MAASAI
NATIONAL PARK /MASAI MARA RESERVE.
The Maasai (Masai) Mara national park and reserve, once
described as "Kenya's Jewel never to
be lost", is in a class of its own.
The best known wildlife sanctuary in
the World Maasai (Masai) Mara National Reserve has acquired a high
flier status having been named "the
seventh wonder of the world".
The seventh wonder of the world is the
spectacle
of the annual wildebeest migration between Maasai (Masai) Mara and
Serengeti.
See Map
for getting to Maasai Mara>>
The Annual Maasai (Masai)
Mara/Serengeti Wildebeest Migration
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Maasai Bride |
Every year, in the
months of July August and September, over 1.7 million wildebeests
accompanied by about 800,000 gazelles and Zebras migrate from
Serengeti into Maasai (Masai) Mara and back. The river crossings are particularly dangerous as large
crocodile lie in wait of unsuspecting animals, killing and maiming
thousands of them. Besides predation, migrating herds have to
contend with flooded rivers and disease outbreaks. The wildebeest mate in
Maasai Mara and Calve in Serengeti.
The annual Maasai
(Masai) Mara /Serengeti wildebeest migration is
not about wildebeests migrating per se but rather its
influence on the movement patterns of the other animals
including human beings. Picture a never ending milling of over
2.5 million wild animals composed of a about 1.7 million wildebeests,
and 800,000 common gazelles and zebras with predators-lions, hyenas, leopards,
jackals etc following closely. In this picture add thousands
of vultures providing air cover the to migrating animals, the goggling
human traffic; the
hazardous crossing of crocodile invested Mara and Grumeti
rivers and behold your magical wonder of nature.
Where are the Wildebeest? Maasai
(Masai) Mara or Serengeti? The Migration Cycle:-
The
migration follows a clockwise direction dictated by the rain
patterns in the Mara/Serengeti ecosystem. The Migration has
been going on for as long as our ancestors can remember and where it
started is debatable. The best times to view migration in
Serengeti is December to Jul. While in Maasai Mara, the best
time is August to November. Between
December and March, the herds congregate in Eastern Serengeti
Plains where carving takes place. Births accounts for over
half a million calves annually. April
and May still in Serengeti the calves matures and gets ready
for migration. June is the month of crossing Grumeti River
along the Northern Corridor towards Maasai Mara. In
July/August, the herds cross the Mara River into Maasai (Masai)
Mara, where mating takes place. By November the succulent grass in Mara is finished and the
migrating herds heads for Serengeti where curving will take place
and the entire cycle starts all over again.
The Richness Of Maasai ( Masai)
Mara National Park
"With an area of 1500 Km2,
the Masai (Maasai) Mara reserve is an extension of
Serengeti National Park of Northern Tanzania.
The Masai
(Maasai) Mara ecosystem has one of the richest assemblages of
wildlife in the world and supports about 237 herbivores per km2
, making it one of the most productive natural terrestrial
ecosystems. It maintains the greatest and most spectacular large
mammal migration on earth and is the most highly visited tourist
area in the East African region.
The Masai Mara
National Reserve came into being in 1961"
The
Masai (Maasai) Mara magic is attributed to its panorama.
From the vantage of rounded hills, the large expanses grassy
plains teaming with herds of animals resemble a canvas painting. The
overwhelming population and the rich species presentation makes Mara
the best destination for any serious wildlife observer.
All
the 'Big Five' of Africa: Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, and
Leopard are represented in Maasai (Masai) Mara. Bird
life is exceptional in Masai (Maasai) Mara with large number of raptors and scavengers.
The permanent Mara River with its tributaries, the Sand and
Talek Rivers, ensures a continuous supply of water making Masai
(Maasai) Mara a
permanent sanctuary of many animals throughout the year.
Physical
Features of Masai (Maasai) Mara National Reserve:
Maasai (Masai) Mara National
Reserve Gates
Remember you must enter the reserve
through the official gates: These are
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Olololo Gate
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Sand River Gate (closed)
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Sekanani Gate
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Taleki Gate
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Musiara Gate
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Ololaimutieki Gate
Activities in Maasai (Masai) Mara National Reserve
January, February- it is
usually dry with the grass cropped short.
April-July long rains.
Mid-July- September migration
Accommodation In Maasai (Masai) Mara National Reserve:
Maasai Mara has the largest number of lodges and tented camps in any
park of East Africa.
Lodges in Maasai
(Masai) Mara
Tented Camps in
Maasai (Masai) Mara
Budget Camp
sites
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Acacia Camp
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Simba Camp
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Aruba Camp & Safaris
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Riverside Camp
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