For thousands of people, the highlight of the Great Wildebeest Migration is witnessing thousands of animals plunge into the Mara River ecosystem. They had to stay out of the way of the waiting crocodiles in order to reach the fertile ground on the other side.
The Masai Mara is the home of the great migration, as is widely known.More than a million wildebeests migrate through the well-known Masai Mara in Kenya each year, from the Serengeti national park, in search of better grasses.
Large herds of wildebeests and other animals strive to enter the plains of the Masai Mara game reserve throughout the months of July through October as they flee Tanzania’s arid Serengeti National Park. The Mara River is home to crocodiles, making the wildebeests’ journey much more difficult and time-consuming. The wildebeests splash through the water to reach the other side and avoid being eaten by crocodiles. It’s rather amazing to watch. Because of this fantastic opportunity to see animals, the Masai Mara National Reserve is the most popular national park in Kenya.
Because of these migratory occurrences, the Masai Mara contains the largest concentration of animals in all of East Africa. The African big five animals—which are much sought after by tourists on safari to the Masai Mara national reserve—and large cats, which are abundant in the park, are also there. You will see giraffes in the park’s acacia sections. You will see Cheetahs prowling on the plains. There are hippo pools on the rivers and streams here.
Surprisingly the southwest part of Kenya is home to the Masai Mara National Reserve. The Serengeti National Park in Northern Tanzania, which forms the vast Serengeti Mara conservation region, borders the reserve. The Reserve gets its name from the Masai people of the area. Before it was declared a national game reserve, the Masai tribe lived in this area.
Another aspect of the Masai Mara that you should consider is their distinctive culture. The Masai have been merging into other professions and are no longer pure, thus it is important to look into their lives and how they have lived and are living since this reserve was gazetted. Some ancient customs have persisted, and you’ll find it fascinating how they still apply to communal living, for instance.
For travelers interested in the great migration of the wildebeests, the best time to visit would be between July to October. You will also have a chance to see some migratory birds if you visit between October and April. December and March are the best warm months for the game viewing.
The Masai Mara EcoSystem.
The Masai Mara Game reserve ecosystem covers an area of about 1,510 square Kilometers. It is the most visited conservation area in Kenya. The Serengeti National Park in Tanzana borders the south western region of Kenya, where you’ll find the park.
The Serengeti National park covers an area of about 25,00o square kilometers. The Siria escarpment borders the western side of the Masai Mara. This area is an open savanna grassland plains.The Masai Mara two seasons: the dry and wet season. The dry season runs from December to February and Mid June to September. The wt season runs from March to Mid Jun and October to November.
The terrain in the reserve is typically open grassland and rolling hills, punctuated by non-seasonal Mara River seasonal rivers.
Altitude: 1,480–2,280 meter above sea level
Rainfall: 3.4 inches per month;
Temperature range: 12–31 °C.
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