Masai Mara free essay sample

Introduction Masai Mara is The park of parks in Kenya. Its grass-carpeted smooth hills, the chocolate Mara river waters with frolicking hippos, as well as the rich faunal diversity, fulfill the expectations of any visitor searching the African landscapes portraited in motion pictures such as Out of Africa or Mogambo. The Masai Mara is Kenyas finest wildlife sanctuary . It is a large park reserve in south-western Kenya, which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park game reserve in Tanzania. Named for the Maasai people (the traditional inhabitants of the area) and the Mara River, which divides it, it is famous for its exceptional population of game and the annual migration of zebra and the wildebeest from the Serengeti every year from July to October, a migration so immense it is called the Great Migration. Its twenty or more lion prides are an attraction Maasai live within the dispersal area with their stock but centuries of close association with the wildlife has resulted in an almost symbiotic relationship where wildlife and people live in peace with one another. We will write a custom essay sample on Masai Mara or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Location The Masai Mara lies about 270 km from Nairobi and takes about 5 hours by road. How to Reach? There are scheduled flights, twice daily from Wilson Airport Nairobi, which take about 40 45 minutes. Mara Serena Airport, Musiara Airport and Keekorok Airport are located in the Reserve area of the Masai Mara. Mara Shikar Airport, Kichwa Tembo Airport and Ngerende Airport are located in the Conservation area of the Masai Mara Climatic Condition Masai Maras location and altitude, above 1,500 m, yield a climate which is milder and damper than in other regions. The grassy landscape and the nutrient wealth for the great herds are mantained by the abundant rains, which here last from November through June, as a fusion of the two rain seasons (long and short) typical in other Kenya areas. Night storms are frequentThe climate is gentle, rarely too hot and well spread rainfall year round. Rain, when it falls almost always chooses the late afternoon or night Best time to go Although July, August and September are the months when the Mara plains are filled with migrating wildebeest and zebra, there is much resident wildlife year round. Apart from the better known species Useful Information The BBC Television show Big Cat Diary is filmed in both the Reserve and Conservation areas of the Masai Mara and highlights scenes from the Reserves Musiara marsh area and the Leopard Gorge and Fig Tree Ridge areas of the Conservation area. Accommodation Accommodation ranges from stone built lodges to luxury tented camps. The area to the North owned by the Maasai offers great game-viewing, game walks and night games. Safari operators set up private camps for small groups seeking exclusive and traditional safaris out of the Reserve. In the Reserve are four tented camps and two lodges. Recommended Hotels 1. Fairmont Mara Safari Club 2. Sarova Mara Game Camp 3. Mara West 4. Mara Leisure Camp Things to Do in Masai Mara National Reserve 1. Mara Triangle An area of 197 square miles that was set aside as a Game Reserve in the late 1940s. (In 1968, 386 adjacent square miles were added to create the Masai Mara National Reserve. ) The Mara Triangles boundaries are the Esoit Oloololo (Siria) Escarpment, the Mara River and the Tanzanian border. 2. Mara River This river is a focal point of the annual migration path of the wildlife in the Masai Mara reserve. In the river, hippo submerge at the approach of a vehicle only to surface seconds later to snort and grumble their displeasure . Hot Air Balloon Safari A well worth it and recommended activity in the Masai Mara National Reserve is the hot air balloon safari. Early in the morning, you will be woken and driven to the departure site. Once in the air, the view of the surrounding landscape, the rising of the sun between the mountains and the congregation of the animals at the r iver is beautiful. This all concludes with a champagne breakfast and memories of a lifetime. 4. Serian Safari 5. Musiara Swamp Excellent game-watching location to see lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, giraffe. 6. Olypunyata Swamp 7. Eluai Plain Unique About it 1. The great herds of shuffling elephants browse among the rich tree-studded grasslands with an occasional sighting of a solitary and ill-tempered rhino. 2. Here. Thomsons and Grants gazelle, topi and eland and many more species of plains game offer a rich choice of food for the dominant predators 3. The annual migration of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles from the plains of the Serengeti that cross the Tanzanian border and rivers to reach the Maras grasslands from late June, tracked by predators: lion, leopard, cheetah, and hyena, and circled by vultures as their journey unfolds. . Apart from the seasonal migration, gameviewing is excellent year round. Game includes elephant, black rhino, buffalo, plains zebra, hartebeest and big cats. The rivers are home to hippo and crocodiles. 452 species, 53 of which are raptors 5. There are numerous opportunities to add some of the rare and less frequently seen animals to the visitors checklist. 6. The gentle rolling grasslands ensure that animals are never out of sight. 7.