Tag: Masai Mara
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Life and Death on the Mara River
Of the 1.5 million wildebeest that trek into the Masai Mara from the Serengeti each year, an average of 300,000 die, most while crossing the Mara River. While death at such a scale may seem senseless, it plays a vital role in the nourishment of the river ecosystem for years after the dust settles.
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Last Minute Mara: Luxury For Less
It’s that time of year again. Lanky, bearded herbivores in their hundreds of thousands are grunting, grazing, plunging and leaping their way across the Greater Masai Mara, consumed by the lure of greener pastures. For a few more months, these frenzied herds of wildebeest will mow down what’s left of the Mara’s rich red oat…
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A Night Under Canvas in the Mara Triangle
All around us the plains are black and smouldering. The absence of long grass reveals a scattering of bones, and the bottoms of shrubs have been charred by flames. Controlled fires stimulate growth before the dry season, when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest make their frenetic journey into the Mara from the Serengeti. We are…
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Easter at the Mara’s Oldest Lodge
‘In Maa it means a place of dark green trees. Ilkeek Orok’. James Pere manages Keekorok Lodge, in the southern Sekenani sector of the Masai Mara National Reserve. He was talking me through the rich history of the lodge, as we wandered across its lush grounds. When it opened its doors in 1962, it was…
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The Best of Times in the Masai Mara
The man said to the waiter at lunch, ‘Can we have some raw meat this evening?’ I was taken aback somewhat because, though the Serena Hotels are well known for the variety of the food they serve – and their willingness to please their guests – I doubt if a request for raw meat comes…
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The Mara and Conservation
Our family has had membership tofthe East African Wildlife Society for over 20 years, supporting their work and enjoying their excellent Swara magazine. Last week I attended one of their Imre Loefler conservation lectures. The speaker was Justin Heath, manager for a number of community conservancies on the periphery of the Maasai Mara. The lecture…
Going Places Africa 