Conservancies surrounding the Maasai Mara National Reserve provide a cultural landscape where communities and partners secure wildlife and sustainable livelihoods for a better future.

The 15 Mara Conservancies cover 347,011 acres (1,405 km2), and form a partnership between 14,528 landowners (including 223 women), and 39 tourism partners.  In total, nearly $5 million USD is paid annually in lease payments to these landowners, with additional economic benefit through employment opportunities:  308 rangers and 1,600 employees working in camps.  International tourists are rewarded with the thrill of a “Big 5” safari experience, in an intimate setting that leaves a light carbon footprint.

Challenges and the Need for Conservancies

In the wider Maasai Mara ecosystem of Kenya, one third is comprised by the Mara National Reserve;  the rest of the land is owned by Maasai families.  An estimated 70 percent of Kenya’s wildlife lives outside the national parks.

Since 2005, the government has started to privatize the land north of the National Reserve.  Securing this land for conservation is pivotal.