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Benson Maatany

@bensonmaatany

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A PROFESSIONAL SAFARI GUIDE:
in Maasai Mara National reserve
KPSGA silver rated guide.
Safari guide#Enkewa camp

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Shake it off! 🌧️🦁

The rain finally arrived in the Mara and what a beautiful way to spend our last evening game drive with @bensonmaatany

After all the dust and dry days, the rain brought a fresh atmosphere to the Mara. And this Sand River Pride lioness seemed to have her own way of celebrating…

But the evening had an even bigger story waiting to unfold…

A little spoiler from our final morning game drive:

That evening, Manywele & Oloiborr were right next to our camp with the Sopa Pride when the Black Rock Juniors suddenly showed up. The two males chased them away, and their roars carried through the night. What a night to remember!

At sunrise, we found a Sopa Pride lioness and shortly afterwards, the Black Rock Juniors not far away. Two of them were limping slightly, although nothing we saw suggested a serious concern. Could this have been a consequence of their encounter with their fathers Manywele & Oloiborr?

There is so much happening around the Black Rock and Sopa Pride areas right now. I’ll share more from this morning’s sightings in the next post!

For now, we’re heading west towards the Mara River, where the next chapter of our Mara adventure begins. ❤️

@bensonmaatany, a HUGE thank you for an incredible few days! ❤️❤️ Your knowledge, passion and dedication made this time so special. If you’d like to follow his sightings and get more updates from the Mara, make sure to follow him here on Instagram!

And of course, I’ll continue track the updates on the WildGuide platform, so we can keep following their stories together. 🦁❤️

The Mara never stops surprising us. And neither does this story!

#maasaimara #lionsofafrica #wildlion #wildguide #africanwildlife taken in Maasai Mara by @bensonmaatany

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a day ago

Yesterday we had a relaxing morning with the Sand River pride. Stay tuned for more 🦁❤️

#maasaimara #africanwildlife #africanwildlifephotography #lionsofafrica #lionconservation taken in Masai Mara National Reserve by @bensonmaatany

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2 days ago

Another unforgettable evening in the Maasai Mara!

Once again, we had the privilege of finding Manywele & Oloiborr towards the end of our game drive, this time together with the Sopa Pride. And what a moment it was when they all joined in, roaring together into the night! ❤️🌙

Oloiborr was initially on the other side of the Sand River, but after a little while, he made his way across to join the others. And yes, we captured that moment on video too! 😍

Unfortunately, it was already getting quite dark by then, so the footage isn’t as clear as we would have liked, but moments like these are simply too special not to share. ❤️

Watching these lions interact and hearing their roars carry through the Mara is something truly special. Every encounter adds another little piece to their ongoing story.

Of course, I’m still hoping that the Black Rock Pride is still doing well. We saw them the evening before, not far from the area where we encountered the Sopa Pride yesterday.

A huge thank you, as always, to @bensonmaatany for his incredible guiding, his knowledge of these lions and for making moments like this possible. 🙏❤️ And thank you to all the guides who share their sightings and help us follow these lions’ stories.

The Mara always has another chapter to tell. 🦁✨

#maasaimara #africanlions #wildguide #africanwildlife #liondynamics taken in Maasai Mara by @bensonmaatany

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2 days ago

After all the drama and sad news from the Black Rock Pride, here’s a little reminder that life goes on and that there is still new life to celebrate ❤️

Yesterday morning, we watched this Survey Pride lioness trying to move her three cubs from one hiding spot to another. Sounds simple enough, right? 😂

Well, every time she managed to settle one cub and went back to collect another, the little escape artist would follow her straight back again! 🐾❤️

Back and forth she went, trying to keep all three little ones where she wanted them. But in the end, she got all three safely to their new hiding spot. Mission accomplished!

A beautiful, funny and heartwarming moment and a lovely reminder that even after difficult days, there is still so much to appreciate in the wild.

A huge thank you to @bensonmaatany for sharing these special moments with us and for his incredible knowledge, patience and dedication out here in the Mara. 🙏❤️

Sometimes, a little cub chaos is exactly the good news we need. 🦁

#lionsofafrica #maasaimara #lioncub #africanwildlife #wildguide taken in Maasai Mara by @bensonmaatany

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4 days ago

The third TZ Boy, a little further west!

A morning update from the Maasai Mara!

This morning, we found the third TZ Boy a little further west, in the Keekorok area, together with a lioness believed to be a former Sand River lioness.

I hope I’ve got the information about the lioness right, if anyone can confirm or add more details, I’d really appreciate it! 🙏

This male often seems to spend time a little apart from his two brothers. I’ll be keeping an eye on where he goes next and how the TZ Boys’ story unfolds.

Thanks again to @bensonmaatany for another amazing game drive!

Have you spotted him recently? Let us know in the comments!

#lionsofafrica #maasaimara #liondynamics #africanwildlife #wildguide taken in Maasai Mara by @bensonmaatany

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5 days ago

Good news and a short update from yesterday’s evening game drive with @bensonmaatany, before heading out for our morning drive!

We found the three Black Rock cubs playing and practising their hunting skills. During their encounter with a mongoose, they unfortunately killed it, a reminder that learning to hunt is part of the natural, sometimes harsh reality of life in the wild.

Soon after, the cubs spotted two of the remaining lionesses in the distance and were joyfully reunited with them.

The other two lionesses remain hidden. Both were heavily pregnant, so they may have given birth by now.

Manywele & Oloiborr were also still nearby, keeping close to the pride.

A reassuring update after the uncertainty of the past few days, but the story is far from over. I’ll keep you posted as @bensonmaatany and I continue exploring the Mara over the coming days.

What do you think will happen next?

#maasaimara #lionsofafrica #liondynamics #wildguide #wildlifeconservation taken in Maasai Mara by @bensonmaatany

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5 days ago

Lions cubs turning the savanna into a playground, curiously chasing and playing with banded mongooses. Nature’s little moments are full of wonder.
#maasaimaranationalreserve
#natgeotravelpic
#enkewacamp
#safari
#guidelife taken in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya by @bensonmaatany

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6 days ago

Manywele & Oloiborr are back!

Back in the Maasai Mara, back at @enkewacamp and straight into a story that has everyone wondering what happens next.

This is my second visit to Enkewa, and yesterday evening and this morning I had the privilege of heading out with our guide @bensonmaatany

Earlier last morning, the TZ Boys attacked Nariku, one of the leading lionesses of the Black Rock Pride. As she stood between the males and the other lionesses and their cubs, they attacked her and afterwards buffaloes trampled her. My thoughts are with Nariku, and especially with the guides in this area who know these lions so well and feel deeply connected to them!

We saw the TZ Boys last evening again, but the big question remained: where were Manywele & Oloiborr?

My two favourite lions are currently the dominant males of the Black Rock Pride, although they’ve been spending a lot of time with the Sopa Pride lately.

Then, during the night, we heard roaring again and again.

This morning, close to where we’d seen the TZ Boys the previous evening, there they were: Manywele & Oloiborr, roaring and scent-marking.

And the TZ Boys? Nowhere to be seen.

Even more special, we found the remaining Black Rock lionesses. With Manywele & Oloiborr back in the area, they seemed willing to emerge from their hiding place. The cubs, however, remained hidden.

The situation is still unfolding, and there are so many questions left unanswered. What will happen next? Will the TZ Boys return? And will Manywele & Oloiborr stay close to their pride?

I’ll keep you updated over the coming days as @bensonmaatany and I continue exploring the current dynamics together.

The Mara never stops telling stories. And this one is far from over. 🦁

#maasaimara #liondynamics #lionsofafrica #africanwildlife #wildguide taken in Maasai Mara by @bensonmaatany

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6 days ago

Ormawai moving majestically after spotting the Black Rock Pride. A true king in the making.
#maasaimara
#safari
#enkewacamp
#natgeotravelpic
#loveit taken in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya by @bensonmaatany

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7 days ago

1/4 Sand River Pride Males patrolling their territory, proudly marking their presence and keeping watch over their kingdom.
#maasaimara
#enkewacamp
#safari
#natgeotravelpic taken in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya by @bensonmaatany

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8 days ago

One Last Check! A male cheetah cautiously checking whether the wildebeest is still alive before making his next move. The raw reality of survival in the wild!
#MaasaiMara
#cheetah
#enkewacamp
#naturephotography
#natgeotravelpic taken in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya by @bensonmaatany

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9 days ago

A Mother’s Love Sopa Pride
One of the Sopa Pride lionesses gently grooming her cub, strengthening their beautiful bond through love, care, and affection.
#maasaimara
#safari
#enkewacamp
#natgeotravelpic
#loveit taken in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya by @bensonmaatany

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9 days ago