After a short flight from Nairobi on a little twelve-seat plane, we landed at a small dirt airstrip in the Masai Mara National Reserve. The reserve is located 171 miles southwest of Nairobi and covers 583 square miles including part of the Sarengeti ecosystem. The Masai Mara, along with the Segrengeti National Reserve and Kruger National Park, are considered the world’s best wildlife sanctuaries. The area was named Mara, meaning spotted, by the local Masai people because of how the land looked from a distance. The plains in the Mara are the final destination for more than two million wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles who migrate here from the southeastern plains of Serengeti’s Seronera each year in search of food.
We were greeted at the airstrip with snacks and some fruit juice which they offered to spike with Vodka. Aasma, of course, accepted. As we boarded our Land Cruiser we were asked by our guide Protus if we’d like to go straight to the room or go on a short game drive. We and the other couple in our vehicle unanimously chose the drive. We were amazed right out of the gate.
As we drove across the the land leased by our lodge from the native Masai people, we saw all sorts of animals including zebra, warthogs (a.k.a. Pumba), Thompson’s gazelle, eland, bush buck, Masai giraffe, African buffalo, topi, hippopotamus, African crocodile, yellow-billed oxpecker, elephant and blue monkey…..Wow! One of the zebra we came across had been caught in a snare and was really struggling. Our driver immediately called it into the rangers who would later come and tend to it.
After we checked in, they asked us if we wanted to go out on another drive before sunset. This would give us the opportunity to potentially see animals as they come out as it gets dark. This drive was even more special than the first. Shortly after starting out, our ranger pointed out three lionesses resting in a tree.
Later in the drive we fortuitously came upon three black rhinos. There used to be thousands of these incredible animals but they were brought to the verge of extinction in the mid-80s. Thanks to conservation efforts, the number of black rhino in the Mara has increased from thirteen to more than fifty. So, this was quite a lucky sighting.
Before our return to the lodge we also saw Grant’s gazelle, jackal, hyena, dik-dik and numerous birds. We had only been in the Mara a few hours and we’d already seen seen so many animals including four of the Big Five. What is the Big Five you ask? The phrase, referring to the lion, elephant, leopard, rhino and African Buffalo, was originally a hunting term for the animals that posed the greatest threat to hunters on foot. Today, the availability of these animals is one of the main criteria used when evaluating a lodge or reserve. What a first day of safari! For more Masai Mara photos, click here.