Masai Mara Facts : Maasai Mara National Reserve sounds as one of the most famous and important wildlife conservation and wilderness areas in Africa – safari home renowned for its exceptional populations of lion, leopard, cheetah and African bush elephant. More fact, the reserve is one of the world’s most unique wilderness regions and it is widely considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve. The Mara comprises 200 square miles of open plains, woodlands and riverine forest, which are habitant for wide range of wild animals like the big five ‘’lion, leopard, African elephant, Cape buffalo and black rhinoceros and other most spotted species such as Zebra, Giraffe, Hyena, Cheetah, Wildebeest, Eland and Thomson’s Gazelle among others.
The reserve is named in honor of the Maasai People and their description of the area when looked at from afar. The word Mara means ‘’Spotted’’ in the local Maasai language of Maa, due to the many trees which dot the landscape.
Masai Mara National Reserve is managed by the County Government of Narok and the local Maasai community that involves in the conservation efforts to contain poaching and other illegal activities.
Here is the highlight of Facts you need to known about Maasai Mara as follows;
Masai Mara Facts : Wildlife
Well, the Masai Mara were first created as a conservation area in 1961, regarding all year round it offers more or less ideal climate with an abundance of wildlife for perfect game viewing throughout the calendar year. More so, Mara is home to the Big5s as well as the Big Nile African animal species, along with more than 500 bird species recorded in the park and about 60 species are raptors.
Masai Mara Facts : Great Wildebeest Migration
Great wildebeest migration ranks as one of the seven natural wonders of the World and takes place every year between late July to end of September, though during this time of the year rainfall tends to falls. In fact, during these months the yellow savannah is dotted black by more than 1.5 million wildebeest, zebra and antelope species that migrate from the Serengeti northwards into the Masai Mara national reserve in search of the fresh grass and water, and as part of their mating and birth cycles.
Masai Mara Facts : Lions
Though the reserve is home rich in animals, sighting the Lions is often the highlight of a kenya safari game drive and to most travelers choose lions to see on top of their wildlife spotting check list when visiting the park. Currently, the reserve estimates to host between 800 to 900 Lion species ‘’including lionesses’’ in the greater Masai Mara area, include the conservancies surrounding the core reserve.
Masai Mara Facts : Maasai People
The Maasai People is one of the iconic tribes in Africa and are known as nomadic pastoralists who traditionally make a living out of herding cattle. Originally, they are Nilotic ethnic group which is said to have migrated centuries ago from the semi-arid Nile valley north of Lake Turkana. The Maasai inhabit surrounds Masai Mara as well as large portions of Great Rift Valley. The Maasai are known for hosting a unique nomadic culture and way of life not to mention their traditional dress of red or brightly colored ‘shukas’ or body drapes.
Masai Mara Facts : Location of Masai Mara
Masai Mara national reserve is located in South-west region of Kenya which is part of East Africa. What make Mara to rank on the best list of safaris to go worldwide, because it lies at the Great Rift Valley and within the vast valley formations. In terms of its size- Masai Mara covers about 1,510 square kilometers ‘’580 square miles and borders the Serengeti National Park to its south. To it’s northern section joints with Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, covers some of25,000 square kilometers in Tanzania and Kenya.
Masai Mara Facts : Scenery and landscapes
The reserve stuns because of the dotted short bushy trees and shrub dotting the huge rolling grassland plains, which referred to as the ‘’savannah’’. Moreso, it has got many outcrops as well as steep cliffs on the Western most part of the park, ’known as the Oloololo escarpment.
A traveler who loves wildlife adventure can opt to combine Kenya Wildlife Safari in Maasai Mara with a visit to Mountain Gorillas through Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda.
Masai Mara Facts : Accessibility; From Kenya to Uganda – fly from Wilson Airport in Kenya to Uganda ‘s Entebbe International Airport. From Entebbe to access Bwindi; fly by a domestic flight Aero link Uganda and flies you to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip ‘’1:15hours’’.
From Entebbe or Kampala by a drive can take 8 to 9 hours drive to reach the main visited destination.
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