This would be our last full day in Maasai Mara. Accordingly, the night before, George informed us that on this day, we would break from our established pattern. Instead of a morning drive (from 06:30 to 09:00) and an evening drive (from 16:00 to 18:30) separated by hours of sloth in our glamp, we would set out later - around 07:30 - but remain on the trails until the late afternoon.

Shortly after 08:00, we were rewarded with the sight of two cheetahs on the prowl.

By 09:00, we'd seen many birds, including an ostrich (struthio camelus)...

...a pair of bateleurs (terathopius ecaudatus)...

...and a committee of white-backed vultures (gyps africanus).

Speaking of scavengers: we saw a spotted hyena (crocuta crocuta)...

George assured us that this was a pregnant female.

...and a business of banded mongoose (mungos mungo). No, I'm not making up these collective nouns!

We also saw a common warthog (phacochoerus africanus).

In fact, we saw several warthogs while on safari. The Doctor - who enjoys singing as much as surgery - would mark each sighting by serenading us with the same two lines from The Lion King.

Later, around 09:30, we discovered a mother cheetah with her four cubs, watching a small herd of zebras file past.

The day was young, and the best was still to come...