Masaai Mara National Reserve Kenya
The Maasai Mara National reserve is a world`s famous wildlife safari destination in Kenya. It is located in the Great rift valley of Kenya-South west on the country in Narok County neighboring Serengeti National park in Tanzania. Dabbed as the Mara Park by the locals is named in honor of the Maasai people-the ancestral people in the area who at present co-exist with the wildlife in the game reserve. Mara is a Maasai word which means shrubs, savanna, and grassland that combine to make the game reserve. Maasai Mara Game reserve is managed by the Authority of Narok County of behalf of the Government as opposed to other national parks which are under Kenya Wildlife Service.
Maasai Mara Map
Maasai Mara National Reserve started as a sanctuary for wildlife in 1961 with an area of about 520sq km. It was later turned into a game reserve in 1961 stretched to cover 1821sq km. Park of Maasai Mara Game reserve was divided to the local communities worth 159q km and the rest of the land was upgraded into a National Reserve in 1974. In 1976, the national reserve was again reduced by 162sq km and it was left with 1510sq km area. Maasai Mara national reserve has three ranches namely; Mara triangle, Sekenani and Musiara.
Maasai Mara National Reserve features open plains, rolling hills and two prime rivers in the northern direction (Mara river and Talek river). Vast acacia trees occupy the south eastern region and to the west is the East African Rift Valley Esiot escarpment (with the most concentration of wildlife in its grassland and shore water areas) which stretches 5600km long from the red sea in Ethiopia via Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and finally to Mozambique. Maasai Mara National Reserve is about 224km from the east of Nairobi.
Brief facts About Maasai Mara National Reserve Kenya
Location: Kenya, Rift Valley Province
Nearest town: Narok
Coordinates: 1°29′24″S 35°8′38″E
Area: 1,510 km2 (580 sq mi)
Established: 1961
Governing body: Trans-Mara and Narok County Councils
