When you first look across the plains of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania or the Maasai Mara in Kenya, it’s easy to imagine that you are looking at a wilderness that has remained untouched for thousands of years. Endless plains dotted with flat-topped acacias and rocky kopjes. Vast herds of wildebeest and zebra moving across the landscape, much as they have done for thousands of years.
But in reality, this apparently untouched landscape has been shaped by people for centuries.
Long before the creation of national parks and wildlife reserves, local communities were living alongside wildlife, grazing livestock and livestock and hunting in a way that allowed both wildlife and people to thrive.
For centuries, Maasai pastoralists moved with their precious cattle between grazing areas, allowing grasslands time to recover. This traditional way of life helped maintain the open landscapes that support so much of the region’s wildlife. Yet the conservation role of the Maasai has only been fully appreciated relatively recently.
And their future is closely connected to that of the wildlife we travel so far to see.
Maasai people of Kenya
The Maasai and their Ancestral Lands
The Maasai are descendants of Nilotic people who migrated south into East Africa over several centuries, in the wake of the desertification of the Saharan ranges. They became renowned for their pastoral way of life, with cattle central to their economy, culture and identity.
However, the Maasai lost access to significant areas of their ancestral grazing lands as national parks and wildlife reserves were established, particularly during the colonial period. The Government saw these cattle-keepers as hooligans in the 1950s. And the present authorities still see them as stubborn and anachronistic.
In Tanzania, for example, the establishment of the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the 1950s fundamentally changed how Maasai communities could use the land.
Tourism has subsequently brought mixed benefits. Some communities have gained employment and income from wildlife tourism, while others have seen relatively little of the financial rewards.
Meanwhile, competition for land, grazing and water continues to increase as human populations grow and pressure on wildlife habitats intensifies.
Increasingly, conservation organisations are recognising that wildlife protection cannot succeed in the long term without the support and participation of local communities.
In other words, we need to reconnect the needs of wildlife with those of the people who live alongside it. And some of the most encouraging examples are the Maasai-owned wildlife conservancies bordering Kenya’s Maasai Mara.
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How Do Maasai Wildlife Conservancies Work?
One of the best ways to support both Maasai communities and wildlife conservation is to spend some time in a community conservancy adjoining the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Here, the Maasai landowners work in partnership with safari operators, receiving lease payments for land managed for wildlife conservation. Tourism also creates employment for local guides, rangers and camp staff. And sustaining micro-businesses for other community members.
The scale is impressive. The Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association now represents 24 conservancies, covering approximately 450,000 acres and involving more than 15,000 landowners.
Of course, the system isn’t perfect. There are still challenges around grazing rights and ensuring that benefits are shared fairly amongst the Maasai. But it offers a promising way for local communities to benefit directly from protecting wildlife.
Why Does This Matter for Your Migration Safari?
You might reasonably ask what all this has to do with your safari?
The Great Migration doesn’t recognise national park boundaries.
Wildebeest, zebra and other grazing animals move across the wider Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in response to rainfall and the availability of fresh grass.
The Concessions and game-controlled regions beyond the protected parks are therefore important, not only for the migrating herds but also for resident wildlife and the movement of animals between different habitats.
If these surrounding areas are converted entirely to agriculture, settlements or fenced developments, wildlife movements become increasingly restricted.
By choosing to stay in a well-managed conservancy, you can help support an approach where wildlife has economic value to local landowners.
There’s an added advantage for safari visitors.
In these conservancies visitor numbers are often more tightly controlled than in the main national reserves. This means fewer vehicles at wildlife sightings, creating a more personal game-viewing experience.
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A Different Kind of Safari Experience
Many also allow guided bush walks and night drives, which aren’t normally possible within the national reserve itself.
I particularly recommend walking with Maasai guides.
Being on foot gives you a completely different perspective on the wildlife, plants and smaller details of the bush. You start noticing tracks, plants, insects and all those smaller details that are easily overlooked when concentrating on lions and elephants from a safari vehicle.
And it offers an opportunity to talk to your Maasai guides about their lives, their relationship with the land and how they see the future. It’s a much more meaningful encounter than simply making a brief stop at a touristy village for photographs.
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The real win-win is that by choosing to spend part of your Great Migration safari in a Maasai conservancy, you can enjoy an excellent wildlife experience while helping local communities benefit from conservation.
Selenkay Conservancy and the Maasai Mara, Kenya
One of our favourite options combines the Selenkay Conservancy, established in 1997 on Maasai land north of Amboseli National Park. This was followed by Ol Kinyei Conservancy in the Maasai Mara ecosystem in 2005.
Our Selenkay Amboseli & Migration Safari is a seven-night safari, staying in small, traditional-style safari camps in Selenkay and the Mara Ripoi Conservancy.
Activities include morning and afternoon game drives, guided walks with Maasai guides and night drives where permitted. There is also the opportunity to explore the Maasai Mara National Reserve. This is particularly rewarding during the Great Migration season, when the vast herds move into Kenya, generally between July and October.
Prefer a More Luxurious Migration Safari?
Dome tents not for you?
Have a look at our Porini Safari and Diani Beach, which combines intimate safari camps and private conservancies with time on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast. The small Porini camps are known for their guiding, intimate atmosphere and partnerships with local communities.
What about Tanzania?
In Tanzania, the approach to conservation and community involvement is somewhat different, but there are also worthwhile examples of tourism working alongside local communities.
One of my favourites is Β Chem Chem Lodge between Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks, which puts walks with the Maasai at the heart of the safari experience.
If you’d like to experience the Great Migration while supporting local conservation initiatives, we’d be delighted to advise you.
At Cedarberg Africa, we know which safari camps work closely with Maasai communities and which conservancies offer particularly rewarding game viewing.
We can help you combine some time in national reserves with quieter conservancy areas, choosing the right camps and the best time to travel.
“The Maasai and Your Migration Safari” was written by Ginny of Cedarberg Africa
Ginny Russellis Co-Founder and UK Managing Director of Cedarberg Africa, which she established with her sister Kate in 1995.
Ginny has travelled extensively across Southern and East Africa, combining regular research trips with more than 30 years of experience creating tailor-made safaris.
She is a strong advocate of travelling at a more relaxed pace, allowing time to appreciate not just the wildlife, but also the landscapes and people that make Africa so special. Her interest in conservation and community-based tourism reflects Cedarberg Africa’s commitment to helping travellers make thoughtful safari choices.
Contact usΒ if you’d like a tailor-made safari quote for Tanzania or Kenya.
