Maasai Mara Wildlife & Animals

Simply said, the wildlife of Masai Mara is regarded as one of the world’s best collections of wild species. Masai Mara and the neighboring Great Mara eco system are home to a rich, diversified variety of wildlife that people from all over the globe come to view on an African safari, with around 90 species of Mammals and many more Birds.

We have divided the wildlife into two lists: the general Mammal list, which includes the famed Big Five (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, and Buffalo), and the Big Nine, which includes the Cheetah, Giraffe, Hippo, and Zebra. Important Birds Found in Masai Mara are also mentioned here.

Lion (Panthera Leo) (Panthera Leo)

It is believed that there are between 850 and 900 Lions in the Masai Mara National Reserve and the adjoining conservancies. The ‘Mara,’ as it is often called, is widely regarded as one of the greatest sites in Kenya and East Africa to go on a Safari to view these wonderful creatures in the wild.

Individual male lions may control territories ranging from 30 to 400 square kilometres. When it comes to hunting for prey, the lionesses (females) take the lead. Men may sometimes help with hunting. This website contains in-depth information on the Masai Mara Lions.

Lions

Maasai Mara elephants

Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) (Loxodonta Africana)
The African Elephant, one of the most prolific species in the Mara, is an intelligent, gregarious, and family animal, and despite the danger posed by its ivory, the good news is that populations have increased in the Masai Mara in recent years.

African elephants are the world’s biggest terrestrial creatures, weighing up to 2,000 pounds (6.6 tons). This website contains detailed information on the African Elephant in Masai Mara.

Elephant

Maasai Mara Rhinos

The Masai Mara is home to Black Rhino, a little smaller but more aggressive species than White Rhino, which can be found around Lake Nakuru. The Rhino is the legitimate name for any of the five current species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae, as well as any of the countless extinct species.

Black rhinos are smaller than white rhinos, and there is no color distinction between them. Black rhinos utilize their horns for mating, fighting, and protecting themselves against predators. They also like dense bush environment and utilize their hooked lip to graze bushes. This article contains in-depth information on Black Rhinos in Masai Mara.

Rhinos

Maasai Mara leopards

The Leopard (Panthera Pardus) is one of the five species in the genus Panthera and is considered a Large Cat. While leopards may be found in good numbers in Masai Mara and other Kenyan parks, these secretive creatures are designated as endangered on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are threatened by human encroachment and habitat degradation. Leopards nearly usually hunt alone and are naturally ‘shy,’ preferring to hunt at night.

Maasai Mara leopard

Masai Mara African Buffalo

The African Buffalo ( Syncerus caffer )
These enormous bovines, also known as the Cape Buffalo, are considered as one of the most hazardous creatures in East Africa, not least owing to their volatile and unpredictable character, which is one of the reasons the African Buffalo has never been tamed, as is the case in Asia. Females guarding their newborn calves and lone renegade bulls are the most hostile, and 800kg of enraged animal is no laughing matter.

Both sexes have the unique curving horns that widen and nearly meet over the forehead, however females have smaller horns. Buffalo are often seen in herds of 100 or more and seldom go far from water, particularly during the dry season. With the exception of Nairobi National Park, these species may be found in large numbers in all major parks. They are also plentiful in the Maasai Mara National Game Reserve.

Masai Mara African Buffalo

Kenya’s Big Nine Animal List

The Big 9 animals are basically the Big Five plus the Cheetah, Giraffe, Zebra, and Hippopotamus. The Masai Mara is one of the few areas in Kenya and East Africa where you can see all of the Big Nine on a 2- to 3-hour game drive.

Maasai Mara cheetah

Cheetahs are one of the most iconic species in Masai Mara, renowned for hunting in the open and in groups of up to four or five. Cheetahs are also recognized for their speed, being the fastest land animals, reaching speeds of up to 110 km/h during hunts. The Cheetah is similar in appearance to leopards, however it is longer and lighter in the body.

It has a bent back and a considerably smaller, rounder face. It reaches around 80cm tall at the shoulder, is about 210cm long (including the tail), and weighs between 40 and 60kg. All of Kenya’s big game reserves have a small population of it. This article contains detailed information on Cheetah in Masai Mara.

Cheetahs

Masai Mara Giraffes

Giraffes (Giraffa) are the tallest living terrestrial creatures and quite a sight, incredibly attractive and recognized for their elegant movements even at their highest speed of 50 to 60 kilometres per hour.

In Kenya, there are two primary subspecies of Giraffe: the Reticulated or Somali Giraffe in northern Kenya and the Maasai Giraffe in southern Kenya, including the Masai Mara. It is believed that around 33,000 Maasai giraffes exist in the wild in Kenya. This article contains in-depth information on Masai Giraffes.

Masai Mara Giraffes

Masai Mara hippos

Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) (Hippopotamus amphibius)
The Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), also known as the Hippo, is the third biggest terrestrial mammal, with mature males reaching up to 1500 kg on average. Hippos often live in swamps, rivers, and locations along the lakeshore, and they keep cool by spending the most of the day in the water.

They are most common in the Masai Mara National Game Reserve, although they may also be observed in Amboseli, Nairobi, and Tsavo National Parks, as well as Lake Baringo.

hippos

Maasai Mara zebra

Zebra (Equus quagga) (Equus quagga)
Zebras are one of the wild creatures that most people connect with East Africa, and they may be seen in considerable numbers in the Masai Mara and across Kenya. Plains Zebra, Mountain Zebra, and Grevys Zebra are the three subspecies.

The plains zebra lives in Masai Mara, whereas the Grevy’s zebra, which has narrower stripes, lives in Samburu Reserve in Northern Kenya. This article contains detailed information on the rare Polka dot Zebra seen in Masai Mara.

Maasai Mara zebra

Mammals Catalogue

Apart from the Big Five or Big Nine, the Masai Mara is home to a plethora of other creatures. This is a list of some of the other varied fauna found in Masai Mara Game Reserve, beginning with Mammals.

In masai mara, aardvak

Aardvark ( Orycteropus afer ) ( Orycteropus afer )
The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a small to medium-sized burrowing mammal endemic to Africa with a long snout and strong claws. Aardvarks are nocturnal creatures that eat insects, mostly ants and termites. They have a hairless torso, an arched back, and small legs. The forefeet’s strong claws are well equipped for burrowing and digging.

Masai Mara aardwolf

Aardwolf ( Proteles cristatus ) ( Proteles cristatus )
Proteles cristatus, the aardwolf, is an insectivorous carnivore endemic to East and Southern Africa. Its name translates to “earth wolf” in Afrikaans.

It is golden in color with vertical black stripes and a bushy black-tipped tail, similar to a little striped hyena. It, like the hyena, has a long coarse ridge of erectile hairs along the back, robust shoulders, and longer front legs than rear legs. Aardwolf, on the other hand, is a slower runner and has five toes on the front foot rather than four.

Aardwolves live in the broad, grassy plains of eastern and southern Africa. They are solitary and spend the day resting in burrows before becoming active at night. Their territory is between 1 and 4 square kilometers in size, depending on food availability, and they mark it with urine, feces, and anal gland secretions.

Masai Mara aardwolf

Maasai Mara African Hares

Hare of Africa (Lepus capensis)
African hares are widespread across Africa in grasslands and forested savannas. They mostly live alone, however they sometimes form groups of two or three while feeding and utilize their hearing, smell, and sight to evade predators.

African hares are 20 inches long, weigh 1.5 to 3 kilos (3.3 to 6.6 pounds), and eat leaves, buds, roots, berries, fungus, bark, and twigs. African hares are common in Masai Mara National Reserve. The African hare has a lifespan of 12 years.

Masai Mara antelope in the wild

Antelope ( Alcelaphinae ) ( Alcelaphinae )
Antelopes are one of the wild species that most people connect with East Africa, and they are abundant in Masai Mara and Kenya in general. Kirk’s Dik-Dik, klipspringer, and Oribi Antelope are the three subspecies.

Antelope are located in desert places with shrub or scrub cover and come in a range of sizes. Their head wear demonstrates great diversity and ingenuity. These are the unsung wonders of the woods and grassland.

Maasai Mara Banded Mongoose

Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo) The banded mongoose is a kind of mongoose found in central and eastern Africa. It feeds largely on beetles and millipedes and dwells in savannas, open woods, and grasslands. Mongooses live in colonies with a complex social structure and utilize many sorts of dens for refuge, including termite mounds.

They are brown or grey in color and may be identified by the black stripes that run across the back from shoulder to tail. The animal is around 40 cm long and weighs between 1.3 and 2.3 kg. They are often spotted in groups in the reserves of Tsavo, Amboseli, and Masai Mara.

Maasai Mara Bat Eared Fox

The Bat-Eared Fox ( Otocyon magalotis )
The bat-eared fox is a species of fox found in short-grass prairies and desert grasslands in Africa, where they are most typically observed foraging at night or early morning in warmer months and throughout the day in colder months.

It has a yellow-brown body with a light neck and underparts. When threatened, they will wander into tall grass and heavy shrub regions that have been intensively grazed by domestic and wild ungulates.

They are quite gregarious, so if you see one, keep a look out for others. Small invertebrates such as ants, termites, spiders, scorpions, and crickets make up the majority of the bat-eared fox’s diet. They will also consume tiny birds, animals, reptiles, and desert truffle.

Maasai Mara Bat Eared Fox

Maasai Mara bush babies

Bushbaby (Galago senegalensis) (Galago senegalensis)
Bushbaby, also known as Senegal galago, lesser galago, or smaller bush baby, is a tiny arboreal and nocturnal monkey with wide round eyes that are useful for night vision and extraordinarily fine hearing.

They have powerful rear legs that allow them to leap more than 5-6 feet vertically. They are quick and agile climbers, and their long tails help them balance. These are soft-furred critters that devour seeds, nuts, fruits, flowers, and insects. It may be found in all major reserves, including the Masai Mara National Reserve.

Masai Mara has bushbucks.

Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) is a sub-Saharan antelope that lives in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics, and bush savannas. The coat of a bushbuck is light brown with up to seven white stripes and white splotches on the flanks. The muzzle is likewise white, and the males have horns that may reach over half a meter in length with only one twist.

They mostly browse, but supplement their diet with whatever other plant materials they can get their hands on. Bushbucks are active 24 hours a day, but are mostly nocturnal near human settlements.

Maasai Mara Coke’s Hartebeest

Hartebeest of Coke ( Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii )
The Coke’s Hartebeest is a medium-sized antelope with a fawn coat. It is easily identified by its long, thin face and unusually angular, short, strongly ridged horns (on both sexes). They are mostly found in medium to tall grasslands, such as savannas.

They are often seen in Nairobi and Tsavo East National Park, Tsavo West and Amboseli National Parks, and the Masai Mara National Reserve. It is one among the quickest and most durable antelopes. The hartebeest eats nearly solely grass, however it is not particularly picky and is fairly tolerant of low-quality diet.

The Masai Mara’s Common Elands

The common eland (Taurotragus oryx) is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is also known as the southern eland or eland antelope. It is the world’s second biggest antelope, being slightly smaller on average than the gigantic eland.

Common eland are antelopes with spiral horns. They prefer savannah brush to open regions, but avoid dense woodland. In the early morning and late afternoon, it feeds on grass and tree leaf, and it is especially active on moonlight evenings. They may be observed in Nairobi and the Tsavo East and West National Parks, as well as the Masai Mara National Reserve.

The Masai Mara’s Common Elands

Masai Mara Red Tailed Monkeys

Copper Tailed Monkey/Red Tailed Monkey (Cercopithecus Ascanius) Found in East and Central Africa as copper tailed monkeys. They are sociable primates that live in groups of 7-30 people. The groupings are made up of a dominant male, females, and their progeny.

Except for mature men, groups often remain together throughout the day and throughout life. Red-tailed monkeys are most active early in the morning and late in the evening. They communicate physically, audibly, and visually, and they also show social dominance, submissiveness, or greeting. They are omnivorous and consume fruits as well as leaves, flowers, and insects when fruit is rare.

Masai Mara Red Tailed Monkeys

Masai Mara Crested Porcupine

Porcupine (Crested) (Hystrix cristata)
The Crested Porcupine is a huge, black-bodied nocturnal rodent with long, black and white spines and a conspicuous crest of elongated, spiky hairs from the brow to the shoulders.

It may be identified by its black rump and small, rattle-like quills in the tail. Crested porcupines may be found in non-desert habitats such as savannas, forests, steppes, and uplands. They mostly consume plant material, such as fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs, and bark.

In Masai Mara, there are dwarf mongooses.

The Dwarf Mongoose ( Helpgale parvula )
The dwarf mongoose, commonly known as the common dwarf mongoose, is a tiny African Carnivore of the mongoose family. They are generally found in savannas, thickets, and forests, usually with a lot of termitaries for protection.

While they may endure periodic water scarcity, they avoid highly dry, open terrain. They are one of the two sociable mongoose species, living in family groups of 2 to 21 individuals, with more females than males and varying numbers of pups.

They are territorial, and each group occupies a region of 30-60 hectares (depending on the type of habitat). They eat insects, particularly crickets and grasshoppers, as well as termites, scorpions, and spiders. The gestation period lasts 53 days, and 1-6 children are born.

Maasai Mara Grant’s Gazelles

The Grant’s Gazelle ( Gazella granti )
Grant’s gazelles are distinguished by their coloration and large horns. The back is sandy brown, with a brighter color on the flanks and white belly, and white around the tail and rear legs. Horns may be found on either sexes.

These gazelles are often encountered in mixed groups with other herbivores, including as wildebeest, zebras, and Thomson’s gazelles. In favorable locations, they may appear in high numbers (up to 500 individuals). They may be found in huge numbers in Nairobi National Park, Amboseli National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Tsavo and Marsabit National Reserve.

Maasai Mara Honey Badgers

The Honey Badger ( Mellivora capensis )
The honey badger, sometimes known as the ratel, is a mammal found in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. They got their name from their love of honey and honeybee larvae. Insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are also eaten, as well as roots, bulbs, berries, and fruits.

Honey badgers hunt by using their keen sense of smell to locate their prey. They will then dig for their prey with their razor-sharp claws. Most honey badgers are active during the day, however they may prefer the shelter of night near human areas. They are often spotted alone, while mating pairs are fairly unusual.

They are famed for their bravado and fearlessness, and have been known to take on creatures several times their own size.

Masai Mara impala

Impala ( Aepyceros melampus ) ( Aepyceros melampus )
The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized antelope that may be found in both eastern and southern Africa. It has reddish-brown hair inside the ears, above each eye, and on the chin, upper neck, underparts, and buttocks.

A short black line goes down the center of the lower back to the tail, and each leg has a vertical black stripe on the back. Impalas are located on the borders of grasslands and woodlands, frequently near bodies of water. They graze and browse, eating fresh grass shoots during the rainy season and herbs and bushes during the dry season.

Masai Mara National Reserve, Kisumu Impala Sanctuary, Hell’s Gate, Nairobi, and Lake Nakuru National Parks are the best sites to see impalas in Kenya.

Maasai Mara Kirk’s Dik Diks

Dik Dik Kirk’s ( Madoqua kirkii )
Kirk’s dik dik is the most common of the two dik-diks found in Kenya, and may be found in Nairobi, Tsavo East and West, Amboseli National Park, and Masai Mara National Reserve. The dik-dik is a small antelope with a reddish-brown back, paler flanks, and a white belly.

They are distinguished by the absence of a tail and a tuft of black hair on the brow. Horns (only seen on men) are so short that they often get lost in the hair tuft. Dik-diks are nocturnal creatures that seek shade to snooze during the warmest portions of the day to avoid losing essential fluids.

Maasai Mara Klipspringers

Klipspringer ( Oreotragus oreotragus ) ( Oreotragus oreotragus )
The Klipspringer is a tiny antelope native to Eastern and Southern Africa. It is a tiny, strong antelope that stands around 50cm tall at the shoulder. They may be identified by their peculiar ‘tip-toe’ attitude and the greenish hue to their scattered coarse hair. Their horns are small and spread widely.

Klipspringer are most often observed on rocky outcrops or in nearby grassland, and when disturbed, they burrow into the rocks for protection. In Kenya, the best areas to see klipspringers are Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli and Meru National Parks, and Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks.

Maasai Mara Klipspringers

In Masai Mara, there are olive baboons.

The Olive Baboon (Papio cynocephalus anubis) is one of the biggest baboons, with an olive green/grey coat that covers its body and a black face. Olive baboons have the widest range of any baboon species.

They are adaptive and live in savannahs, steppes, and woods. They live in groups of men and females of 20 to 50 individuals, however these troops may often have more than 100 baboons. Grass, seeds, leaves, grains, fruit, tubers, small animals, insects, and young birds are among their favorite foods.

Maasai Mara Oribis

Oribi ( Ourebia ourebi ) ( Ourebia ourebi )
Oribi is a tall, slender antelope with a sandy body hue and white undersides, upper neck, lips, and ear linings. They are most typically seen in grasslands that have been maintained by fire or intensive grazing.

Oribi favors flats or mild slopes and is most frequent on wide lawns with short grass due to compaction and weak soils. They are quite rare, and your best chance of seeing one is at Masai Mara National Reserve.

Masai Mara Pangolins

Pangolin ( Manis temminckii ) ( Manis temminckii )
Pangolins are odd-looking nocturnal creatures with protective keratin scales. They are the only animals known to have this characteristic. They curl up into a ball to defend themselves when threatened. Depending on the species, they reside in hollow trees or burrows.

Pangolins eat mostly ants and termites, which they catch with their long tongues. These are solitary creatures that only get together to mate and produce a litter of one to three young who are nurtured for roughly two years. Pangolins may be observed at Masai Mara National Reserve, despite being one of Africa’s most elusive and seldom seen wildlife.

Maasai Mara Side Striped Jackal

Jackal with Side Stripes ( Canis adustus )
The side striped jackal has shorter legs and shorter ears than other Jackals, and it may be identified by the white tip to its tail and the weakly defined black and white stripes down its sides. It is most often seen in forest and shrub environments. They mostly consume invertebrates and small vertebrates like as fish and gazelle fawns, as well as fallen fruits, unripe corn, carrion, and organic waste.

Maasai Mara Slender Mongoose

Mongoose with a Slim Body ( Herpestes sanguineus )
The slender mongoose, commonly known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, is a widespread sub-Saharan African mongoose. It is a long-bodied, short-legged, partially arboreal mongoose with a wide range of colors. Hand and foot fingers splay easily and are equipped with little but sharp color.

The tail is normally black towards the tip. They may be found in all types of wooded, Savannah, thicket, and forest environments, as well as forest swamps. Rodents, insects, reptiles, frogs, and birds are among the foods consumed by the slender mongoose.

Hyenas seen in Maasai Mara

Spotted Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) The spotted hyena, often known as the laughing hyena, is one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most intriguing and successful carnivores. Female hyenas are male-like in appearance, bigger than males, and far more violent than most other female mammals.

This is due to its social structure and an increase in testosterone in its prenatal stages. Female hyenas are more sociable than male hyenas, having larger group sizes and more complicated social activities. Spotted hyena territories in the Maasai Mara are stable but small, with an average of 12 hyenas per 100 square kilometers.

The hyena is more commonly heard than seen; its long-distance cry may be heard for up to 5 kilometers and can be seen across the Maasai Mara. During the migration, they are most active in the early morning hours.

Hyenas in Maasai Mara

Maasai Mara Spring Hare

Hare in the Spring ( Pedetes capensis )
The Spring Hare (Pedetes) is a jumping rodent with long, velvety hair that ranges from warm reddish hues to yellow-grey above and white to light tawny bottom. It has small forelegs but strong, muscular hind legs and leaping feet. Locally found in Kenya’s semiarid steppes and dry savannas.

Spring hare feeds on freshly grazed grass stems, roots, and storage bases, as well as young plant and fruit sprouts. They sometimes consume insects such as locusts. They exclusively forage at night and within 400m of their burrow.

Masai Mara’s Straw-colored Fruit Bats

Fruit Bat with Straw Coloration ( Eidolon helvum )
The straw-coloured fruit bat, also known as the African straw-coloured fruit bat, is Africa’s second biggest fruit bat. They may be found in a variety of locations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

They prefer damp and dry tropical woods because they have so much fruit, but they will also consume the blooms and young shoots of silk-cotton trees and will utilize other forest habitats and even urban areas. These bats are very powerful flyers, with long, pointed wings designed for endurance rather than agility.

As a result, they can’t maneuver in small areas and must seek food in the more open top canopy layer. Its bodies range in color from straw to light yellow to dark brown-grey. They are a highly gregarious species that travels in colonies of at least 100,000 bats.

Maasai Mara Thomson’s Gazelles

The Gazelle of Thomson ( Gazella thomsonii )
Thomson’s gazelle is a well-known gazelle. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and is also known as a “tommie” at times. It is sometimes mistaken with the much bigger (38-80kgs) Grants Gazelle, but it is distinguished by its thicker black tail, shorter horns, and more visible black stripe on the flank. Thomson’s gazelles love savannas and grasslands, notably in Kenya and Tanzania’s Serengeti area. Further information on Serengeti Animals may be found by clicking here.

Maasai Mara Topi

Topi (Damaliscus lunatus jimela) (Damaliscus lunatus jimela)
Topi (Damaliscus lunatus jimela) is a medium-sized antelope with a stunning reddish-brown to purplish-red coat that is shiny and, in strong sunlight, iridescent.

They are mostly found in flood plains, although they may also be found in drier regions of open savanna and park woods, where they seek shade during the day. They love flat lowlands and can live for extended periods without water if they have access to fresh pastures.

They are most common in Kenya’s Masai Mara, where they may be seen in enormous numbers. The lion is their primary predator.

In Masai Mara, there are vervet monkeys.

Monkey Vervet ( Cercopithecus aethiops )
The Vervet Monkey is a tiny, black-faced monkey found in the Mara with a greenish-olive or silvery-gray body. Vervet society is based on complicated but stable social groupings (called troops) comprising 10 to 50 individuals, the majority of whom are adult females and their immature progeny.

They eat primarily herbivorous plants, primarily leaves and young shoots, but also bark, flowers, fruit, bulbs, roots, and grass seeds. Insects, grubs, eggs, baby birds, and occasionally rodents and hares supplement the mostly vegetarian diet.

Vervet monkeys in Masai Mara

Masai Mara warthogs

Warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) (Phacochoerus africanus)
Warthogs are Kenya’s most common wild pig and Africa’s most frequently observed wild pig. They are found in Sub-Saharan Africa’s savannah and semi-arid regions.

They are frequently seen in families, with parents and piglets trotting in a straight line with their tails erect. Warthogs are herbivores that spend the majority of their time foraging for food. Their most endearing habit is turning tail and trotting away with their thin tufted tails sticking straight up in the air like antenna.

The Masai Mara National Reserve, Nairobi, and Amboseli National Parks are the best places to see them in Kenya.

Masai Mara Waterbucks

Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) Waterbuck, also known as defassa waterbuck, is a fairly large animal with a thick, shaggy dark brown coat and white inner thighs. Only males have horns, which they use to defend themselves if attacked, and these curve gradually outwards before growing straight up to a length of about 75cm.

The female and her young move in close proximity to a number of territorial males, or they may stay with a single male. They consume grass, reeds, and some foliage. It’s fairly common and easy to spot in Nairobi, Lake Nakuru National Park, and the Masai Mara National Reserve.

Masai Mara wildebeest herd

Wildebeest ( Connochaetes ) ( Connochaetes )
The antelope family includes wildebeest (also known as gnu). Their forequarters are bulky, while their hindquarters are slender with spindly legs. They have a gray coat and a black mane, as well as a black or white beard.

Wildebeest come in a variety of races. The western white-bearded wildebeest is the species that make up the large herds of Kenya and Tanzania’s Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Their preferred habitats are open woods and grassy plains.

Masai Mara wildebeest herd