Environment of the Masai Mara

As the northern extension of the Serengeti plains, the Masai Mara's environment sustains some of Africa's largest and most varied wildlife populations.

Large resident herds of animals are prevalent all year round, but the character of the landscape changes dramatically with the seasons. Long grass and brilliant green fields give way in time, drying out and exposing the large amounts of wildlife. At its peak, the plains are open and seem to contain more wildebeest and antelope than there are blades of long yellow grass.

The word Mara means 'spotted'. Some say the Maasai named it thus because of the patchy landscape - acacia groves and thorn thickets lend patches of colour to the otherwise uniform-looking plains. Others believe the Mara is named after the speckled appearance of its vast plains when the millions of migrating wildebeest, zebra and gazelle arrive to rest here, shaking off sweat and water from their dramatic river crossing.

The Masai Mara and the adjoining Loita Plains of Kenya form the northern part of the even greater Serengeti-Mara ecosystem - about 25,000km² of land.

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