MASAI MARA FACTS.
Maasai Mara National Reserve is one of the largest game reserves in Kenya, widely considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve. It stretches 1,510 square kilometers (580 square miles) and raises 1,500-2,170 meters (4920-7120 feet) above sea level.It is named in honor of the Maasai people (the ancestral inhabitants of the area) and their description of the area when looked at from afar: “Mara” means “spotted” in the local Maasai language due to the many trees which dot the landscape The word Mara in fact means spotted and the reserve earned this name because of the typical landscape of short bushy trees and shrub dotting the huge rolling grassland plains, commonly referred to in Africa as the’ savannah’. The reserve has several hilly outcrops as well as steep cliffs on the Western most part of the park, known as the Oloololo escarpment.
The reserve is managed by The County Government of Narok and the local Maasai community has been involved in the conservation efforts to contain poaching and other illegal activities.First designated as a conservation area in 1961, Masai Mara National Reserve is regarded as year round safari destination as it offers more or less ideal climate with an abundance of wildlife for excellent game viewing throughout the calendar year.The Mara Game Reserve is known all over the world for a wide range of wild animals such as the ” big five ” (lion, leopard, African elephant, cape buffalo, and black rhinoceros) and other popular species like zebra, giraffe, hyena, cheetah, wildebeest, eland and Thomson’s gazelle.
The Mara is home to the big five as well as the Big Nine African animals (lion, leopard, elephant, cape buffalo, and rhinoceros) along with more than 400 bird species identified in the park, many of which are migranting species and with almost 60 species being raptors. Great Wildebeest migration takes place every year between late July to the end of September, though this timing can vary due to prevailing rainfall patterns. During these months the yellow savannah is dotted black by more than 1.5 million wildebeest, zebra and antelopes that migrate from the Serengeti northwards into the Masai Mara in search of greener pastures and water, and as part of their mating and birth cycles.
The Masai Mara national reserve is also inhabited by the maasai people who are nomadic pastoralists who traditionally make a living out of herding cattle. The Maasai inhabit the region around Masai Mara as well as large portions of Great Rift Valley. The Maasai have their unique nomadic culture and way of life, not to mention their traditional dress of red or brightly colored ”shukas” or body drapes. A major part of Kenya is carved almost vertically by the Great Rift Valley and the Mara reserve is actually situated within the vast valley formations and borders the Serengeti National Park to its south. As you plan for your next safari destination, Embark yourself on an extra ordinary adventure in Masai Mara.
