Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is located in Kenya’s Narok region. The reserve spans an area of roughly 1,510 square kilometers and is located along the Great Rift Valley. The larger Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania, which spans 25,000 square kilometers, extends into the Masai Mara. The Oloololo Siria escarpment to the west, Masai pastoral settlements to the north and east, and the Serengeti National Park situated in the southern portion of the reserve are all located.

The tribe that has inhabited the area for hundreds of years is honored by the reserve’s name.The word “Mara,” which means “spotted” in the indigenous Masai language, describes the little plants and trees that are scattered across the terrain.

A larger system includes the Masai Mara National Reserve.encompasses the Mara Triangle and additional Maasai Conservancies such as Kerinkani, Kimintet, Koiyaki, Lemek, Maji Moto, Mara North, Naikara, Ol Chorro Oirowua, Ol Derkesi, Olkinyei, Oloirien, and Siana.It is a component of the larger Mara ecosystem.

 The reserve is drained by three main rivers:

The Talek, Sand, and the more well-known Mara rivers. Acacia trees, seasonal rivers, and open grasslands make up a large portion of the reserve. There are two separate rainy seasons in the Maasai Mara Reserve.

There are two types of rains:

 Lengthy ones that occur in April and May and short ones that occur in November and December.The Mara Triangle is overseen by the Narok County Council, while the most popular area of the Maasai Mara is governed by the Narok County administration by the Conservancy of Mara. Elected Masai leaders are in charge of running the reserve’s outer regions, which are home to the majority of the local Masai villages. The majority of wildebeest migratory into the Maasai Mara National Reserve enter through the Mara Triangle.

As a wildlife sanctuary, the Maasai Mara National Reserve was founded in 1961. It contained the Mara Triangle and barely spanned 520 square kilometers at the time. The sanctuary was expanded eastward and transformed into a 1,821-square-kilometer game reserve that same year.

The wildlife reserve was converted into a national reserve in 1974, although with 159 square kilometers were given back to the Masai Community in that area. The reserve’s total area shrank to 1,510 square kilometers in 1984 when further land was given back to the Masai people living in the area.

The Masai are who are they?

 Among Africa’s most well-known tribal groupings are the Masai. They are a proud tribe who have lived for generations on their own. The Masai are a people who inhabit southern, central, and northern Kenya, as well as areas of northern Tanzania (the Serengeti plains).

Facts about Maasai Mara National Reserve: The Masai are renowned for their striking beadwork, traditional shuka attire, and towering stature. They continue to follow and believe in their antiquated customs and traditions. The Masai rely nearly entirely on their domestic animals, just like the Karamojong in Uganda. Actually, the Masai people have the belief that they own all livestock worldwide.

Everything that they do not currently own was once taken from them. The idea that cattle belong to everyone historically sparked several tribal conflicts as people tried to reclaim livestock that had been stolen from their neighbors.

Only with the government’s assistance did cattle rustling come to an end. It is significant to remember that previous governments tried to forcibly remove the Masai people from the reserve; however, in some areas of the reserve, it was decided to allow them to coexist peacefully with wild animals.

Wildlife Viewing and Tourism in the Masai Mara Game Reserve

One of the most well-known and frequently visited wildlife areas is the Maasai Mara National Reserve  conservation zones in Africa. The Big Five Mammals, elephants, leopards, rhinos, lions, and buffalo—are known to call it home. The only national park or wildlife reserve where black rhinos live naturally is Masai Mara. Once upon a time, poachers murdered the majority of the park’s hundreds of rhinos, who were left to wander freely until the early 1980s.

 There were just 15 people remaining, and while their number has increased, it has never returned to its previous level. It remains the greatest spot in Africa to view black rhinos, even with their gradual growth in population.

In addition to the Big 5, other grazers found in the reserve include Thomson’s gazelles, zebra, topi, wildebeest, giraffes, duikers, and impala hartebeests because of the massive migration from the Serengeti and Loita Plains, the overall population of several of these antelopes varies depending on the season.

Crocodiles, hippos, jackals, cheetahs, hyenas, servals, and foxes can all be found in the reserve. More than 470 different kinds of birds can be seen in the Maasai Mara, including African pygmy-falcons, hornbills, crowned cranes, ostriches, long-crested eagles, vultures, and marabou storks.

What are the primary pursuits offered by the Masai Mara Game Reserve?

The traditional game drive to view the aforementioned animals and birds is the most popular activity in the Masai Mara National Reserve. One Masai Mara Kenyan can participate in hot air ballooning, photography, birdwatching, nature/bush walks, and cultural interactions with the Masai people during a three-day safari.

The vast majority of visitors to the park choose to come during the Great Wildebeest Migration. In quest of new pasture, around 1.7 million Wildebeest, 500,000 Zebras, and 200,000 other grazers travel from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to the Masai Mara during this time.

The grazers must cross-big cat country and waterways teeming with crocodiles. This magnificent migration provides a fantastic chance to observe the conflicts between predator and prey.The migration of wildebeests begins in July and finishes in October.

While the migration offers the best opportunity for a safari, it is also the busiest time of year for visitors to the Reserve. You must travel during the wet seasons (November and April to May) if you want a more exclusive safari.  Because the Reserve features resident wildlife that makes it possible to watch wildlife all year round, one need not visit during the migration season.

When traveling during the Great movement, you have the option of visiting private ranches or conservancies, where there are less people and more space to view the movementThe conservancies stand alone as tourist attractions.

They are run by the Masai people, but they also have an abundance of wildlife and breathtaking beauty. Activities like night game drives, bush camping, and walking safaris led by Masai warriors are all conceivable in these private concessions but are not available in the main reserve.

What is the admission fee to Maasai Mara National Reserve?

The main reserve’s management charges an admission fee of $80 for visitors staying outside the reserve and $70 for foreign residents living there. There is a $40 admission fee for children. Less money is paid by East Africans, and in Kenyan Shillings.

It is noteworthy that the majority of visitors to the Masai Maraa National Reserve do so in conjunction with trips to other parts of Africa. For this reason, we provide the 8-day gorilla and NALEYO TOURS AND TRAVELS in Uganda and the 7-day Masai Mara and Gorilla Trekking Safari Package in Rwanda.

Risks and Investigative Projects

Between 1989 and 2003, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) funded a study by The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) that discovered the park had on average, lost almost 70% of the grazer population (giraffes, impala, hartebeest, and common warthog) in the Masai Mara Reserve.

The high population density that has led to a rise in human settlements in and around the reserve was directly blamed for the losses. Conflicts between humans and wildlife arise from struggle for space as the number of domestic animals within the reserve rises. Numerous incidents of residents inside the larger reserve poisoning wildlife have been reported. Poaching is very common, particularly in the larger reserve because to the mushrooming settlements and population boom.

 Organizations like the Mara Elephant Project are currently reducing confrontations between humans and wildlife by raising community awareness through their initiatives. In addition, the government pays out compensation to people who lose farm produce and animals to wildlife.

How to get there:

Road or plane travel are two ways to get to the Masai Mara. The majority of visitors enter the Reserve as part of a local tour operator’s all-inclusive package. Usually, the trip begins in Nairobi in a minivan, land cruiser, or conventional tour van.

In addition to the tour car, the company assigns a full-time driver to each client for the duration of the safari. The corporate driver, who has extensive knowledge of the area and where to look for animals, also serves as a tour guide. Additionally, a tour company will reserve the lodging and make arrangements for Masai Mara game reserve activities, which include admission fees.

Depending on where your accommodation is located, the trip from Nairobi to the Masai Mara can take up to four hours. Additionally the portion contained in the Reserve. You decide to plan everything yourself if you want to cut costs or have more control over your trip. There are reasonably priced matatus or buses from Nairobi that travel all the way to Narok Country.By air is the second method to reach the Masai Mara.

If you are visiting the nation for a conference, business trip, or workshop, this is the most practical and comfortable method to go to the reserve. The area is home to numerous lodge-owned private airstrips. There are two reasonably priced flights to the reserve each day, arranged by Safarilink and Air Kenya.

In order for you to start the game, a travel operator can also assist with booking local flights.Make appointments in advance to start your game drive as soon as you arrive. Nearly every area of the Masai Mara reserve can be reached via its extensive network of dirt roads.