The Maasai Mara is a large game reserve in south-western Kenya, and is the northern tip of the Greater Serengeti ecosystem. Named for the Maasai people (the traditional inhabitants of the area) and the Mara River which divides it, it is famous for its world class diversity and concentration of wildlife as well as the Great wildebeest Migration, during which time over a million wildebeest migrate north from the Serengeti following the long grasses that grow after the rains.

With an area of 938 square miles the Mara is not the largest game park in Kenya, but it is the most famous. The entire area of the park is nestled within the Great Rift Valley that extends almost the length of Africa. The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland savannah, with clusters of the distinctive acacia tree throughout. The western border is the Oloololo Escarpment of the Rift Valley.

Here you can stay at:

• Mara Explorer
• Mara Intrepids
• Siana Springs

By Paul Kirui, Chief Safari Guide, Heritage Hotels

The future of the Maasai Mara’s threatened population of vultures is looking a little more robust, thanks to a unique collaboration involving Narok County Council, the National Museums of Kenya, and safari guides from the three Mara properties managed by Heritage Hotels.

The Mara Vulture Project, launched in July 2003, has now entered a third phase, with data collected over the past four years being compiled in the first comprehensive database of vulture dynamics and behaviour ever established in East Africa. The data will help to support a major grassroots education campaign being launched in the wider Mara-Serengeti to inform conservationists, tour operators, visitors and local communities about the vital importance of these vulnerable birds to the long-term health of the ecosystem.

Vultures have long been a misunderstood and undervalued species, but all that is now changing. Since July 2006, the Mara project has been following a number of locally tagged birds to determine their foraging and breeding ranges. Vultures tagged in the Mara have since been reported in Ngorongoro, Athi River, and as far as Laikipia. To date, a total of 42 vultures have been tagged – allowing a unique glimpse into the mysterious world of these enigmatic birds.

Vultures play a critical ecological role in the Mara-Serengeti through their consumption of up to 70% of all large ungulate carcasses, ridding the environment of potential disease-causing organisms that could threaten the survival of many other species. In recent years, populations of vultures have been reported in decline across Africa due to poisoning, persecution, and threatened food sources and nesting habitats. At least three species of Gypsvultures in South Asia are now listed as ‘critically endangered’ in IUCN’s Red Data Book due to poisoning from livestock carcasses contaminated by the pharmaceutical drug diclofenac, which have caused vulture populations to crash by as much as 95%.

Vultures in East Africa face a similar threat from the poisoning of terrestrial predators and contaminated livestock carcasses. A catastrophic collapse of vultures in the Mara-Serengeti would have dire ecological consequences for the future of the two reserves, and it is hoped that a better understanding of the species will help to design scientifically sound conservation and management strategies to ensure their survival.

Grevy's Zebra: The Grevy’s Zebra is the largest species of zebra. It is found in the wild in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, and is considered endangered, partly due to hunting for its skin, which fetches a high price on the world market. Compared to other zebras, it is tall, has large ears, and its stripes are narrower. The species is named after Jules Grévy, a president of France, who, in the 1880s, was given one by the government of Abyssinia.

Beisa (or East African) Oryx: The Beisa Oryx is found throughout the Horn of Africa. They have a grey coat with a white underside, separated from the grey by a stripe of black, there are also black stripes where the head attaches to the neck, along the nose and from the eye to the mouth and on the forehead. There is a small chestnut colored mane. The ringed horns are thin and straight.

The Beisa Oryx live in semi-desert regions where they eat grass, leaves, fruit and buds. Interestingly, they are able to store water by raising their body temperature (so as to avoid perspiration). They gather in herds of five to forty animals with a cow leading and an alpha male guarding from the rear. Older males are solitary, presumably to avoid burdening their group.

Reticulated (or Somali) Giraffe: The Reticulated Giraffe is a subspecies of giraffe native to Somalia, but found throughout Northeastern Kenya and Ethiopia as well. This giraffe has large, liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright white lines. The blocks may sometimes appear deep red and may also cover the legs.

The extraordinary height of giraffes allows them to browse on branches of trees that other hoofed animals can't reach. This has helped make them one of the most successful animals of the African savanna. Giraffes are also fast, able to gallop up to 35 mph. Mothers aggressively defend their calves, kicking out with their feet at the approach of lions or hyenas.

Lake Naivasha is a beautiful freshwater lake. The lake is almost 4 miles across, but its waters are shallow with an average depth of sixteen feet. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Naivasha completely dried up and effectively disappeared. The resulting open land was farmed, until heavy rains a few years later caused the lake to return to existence, swallowing up the newly established estates.

The lake and its surroundings are rich in natural bounty, and the fertile soils and water supply have made this one of Kenya’s prime agricultural regions, which you will observe as you drive through the area.

Much of the lake is surrounded by forests of the yellow barked Acacia Xanthophlea, known as the yellow fever tree. These forests abound with bird life, and Naivasha is known as a world class birding destination. Other game near the lake includes giraffe, buffalo and Colobus monkeys.

Here you can stay at: The Great Rift Valley Golf Lodge

Activities available at the Great Rift Valley Golf Lodge include:

• Escorted game and bird walks in Eburu forest
• Boating and birdwatching on Lake Naivasha
• Guided horse riding and mountain biking
• Day trips to Hell’s Gate and Lake Nakuru Parks
• Trips to the world-famous bird reserves on the shores of lakes Baringo, Bogoria and Nakuru