Mara-Serengeti
With its vast herds of wildebeest and zebras and abundance of large predators the 25,000 sq km Mara-Serengeti ecosystem is the most famous terrestrial ecosystem on earth, offering us a window into a time when wild animals roamed free over much of the planet. It is situated in Maasailand in southwestern Kenya and northern Tanzania. At its heart is a conservation core: the Serengeti National Park (SNP) in Tanzania covering 14,763 km² and the adjoining Masai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya covering 1,510 sqkm (583 square miles).
'Serengeti'
The name “Serengeti” means land of endless space in the Maa language, evoking the enormity of the treeless plains in the south of the park and adjoining Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) that stretch for 10,000 sq km. It is the last place on earth that so visibly and emotionally captures a sense of our past, reminding us of the time when we were an integral part of the natural world and lived sustainably within the limits of our environment. Large tracts of the ecosystem are savanna: a mixed woodland-grassland characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.
The Mara-Serengeti is known for the variety and abundance of its predator community, particularly its big cats that every visitor on safari hopes to see. There are 3,000 lions, perhaps 500 to 1000 leopards (nobody knows the true figure), 250 cheetahs, 5,000 or more spotted hyenas and a scattering of wild dogs, the most endangered of the large predators. But as impressive as the big cats might be, at the heart of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem is a strange-looking creature known as the white-bearded wildebeest or gnu, a veritable lawn mower of an antelope that prefers short green grass with a high leaf-to-stem ratio. Gathered in their hundreds of thousands on the Serengeti’s short grass plains during the rainy season of November through May, the wildebeest hordes are a thing of wonder, an animal nation on the move, a lowing, grunting life force driven by their endless search for grass and water. All the other animals in the Serengeti are in some way conditioned by the wildebeest’s presence: a veritable Noah’s Ark boasting thousands of elephants and buffaloes, hundreds of thousands of gazelles, 200,000 zebras, all adding a dazzling presence to the wildebeest multitude that for nearly half a century has remained relatively stable at around 1.2 million animals.
The region is among the most popular safari destinations in the world with up to 300,000 tourists visiting the Maasai Mara each year, and 150,000 to 200,000 journeying to the Serengeti. There are no fences to restrict the passage of the animals, although since 1977 tourists are not permitted to cross the international border separating the reserve from the park.
Today we can only gaze in awe at the vibrancy of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem and the manner in which it adjusts to drought or deluge, feast or famine, sustaining all life within its boundaries, an ingenious collaboration between soil and water, herbivore and carnivore. It is a potent reminder of our deep connection to the natural world and our moral obligation to do everything within our power to ensure its continued existence. If we cannot protect the Mara-Serengeti then what will we protect?
Some organizations doing great work in the region
Below are a few organizations highlighted by the SNI as doing great work and having an impact in the Mara-Serengeti region. If you want to make an immediate difference, consider learning more about these organizations and donating to their cause.
Mara Predator Conservation Programme (MPCP)
A world–class conservation programme, providing evidence–based, practical management recommendations, solutions and ideas. Since 2013, their findings have had important implications for lion and cheetah conservation both nationally and in the rest of Africa.The MPCP has three overarching goals. To help community members and landowners understand and appreciate the role of predators in the ecosystem. To ensure that key stakeholders in the Greater Mara Ecosystem consistently utilise sound scientific information to inform conservation strategies. To support stable, healthy predator populations in the Greater Mara Ecosystem by providing scientific evidence for conservation action:
ADCAM Masai Mara Vision Project
A global project created by the Spanish NGO Adcam in partnership with the Maasai community in the Lemek district bordering the Maasai Mara and the Madrid shoe company Pikolinos. Adcam's objectives are promoting education, health, sustainability and women empowerment in the Maasai community. This collaboration began in 2010 and provides work for 5 months a year to more than 1000 Maasai women, spread between Kenya and Tanzania. Leather supplied by Pikolinos is beaded in Kenya and then sewn in to sandals back in Madrid. This has allowed the women to improve the provision of food, healthcare and education for their children and the whole community, making this project a pioneer in matters of Corporate Social Responsibility. The economic momentum generated by the women's cooperative and the income they earn has prompted many other initiatives by women entrepreneurs in the community. Many have used the income to boost their own handicraft businesses in local markets, enhancing their professional and economic development through self-employment and microcredit:
The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS)
An international conservation organisation based in Frankfurt in Germany. Founded by Prof. Bernhard Grzimek, who wrote the landmark book Serengeti Shall Not Die (1959) and produced the Oscar-winning film by the same name, FZS is committed to preserving wildlands and biological diversity in the last remaining wilderness areas on the planet. Their ongoing contribution to the Serengeti is unparalleled:
Want to learn more?
Take the SNI Mara-Serengeti Course
In this 8-part Course we examine all the major elements that define the ecosystem and the threats to its survival, illustrating how the relationship between people, wildlife and landscapes evolve over time helping to maintain a degree of stability while driving change.
The course includes lectures from world-renowned photographers and conservationists Jonathan and Angela Scott, as well as interviews with industry leaders and experts. Each module is accompanied by a curated list of readings, case studies and resources, and all graduates are granted exclusive access to a monthly webinar for alumni.
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