Mammals of Masai Mara

Masai Mara is home to one of the finest wildlife collections in the world. The sprawling landscape, dense forests, open grasslands, and flowing rivers provide a great habitat for more than 90 mammalian species to thrive. The top mammal species that can be spotted in Masai Mara are:

 

The Big Five

Masai Mara is one of the few places in Africa where there’s a very good chance of spotting all the Big-5 animals.

1. Lion: Masai Mara is home to between 800 to 900 lions. These ferocious predators, with their size and agility, are easily spotted here, resting in the tall grass, stalking the plains, or even during a hunt. There are many lion prides, consisting of 3 to 20 individuals here. Some of the famous prides are the Marsh pride, Topi pride, Enkoyonai Pride, Kicheche Pride etc. 
2. Elephant: One of the largest land animals on Earth, elephants are social, intelligent, and familial mammals. These majestic mammals have dwindled in number in recent years because of rampant poaching. However, their numbers have recently improved thanks to local conservation efforts, and there’s a very high probability of spotting them in Masai Mara.
3. Rhinoceros: Only Black Rhinos reside in Masai Mara, and their counterparts, the White Rhinos are found at Lake Nakuru. Black Rhinos and smaller and more aggressive of the two. Out of the Big five animals, spotting a rhino in Masai Mara is the most difficult, seeing as only 30-40 individuals are left because of poaching.
4. Leopard: Even though spotting a leopard in Masai Mara isn’t difficult, these graceful mammals are still considered as endangered. These elusive nocturnal creatures love rocks and woodlands. Unlike lions, leopards prefer a solitary life, away from other animals. Some of the famous Leopards are Bahati, Koboso, Bella, Half Tail
5. African Buffalo: These territorial and aggressive animals are considered the most dangerous animals in East Africa. Buffalos are often found in herds of 100 or more individuals, mostly close to water sources, and are often spotted grazing the floodplains.

 

Animals of the great migration

In search of green pastures filled with blades of grass, some animals of Africa make their yearly pilgrimage from the plains of Masai Mara to Serengeti National Park. This spectacle, consisting of more than a million individual animals, is one of the greatest in nature.

6. Wildebeest: These antelopes are herd animals and are active round the clock, traveling and grazing through the lands. It is easy to spot these creatures in Masai Mara, especially from July to October considering more than a million of them roam the lands.
7. Zebra: These animals, belonging to the horse family, are present in Masai Mara in large numbers. These herd animals are often seen grazing the grass together or even grooming each other. These mammals accompany the wildebeest during the great migration. Around 200,000 of these animals can be found all over Masai Mara.
8. Thomson’s Gazelle: These animals prefer grasslands and savannahs. You can spot them easily in Masai Mara, especially during the great migration, when upwards of 500,000 of these animals make the journey.

 

Other animals

9. Cheetah: The fastest land animals in the world are easily spotted in Masai Mara, often involved in their main preoccupation- hunting. It is an amazing sight to witness a cheetah stalking its prey and then charge towards it to make the kill. Despite their density being high in Masai Mara, cheetahs are included in the endangered animals’ list, owing to their dwindling numbers.
10. Giraffe: The world’s tallest mammals are known for their graceful movements, visible even when they run at speeds as high as 60 kilometres an hour. Their elongated necks help these herbivores reach plants and branches that are inaccessible to other animals. Around 2500 of these unique animals can be found in Masai Mara.
11. Hippo: With male hippos weighing as much as 1.5 tonnes, these are the third-largest land mammals. Hippos are semi-aquatic creatures and can be seen near swamps, lakes, and rivers. Although they stay close to each other when they rest in the water, they prefer to graze alone.
12. Antelope: Antelopes are quite common in Masai Mara and you can easily spot them in large numbers, usually near arid regions with scrub or bush covers. There are different types of antelopes- Dwarf Antelopes like Oribi, Dik-Dik, and Klipspringer, Horse Antelopes like Topi, Hartebeest, and white-bearded wildebeest, and Spiral-horned antelopes like Bushbuck and Common Eland.
13. Honey Badgers: These mammals are known for their fondness of honey and honeybee larvae. They also feed on reptiles, insects, birds, and amphibians. Their acute sense of smell helps them locate their prey. Notorious for their fearless personality, honey badgers can sometimes be seen attacking animals many times their size.
14. Mongoose: Many different subspecies of Mongoose find their home in Masai Mara. Banded Mongoose is common to central and eastern Africa and like open grasslands, forests, and savannahs. Dwarf mongoose is smaller in size and feeds on insects like grasshoppers, crickets, scorpions, and spiders. Slender Mongoose is short-legged and long-bodied, and quite common in sub-Saharan Africa. It feeds on insects, reptiles, rodents, and birds.

 

MASAI MARA MAMMAL CHECKLIST

Here is a comprehensive check-list below of the Mammals found in the Mara. 

 

SWINE

Warthog – Phacochoerus africanus

 

GIRAFFE

Masai Giraffe – Giraffe camelopardalis tippelskirchi

 

HIPPOPOTAMUSES

Common Hippopotamus – Hippopotamus amphibius

 

DWARF ANTELOPES

Kirk’s Dik-Dik – Madoqua kirkii

Klipspringer – Oreotragus oreotragus

Oribi – Ourebia ourebi

 

GAZELLES

Thomson’s Gazelle – Gazella thomsonii

Grant’s Gazelle – Gazella granti

 

REEDBUCKS AND KOBS

Common Reedbuck – Redunca arundinum

Defassa Waterbuck – Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa

 

HORSE ANTELOPES

Coke’s Hartebeest – Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii

Topi – Damaliscus lunatus jimela

White-bearded Wildebeest – Connochaetes taurinus

 

IMPALA

Impala – Aepyceros melampus

 

SPIRAL-HORNED ANTELOPES

Bushbuck – Tragelaphus scriptus

Common Eland – Tragelaphus (Taurotragus) oryx

 

WILD CATTLE

African Buffalo – Syncerus caffer

 

RHINOCEROSES

Black Rhinoceros – Diceros bicornis

 

ZEBRAS AND ASSES

Common Zebra – Equus burchellii

ELEPHANTS

African Elephant – Loxodonta africana

 

HYRAXES

Bush Hyrax – Heterohyrax brucei

 

AARDVARK

Aardvark – Orycteropus afer

 

PANGOLINS

Cape Pangolin – Manis temminckii

 

GENETS AND CIVETS

Common Genet – Genetta genetta

 

MONGOOSES

Slender Mongoose – Herpestes sanguineus

Egyptian Mongoose – Herpestes ichneumon

Marsh Mongoose – Atilax paludinosus

White-tailed Mongoose – Ichneumia albicauda

Dwarf Mongoose – Helpgale parvula

Banded Mongoose – Mungos mungo

 

HYENAS

Spotted Hyena – Hyaena hyaena

Aardwolf – Proteles cristatus

 

CATS

African Wildcat – Felis libyca

Serval – Felis (Leptaillurus) serval

Caracal – Felis (Caracal) caracal

Leopard – Panthera pardus

Lion – Panthera leo

Cheetah – Acinonyx jubatus

 

FOXES, JACKALS AND DOGS

Bat-eared Fox – Otocyon magalotis

Black-backed Jackal – Canis mesomelas

Side-striped Jackal – Canis adustus

African Wild Dog – Lycaon pictus

 

WEASELS

Striped Polecat / Zorilla – Ictonyx striatus

Honey Badger / Ratel – Mellivora capensis

 

BUSHBABIES

Lesser Bushbaby – Galago senegalensis

 

MONKEYS AND BABOONS

Syke’s Monkey / Blue Monkey – Cercopithecus mitis

Copper-tailed Monkey / Red-tailed Monkey – Cercopithecus ascanius

Vervet Monkey – Cercopithecus aethiops

Olive Baboon – Papio cynocephalus anubis

 

BATS

Straw-colored Fruit Bat – Eidolon helvum

Yellow-winged Bat – Eidolon helvum

 

HARES AND RABBITS

African Hare – Lepus capensis

 

SQUIRRELS

Kenyan Tree Squirrel – Paraxerus ochraceus

 

SPRINGHARE

Springhare – Pedetes capensis

 

OLD WORLD PORCUPINE

Southern African Crested Porcupine – Hystrix africaeaustralis

 

RATS AND MICE

Four-striped Grass Mouse – Rhabdomys pumilio

Savanna Giant Pouched Rat – Cricetomys gambianus

Greater Cane Rat – Thryonomys swinderianus

 

If you loved reading this story, then subscribe to our blog here (it will ask to verify your email) to get inspiring travel stories and trivia delivered to your email. Stories about wildlife trivia, cultural experiences, curated luxury hotel lists, underrated places to travel, polar journeys and much more.