Wildlife of the Mara
The wildlife of the Mara is plentiful throughout the year but is especially prolific during the dry season, July through October. Safari drives are best taken at dawn and dusk since this is when nocturnal and diurnal animals can be seen and wildlife is most active and most visible. Sunrise is an especially busy time when one is more likely to see a predator kill. The animals make use of the cooler times of day to move around and then seek out shade to siesta through the hotter midday hours when the sun beats down unmercifully on the African savanna.

Predators are well represented in the Mara with cheetah, leopard and the black maned lion that is found in the area between the Mara River and Oloololo Escarpment. The Mara has the largest lion population in Kenya which means that chances of spotting these mighty predators is very good. Leopards are a little trickier to see, since their ability to climb trees, nocturnal habits and camouflage make them less obvious in the bush.

Not as striking perhaps but with their own charm, hyenas are seen often. Although not as photogenic as an elegant cheetah or powerful lion, they deserve their predator status and are amusing at times and always interesting to watch. They are hunters in their own right but often choose to steal the kills away from other predators. Large family groups form formidable hunting packs.

Herbivores of the Mara include antelope (especially wildebeest, zebra, eland and Thomson’s gazelle) as well as elephant, hippo and black rhino.

Although not considered to be an ornithologist’s paradise, the reserve nevertheless is home to raptors, more than 50 species of vultures and around 450 bird species.

The Maasai people
They are tall, sleek, decorated in jewelry and draped in red blanket-like shukas. The Maasai have a reputation for bravery and even arrogance. Their belief is that Ngai, their rain god, entrusted all cattle to them, permitting them to raid the cattle from other tribes. Their primary goal as a tribe is to raise cattle and often will move in search of grazing for their animals. A tribe’s wealth is determined by the number of cattle it owns, quantity will out-weigh quality and they use their animals for trade and custom. A father will demand a negotiated number of cattle from his daughter’s suitor as payment for her hand in marriage. Cattle also make up a big part of their every day lifestyle with use of the hides for bedding and clothing. Blood and milk are used for food, dung for plastering walls and in recent years the less nomadic tribes will use their cattle to till the soil of their vegetable gardens.

Sadly the traditions of the Maasai are being engulfed by the ever increasing western influence, attracting many of the younger Maasai to forego their tribal ways in exchange for more comfortable and convenient western living. However some of the more rural tribes living in the Mara’s dispersal areas still practice their ancient ways as semi nomadic pastoralists. With less ground available than before for grazing, they now have smaller herds of cattle and are now farm vegetables and therefore have an additional commodity with which to trade.

The Migration
The Masai Mara is the most popular wildlife destination in Kenya. The migration from the Serengeti in the south is one of the most spectacular wildlife shows on earth. Although the exact timing of the migration varies every year, the best time to witness this spectacle in the Mara is usually between July and August, when large numbers of wildebeest and other antelope congregate and prepare to cross the Mara River in search of fresh grazing on the other side. Predators hunt frequently as the migrating antelope pass through their territories. Calves are particularly vulnerable during this time and the Mara river crossing poses life threatening obstacles. Many drown in the scramble to cross, or become lunch to the crocodiles. Those that survive will enjoy the grasslands of the Mara Triangle before turning south at the onset of the short November rains to return to the Serengeti in October - November. To witness the migration and especially a river crossing is undoubtedly a highlight and a privilege on any safari that will earn the traveler bragging rights around the dinner table back home.