Plenty of rainfall in the afternoons, last few days. Hippos and crocs happy. On drive in, many carcasses of animals, the drought took a toll on animals. Sad that others died just before the rains came. Must have been hell for the animals. I wonder if the annual migration was easier with lower river levels? Past 5 days Mara river levels rose to high levels, while rain water runs offs from hillsides made deep gullies. Good news : Mara now looks like a golf course, green everywhere. Bad news for preditors who can be spotted easily, cheetah, lions on a green background. Large elephant families. But panic driven humans from urban areas (tour guides and operators) are too scared of the rains.......... One wonders the saying " word spread like bushfire" takes a new meaning. If you planning a visit, ensure you have a proper 4 wheel drive and skills, not awd but if you are a skilled driver, enjoy drifting in the mud. Its not bad, and if your tour guide tells you to leave early, well it isn't excatly the end of the world, just rain and mud and you can dig your car out of the rut.. As a backup, have food/water for an emergency overnight stay if you want to be prepared. Worth to see the mara at this time. :-) A happy new year to all. -- "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." - Henry Ford