Lion

Panthera leo

Broad head with a short muzzle, and small rounded ears with the back coloured black. Apart from the mane, the coat is very short and a sandy yellow colour with faint spots noticeable on the juveniles. The mane, only present on the males, is variable in colour from pale buff to black and can take up to 6 years to develop.

Leopard

Panthera pardus

Muscular, thickset with short, powerful limbs. Head is broad with a medium length muzzle. Coat is yellow/tan with black/brown spots grouped in rosettes on the body but generally solid black on the head and lower legs. The chin, throat and underside are off-white. The female is smaller and lighter than the male.

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

Small, rounded head with small ears and large deep orange eyes. Black spotting on forehead, cheeks, and prominent black stripes extending from the inner corner of the eyes to the mouth. Sleek body, flexible, with powerful chest and long legs. The coat is yellow/buff, randomly marked with small black spots. Chest and underside are almost white.

The Big Cats

When the savannah turns a golden red in the month of July, and the zebra start pouring in across the river, the first herds of the wildebeest arrive and the feasting for the Mara's predators, and scavengers, begins.

There are many resident lion prides in the Mara that occupy the same territory for several generations, often lasting many decades. Female offspring provide continuity and are the permanent members of the group. The adult males tend to be more transient and will gain their hierarchical positions by chasing out their predecessors. Nighttime in the Mara is filled with the deep roaring males, warning other males to stay away from their territory.

The lion does not always live up to its reputation as the king of hunters, and is an inveterate scavenger always on the lookout for other predators' kills. Hunting is usually initiated by the females of the pride, in the early morning, late afternoon and even at night. They stalk cautiously to within a few paces of the animal, make a fast dash and pull the victim down. The prey is killed either by a bite through the neck or by clamping down on the muzzle until it suffocates.

Even though there is no apparent communication between the lionesses, it is common in the Mara to see several females hunt together with military precision; diversions, pincer movements and a final assault carried out with an incredible accuracy.

As the lion eptiomises power and majesty, so the leopard stands for grace and cunning. Often regarded as a shy, nocturnal animal, sightings of leopard in the Mara can occur even in the middle of the day and last for several minutes.

Leopards prefer wooded savannahs and rocky outcrops, and in the Mara they are most likely to be encountered resting in a tree. They have remarkable vision, exceptional hearing and a good sense of smell.  A skilled climber, they often drop on their unsuspecting prey from above, followied by a strike with claws extended then a bite to the next or back of the head while paws embrace the body.

They prey on many mammal species particularly antelopes, and have a particular liking for baboons - often we hear baboons barking suddenly in the middle of the night. They have incredible strength and are able to carry a kill high into a tree to hide it from other predators. Adult leopards lead a solitary existence, only coming together during periods of mating.

Although not as muscular as the leopard, the cheetah is built for sheer speed and is the world's fastest land mammal and has been timed at 110 kilometres per hour. The Mara is one of the best places in the world to see a cheetah, and they often seek a vantge point on a fallen tree, termite mound or even car bonnet, to look out across the savannah for their next prey.

The cheetah's method of hunting is peculiar to the species as it is built for speed and hunts by stalking close to its prey and then racing after it, bringing it down before seizing it by the throat and suffocating it. Being a sprinter it cannot maintain great pace for long, and if it has not caught its victim within 100 metres or so it will give up the chase.

When the hunt is over, the cheetah lies with heavy flanks for up to half an hour before recovering to feed. This makes it very vulnerable to hyaenas, jackals and even vultures who are keen to snatch the kill. Cheetahs have a very precarious existence in the Mara and are often chased away from a kill, we therefore urge visitors not to approach them when they are feeding and especially not when they are hunting.