Maasai Mara

IUCN Category II - National Park

Mara river in reserve

The Masai Mara (also Maasai Mara ) is a nature reserve in Kenya. It is part of the Serengeti and closes north directly to the Serengeti National Park ( Tanzania) and has an area of ​​about 1510 square kilometers. The area lies at an altitude 1500-1650 meters above sea level, the same in the southeast are two mountains of 2200 meters above sea level. The annual rainfall, which is distributed over two rainy seasons, is 1200 mm in the east and 800 in the West.

Origin of the name

The name Masai Mara is the one from the name of the people living in this area of the Masai tribe. The second part of the name " Mara " ( from the Maa language ) means " spotted" or " speckled ". This name is a reference to the appearance of the landscape is: viewed from above the many, solitary trees appear in the savannah as individual points.

Vegetation

The vegetation is mainly formed by grass savanna. In addition, there bush and tree savanna with gallery forest along the Maraflusses. There are also island mountains.

Wildlife

Masai Mara is Kenya's richest wildlife reserve, both in terms of the number of species as well as on those of the individual animals. Although it is not a typical elephant area, there are good stocks of the same. 1973 we went from 720 animals from 1977 were 703 copies numbered and in the years 1982 and 1987 there were 1100 elephants. You walk in both directions across the border. Since Kenya's government has recognized its exhibition value for tourism, the efforts to preserve elephants are remarkably large. From September to November attract herds of the Serengeti by Masai Mara. The wildebeest, zebra, Thomson 's gazelle and eland in the area are known for their long walks, they are taking in response to the dry and rainy seasons. You wander through since the Pleistocene in the course of a year the entire Serengeti from north to south into the adjacent Masai Mara and back.

Thomson's gazelle

Wildebeest crossing a river

Male lion with prey

Leopard in the Masai Mara

Hippopotamus

Nile crocodiles

Massaigiraffen and impala

Burchell's zebra

Topi Topi

Crowned Crane

Hyena in a dispute with vultures

Threat to the Masai Mara

After the riots after the presidential elections in December 2007, went out of fear of attacks steadily fewer tourists in the nature reserve. Due to the resulting financial losses responsible for animal welfare Ranger could hardly be paid, making poaching increased greatly. The international journal of ZDF on May 28, 2008 According to less than 50 percent of the reserve have already been monitored only during the day. The animal welfare organization " Wildlife Direct" described the impact as " catastrophic."