly could only look for a short time, before she had to turn away.  It is the Circle of Life, but it ain't pretty.

While man can also pose a great threat to animals, these animals do not have to fear from the Maasai tribespeople who have lived in the Masai Mara for hundreds of years.  The Maasai do not believe in eating their God's creatures.  They only raise and eat cows, as they believe that God created cows for them.  The Maasai people share the land with the animals, but for the most part do not contribute to the Circle of Life.  For more information about the fascinating Maasai people, see Meet Pius, our Maasai friend.  

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