Malaika Camp — Our Stay

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Jambo! Jambo!”

We are greeted by Maasai warriors at the entrance of our camp, situated upon one of the banks of River Mara. I say “entrance”, but to be fair there is no distinction between the wilderness and these impermanent human quarters. We would soon discover wildlife roams just as freely within the camp “boundaries” and we humans are very much in their territory.

First order of business — charge our batteries! Aftr a light lunch, we assemble our photography gear and climb aboard our steel-aluminum chariot, ready for the first safari.

Small trees and bushes framing the camp grounds give way to the expanse of savannas and bright blue skies fill our vision. Passing by herds of zebras, antelopes and wildebeests, I resist temptation to pause, because our Maasai guide has intel on the whereabouts of the Angel of Mara.

As we approach an acacia tree, my eyes adjust to the patchwork of shades and spots on the ground.

Not one, but three cheetahs, lying about, enjoying siesta.

And there she is: Malaika; Swahili for ‘angel’, is a euphemism for this beauty!

She casts her languid gaze upon us; then making sure her cubs are fast asleep, settles back into a nap.

The juvenile cheetahs eventually stir, tufts of hair on the back of their necks quivering in the wind. They stretch their limbs and their paws, blinking drowsily against the late afternoon sun. One of them moves over to nestle against mum.

Malaika, now up and awake, arches her slender back and breaks into a jaw-dropping display of canines in a 30-teeth-all-out yawn. The grooves on her bright pink tongue are prominent, and even the discolorations on the inner walls of her mouth are visible, as if continuation of the spots that adorn her coat.

Eventually, the trio walks over; mesmerized by their gait, I finally comprehend the term “catwalk”.

The cheetah family sits in a loose huddle and of course it’s playtime for the boys. They nuzzle and tussle; one of them rolls on his back, the other jumps on top and swipes a paw. Malaika sits unperturbed, keeping an eye out, while our cameras greedily click away.

And just like that, I check off this endangered species from my bucket list. As I re-live my first memory of the African cheetahs, the strongest impression is not of beauty or power, but of the bond between Malaika and her boys.

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