Called simply Mara, Maasai Mara is a large national animal sanctuary located in Narok in the country of Kenya, adjacent to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Named after the Masai, the indigenous people of the region who migrated from the Nile basin to the region. When describing the area from a distance, mara means spotted in the local Maasai language due to the many short, overgrown trees scattered throughout the landscape.
Highlights
Mara is one of Africa’s most famous and important nature reserves and wilderness, and is world-famous for its extraordinary population of African leopards, lions, African elephants and cheetahs. It is also the home of great migration, establishing itself as one of the Seven Mysteries of Africa and one of the Seven Natural Mysteries of the World. The Greater Mara Ecosystem includes the Mara Triangle, Masai Mara National Reserve and several Reserves Lemek, Koiyaki, Mara North, Ol Chorro Oirowua, Siana, Olkinyei, Naikara, Maji Moto, Kerinkani, Ol Derkesi, Kimintet and Oloirien.
History of Maasai Mara
When founded as a nature reserve in 1961, Mara was only 520 sq. kilometre. This area was expanded east to 1,821 sq. kilometre in the year 1961 and converted into a game reserve. At that time, the Narlock County Council became a protected area in the year 1976, and the park shrank to 1,510 sq. kilometre in the year 1984. it was done. In the year 1994, the Transmara County Council was established in the western part of the reserve, splitting control between the new council and the existing Narok County Council. In May 2001, the non-profit Mara Conservancy took over control of Mara Triangle, including the western part of the reserve.
Wildlife found in Maasai Marta
All members of leopards, lions, Cape buffalo, elephants, white rhinos and black rhinos can be found here. Crocodiles and Hippos are found in large groups on the Tarek and Mara rivers. The black rhino population was very high until the year 1960, but was severely depleted by poaching in the 1980s and 1970s, dropping to a low of 15 individuals. The number is slowly increasing. Masai Mara is Kenya’s only black rhino habitat, unaffected by resettlement. There are many large carnivores in the reserve. Lions are the most dominant and can be found in large numbers here. Spotted hyenas are another common carnivore, often competing with lions for food. Leopards can be found in the reserve. Cheetahs are also found in many open savanna, hunting wildebeests and gazelles. African wild dogs are extremely rare here due to the prevalence of diseases such as fierce competition with distempers and lions. Their packs also roam a lot, covering long distances across the plains and making it difficult to track. The Black-backed jackal, African gold wolf, the calcar, the African striped weasel, the honey badger, the serval, the African wildcat, the aardwolf, the flared fox, the side-striped jackal, the African Civet, the striped polecat and some species of mongoose are also found in this reserve.
