Beautiful Scenery in Kenya (Wildlife)
Maasai Mara National Reserve is located in Kenya in the African Continent and is locally identified as "The Mara".
The National Reserve has been said to have been named in honor of the Maasai Tribe who migrated to the area from the Nile basin many years ago .
Their description of the area came about when they saw it from a further distance hence "Mara" meant "spotted" in their local language .
It is located in Kenya , Rift Valley province to the nearest town of Narok , with an area of approximately 1,510km² and was established in 1961 .
This National Reserve is one of the most popular wildlife conservation areas in Africa because of its variety in wild animals such as :
Lions
African Leopard
Cheetah
African bush elephant
The Reserve has a heartwarming natural terrain that is primarily open grassland with seasonal riverlets and it also homes nature like ;
✓ Acacia Tree
✓ The Escarpment of the East African Rift
If you have ever admired the presence of wild animals then this is the place where you certainly need to visit . Wild animals such as :
Wildebeest
Topi
Zebra
Thomson's gazelle
The above animals frequent into and occupy the reserve from the Serengeti plains to the south and Loita plains in the pastoral ranches to the North east .
Some of the other wonders you shouldn't miss are the "Big Five" which are the ;
✓Lions
✓Leopard
✓Elephant
✓Cape buffalo
✓Black and White Rhinos
These animals are found here all year around . Furthermore wildebeests are the major inhabitants of the Maasai Mara and they are estimated to be 1Million+ around each year in the Month of July .
More than 470 species of birds have been confirmed to exist in the park many of which are foreign migrants . Major birds that call this place home are ,
-Vultures
-Marabou storks
-Secretary birds
-Hornbills
-Ground Cranes
-Ostriches
Even the "Big Cat Diary" took a filming scoop at the reserve to follow the lives of the big cats living in the reserve .
The Reserve also allows tourist visits both locally and internationally with varying charges .
However , not all that glitters is gold and the reserve isn't 100% threat free for animals because a study that was conducted in 1989 and 2003 by ILRI monitored hoofed species on a monthly basis and found that loses were high to the following animals
Giraffes 75%
Common Warthogs 80%
Hartebeest 76%
Impalas 67%
The reduction of these animals is blamed on increased human settlement in and around the reserve . However , the main issue is on the chain below
Dense population - Increased grazing livestock - Increase in poaching
In Conclusion
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is an area of preserved rare Savannah Wilderness and a Wildebeest traverse on the plains during annual migration and it's a beautiful place to visit .