The conservancy covers around 210 square kilometers (about 50,000 acres). It serves as a crucial wildlife corridor between the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the Loita Hills. The conservancy is known for its high density of wildlife, including lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, and a variety of antelopes. It is renowned for its big cat population, especially lions. The conservancy has a higher density of lions than any other place in Africa. It’s also an important habitat for over 500 species of birds.
Maasai Mara is one of the most iconic wildlife conservation areas in the world. Located in southwestern Kenya, it’s named after the Maasai people and the Mara River, which divides it. The Maasai Mara National Reserve and the surrounding conservancies together form a critical part of the greater Mara ecosystem.
Conservancies are tracts of land that surround the main Maasai Mara National Reserve. These conservancies are usually formed through agreements with local Maasai landowners who lease their land to tourism operators. The aim of these conservancies is to expand the protected area for wildlife while also providing direct benefits to the local community through income from tourism.
Mara Naboisho Conservancy: The conservancy covers around 210 km² and offers high-quality wildlife viewing, including all the big cats and the Big Five. It’s known for its high density of lions.
Mara North Conservancy: Covering approximately 370 km², this conservancy provides a home for the largest concentration of wildlife in the Maasai Mara ecosystem.
Olare Motorogi Conservancy: Smaller than the others but teeming with wildlife, Olare Motorogi covers about 137 km² and is particularly known for its big cats.
Ol Kinyei Conservancy: Known for its diverse habitats and bird species, this conservancy covers around 69 km².
Lemek Conservancy: An area that provides important wildlife habitat, Lemek Conservancy covers around 65 km².
Mara Siana Conservancy: Mara Siana is in the eastern region of the Maasai Mara and offers both wildlife and cultural experiences.
These conservancies offer a more private and less crowded experience than the main reserve and contribute to conservation efforts by protecting critical wildlife habitat, managing grazing to prevent overuse, and involving local communities in wildlife conservation.
Mara Naboisho Conservancy
It is located in the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem, adjacent to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Established in 2010, it’s a community-led initiative aimed at conserving the land and wildlife in this area, while simultaneously providing sustainable benefits to the local Maasai population.
Size and Wildlife
Community involvement
Sustainable Tourism
Research and Conservation
Cultural Experience
Size and Wildlife
Community involvement
The conservancy was established as a partnership between local Maasai landowners, tourism companies, and conservation organizations. The local community leases their land to the conservancy, which then uses the land for eco-friendly tourism. This provides a direct and sustainable income to the local community, which is an incentive to preserve the ecosystem.
Sustainable Tourism
Mara Naboisho Conservancy practices low-impact tourism. It limits the number of tourists allowed in at any given time, ensuring a more private wildlife viewing experience and reducing stress on the ecosystem. The revenues from tourism are shared among the landowners.
Research and Conservation
The conservancy also serves as a center for various research projects focused on wildlife conservation. The BioKen Snake Farm, for instance, conducts research on venomous snakes, while the Mara Predator Project studies big cat dynamics.
Cultural Experience
Visitors to the conservancy also have the opportunity to engage with the local Maasai community, learning about their traditions, customs, and ways of life.
Mara North Conservancy
The Mara North Conservancy is a private wildlife conservancy located in the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem in southwestern Kenya. Established in 2009, it’s a partnership between local Maasai landowners and a small consortium of tourism partners, with the shared goal of conserving this critical piece of the Mara ecosystem and ensuring sustainable benefits for the local Maasai people.
Size and Wildlife
Community Involvement
Sustainable Tourism
Conservation Efforts
Cultural Experience
Size and Wildlife
The conservancy spans roughly 370 square kilometers (about 91,000 acres) of pristine wilderness. It is home to a diverse range of species, including all of the “Big Five” animals (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffaloes), along with cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, and various species of antelope. The conservancy also hosts an incredible array of bird species. Its wildlife densities are among the highest in the Maasai Mara ecosystem, making it an excellent location for wildlife viewing and photography.
Community Involvement
The conservancy is leased directly from the Maasai landowners. They receive income from this arrangement, which is an incentive to protect and preserve the natural environment and its wildlife populations. This also provides a sustainable livelihood for the Maasai people, helping to lift them out of poverty without compromising their traditional ways of life.
Sustainable Tourism
Mara North Conservancy practices low-density tourism, meaning visitor numbers are restricted to minimize the environmental impact and enhance the visitor experience. There are a limited number of eco-lodges and tented camps within the conservancy, all of which adhere to strict environmental guidelines.
Conservation Efforts
The conservancy places a high emphasis on conservation, particularly of big cats and elephants. Mara North is one of the key partners of the Mara Elephant Project and the Mara Predator Conservation Programme. These initiatives aim to protect these animals and ensure their long-term survival in the wild.
Cultural Experience
Visitors have opportunities to interact with the Maasai community, experience their culture and traditional customs, and learn about their way of life and deep connection with the land and wildlife.