Masai Mara and Conservancies
The iconic Masai Mara is a must-visit destination for every safari traveler on a Kenya Safari, take on the crystal blue skies for a bird’s-eye view of the endless golden African plains and its many inhabitants on a hot air balloon safari.
For a more personal and up-close encounter, embark on a thrilling jeep safari among the areas where lions, elephants and other wildlife thrive. Masai Mara and conservancies deliver an incredible African safari experience.
Masai Mara is one of the best places on earth to have your African safari dream come true.
Why Visit Masai Mara?
Picture yourself lost in a gentle rolling savannah stretching out as far as the eyes can see, with countless wildebeests and zebras lazily grazing right there in front of you. It is a scene taken out of Natgeo documentaries, but in Masai Mara and conservancies, it comes to reality.
The Masai Mara is known for the highest concentration of wild animals in the world; more than 40% of Africa’s larger mammals can be found here. However, the Masai Mara offers more than just its endless plains.
Aside from the main Masai Mara National Reserve, there are a dozen community conservancies, several group ranches and a few Masai Villages in the area.
Masai Mara Conservancies
The Greater Masai Mara area is made up of the Masai Mara National Reserve, an unfenced reserve where animals are free to roam; it also consists of several conservancies. These pieces of land are privately owned by Maasai families. Safari lodges lease the land from the locals, thus giving the Maasai families a chance to invest in their communities by finding education or development initiatives. From time to time you will see Maasai farmers and their cattle at the conservancies.
The introduction of these conservancies has been a win-win situation for the environment and the Maasai. Land that was once overgrazed by cattle is now being rewilded, and the Maasai can invest in their communities through their earnings from conservancies.
The Great Migration in Masai Mara
Every year from July through October, the Masai Mara becomes the backdrop of one of the most spectacular wildlife shows on earth—the Annual Wildebeest Migration. The sight of so many animals dotting the plains is almost inconceivable. The rolling savannah’s sunburned grasses become home to more than 1.5 million zebras, wildebeests, and antelopes on their annual journey from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara in search of greener pastures and water.
The Great Migration is unique to the Serengeti and the Masai Mara – The Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem.
There are no guarantees, but if you would like to witness this breathtaking spectacle at the Masai Mara, take note of the following:
- Mid-July: The herds enter the Masai Mara and embark on their fateful Mara River Crossing. Crocodiles and hippos living on the banks of the Mara River are only two of the dangers the wildebeest and zebras encounter upon crossing the river.
- September–October: This is the time of year in which you will see a mind-blowing number of wildebeests enjoy the feasts of their labor on the endless plains of the Masai Mara.
African Big Cats in Masai Mara and Conservancies
During the Great Migration season, African big cats come to life. The endless stream of migrating prey offers the big cats a seemingly endless buffet of meal options. Lions, leopards, and cheetahs grow stronger during this time of year, and they are able to have healthy little ones with plenty of food to grow. There are quite a few lion prides in Masai Mara that have lived in the area for decades.
Females are permanent members of the pride; however, the male lions tend to get chased out of the group by other male lions. At night, you may even hear a deep roar from male lions warning others to stay away from their territory. For the best chance of seeing a lion on the prowl in search of prey, head out on an early morning or late afternoon game drive and you may see one of the females in action.
Masai Mara Landscape
Masai Mara was named in honor of the Maasai people, the ancestral inhabitants of the area. The word “Mara” means “spotted” in the Maasai (Maa) language. Upon visiting the Masai Mara, it won’t be hard to understand how this area got its name. The short, bushy trees that dot the landscape create a spotted appearance.
The Greater Masai Mara ecosystem is vast; it amounts to almost 1510 square kilometers. The area is bordered by the Serengeti in the south and to the north, east and west lie Maasai ranches. Although the riverbanks of the area’s three rivers – The Sand, Talek River and Mara River are lined with shrubs and trees, most of the reserve is made up of open grassland spotted by an occasional flat-topped acacia tree. There are two distinct rainy seasons: the long rains in April and the short rains in November–December.
History of Masai Mara
The Masai Mara has been a wildlife sanctuary only for approximately 50 years. It was originally established in 1961 and at that time, it consisted of only 520 square kilometers (which included the Mara Triangle). In 1974, the amount of land covered in the sanctuary was expanded and the area received National Reserve Status. A portion of the land was returned to the local communities and currently the Mara ecosystem consists of 1,510 square kilometers. The Maasai have always relied on their land to feed their cattle and provide for their families, thanks to the establishment of the reserve as a protected area for the conservation of wildlife and wilderness and the areas designated as conservancies, the Maasai people are able to sustain their way of living and improve their quality of life.
