Masai Mara National Reserve is one of Africa’s most famous parks and it’s undoubtedly one of the continent’s best places to see animals. The wildlife viewing is superb throughout the year. The grassy plains and regular rainfall support a huge population of herbivores, in turn attracting many predators. All three big cats are relatively easy to see. The yearly wildebeest migration coming through the park is one of the world’s most amazing wildlife spectacles.
The Wildebeest Migration
The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is where 2.5 million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles follow the rains in search of new grass every year. They make their way from Serengeti National Park (in northern Tanzania) to the Masai Mara, and they usually cross into Kenya in July or August. Although the timing is never guaranteed, August and September are when you’re most likely to see the herds undertaking the famous crossing of the Mara River in Kenya. They slowly head back into the Serengeti around October.
Masai Mara National Reserve is Kenya’s flagship park. Three of the Big Five are commonly seen, but leopard sightings are more occasional and black rhino is difficult to find (they can sometimes be spotted in the northern section of the Mara Triangle). The reserve is one of the best in East Africa for big cats, and smaller predators such as bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal and spotted hyena are also present. Antelope include impala, reedbuck, Thomson’s gazelle, eland and topi, while buffalo, elephant and giraffe are relaxed and easily spotted.
