Maasai Mara

The Maasai Mara in southern Kenya is the quintessential African savanna, home to the Lion King, the epic wildebeest migration and the daily drama of Africa's iconic predators and prey. A beautiful lioness takes cover in a bush during the heat of the day. I love the contrast of the green leaves on her golden coat.

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Wildebeest live in a constant state of movement between Kenya and Tanzania on their never-ending search for fresh pasture. 

We explored the Mara in safari trucks with open roofs that allowed for unrestricted views.

I was not in Kenya during the epic migration, but I still saw plenty of resident wildebeest grazing on the plains. Most of their cousins were across the river in Tanzania.

The wildebeest or gnu is the hamburger of the savanna, converting grass into protein on the hoof. Like zebras, their dark coat has stripes, too. They are surprisingly big — nearly as tall as a horse.

While the Mara is known for wildlife spectacles featuring millions of herd animals, we encountered vast, empty stretches of short-grass savanna.

Among the many animals we encountered were Africa's largest antelope, the eland. These antelope are bigger than cows and stand as tall as Clydesdales.

The Mara's distinctive acacias feature long, sharp thorns. But one iconic animal still manages to eat around them.

The Maasai giraffe is the tallest of all giraffes. And this beautiful bull is the biggest I have ever seen, standing nearly 17 feet tall. Wowza!

A tower of giraffes socializes on the Mara. Seeing so many giraffes together was a spectacle.

Baby impala stick together in a creche where there is safety in numbers. Something must be going on over there.

A bull Cape buffalo shakes its massive head to rid itself of biting flies. 

The world-famous Mara River is home to resident crocodiles and hippos. Several times a year, the river is the scene of dramatic crossings of tens of thousands of animals at a time. For some, it's their last crossing. But most live to see another day on the Mara.

A secretary bird haunts the grasslands looking for snakes and lizards.

Meet the world's highest-flying bird, the Ruppell's griffon vulture. These birds have been seen soaring at 36,000 feet. The vulture was finishing off a wildebeest carcass with some white-backed vultures.

The world's biggest bird, the East African ostrich, makes its home on the open plains. These birds can run more than 40 mph. 

A cheetah scans the horizon from an overgrown termite mound.

A pair of lions honeymoons away from the rest of the pride. They seem content together.

A brave little tusker charges at an imaginary foe only he can see. Maybe he just saved his herd from marauding lions. Only the baby elephant knows. But some day, he might do it for real. 

A black-backed jackal begins a hunt in the evening sun. 

An old lioness patrols the Maasai Mara in the evening gloom. She looks like she's ready to have a new family soon.

A mischievous vervet monkey uses a bush camp tent like a playground slide.

Meet the Thomson's gazelle, the second-fastest animal on the Maasai Mara. It's an unfortunate silver medal when survival means outrunning the fastest, the cheetah. 

A baby zebra is so dirty from playing in the mud that you can't see her stripes!