Wildlife of Masai Mara, Kenya
The Masai Mara is the Kenyan side of the Serengeti ecosystem, and the endpoint of the Great Migration when 1.5 million wildebeest cross the Mara River each year. Predator density is among the highest in Africa — lions, leopards, cheetahs and spotted hyenas all in one drive.
Best timeJuly – October for the Great Migration crossings.
- 1The Great Migration crosses the Mara in July–October — up to 1.5M wildebeest.
- 2The Mara has some of Africa's highest lion densities.
- 3Nile crocodiles here can exceed 5 metres.
Signature species
Curated for Masai Mara, Kenya, each tagged with its IUCN Red List status.
- EN
African elephant
Loxodonta africana
- VU
Lion
Panthera leo
- EN
African wild dog
Lycaon pictus
- VU
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
- NT
Southern white rhinoceros
Ceratotherium simum simum
IUCN codes — EX extinct · EW extinct in wild · CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened · LC least concern · DD data deficient
Dos & don'ts
Local etiquette that keeps wildlife wild.
Do
- Book with Mara Conservancies — camps limit vehicle numbers.
- Sit with sightings — don't chase cats.
- Keep distance — use zoom or binoculars, never bait animals closer.
- Stay on marked trails to avoid trampling nests, burrows and plants.
Don't
- Don't allow guides to drive off-road for cats — it's illegal in the conservancies.
- Don't buy any wildlife product.
- Never feed wildlife — human food changes behaviour and shortens lives.
- Don't share exact locations of nests, dens or rare species online.
Spotted here lately
Live from iNaturalist — research-grade observations within 100km, last 30 days.
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