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45-684: Divided from the rest of the Maasai Mara National Reserve by the Mara River , the Mara Triangle is less visited and less crowded, with a fairly good concentration of wildlife all year-round including the Big Five ( lion , leopard , elephant , buffalo and rhino ) and diverse plains 'game' such as cheetah , hyena , jackal , wildebeest , zebra , giraffe , waterbuck and many other species. The Mara Triangle

90-462: A demand for land and resources leading to unplanned infrastructure growth. The weak cash economy creates a need to further subdivide the outlying ranch areas. These new owners have converted some land away from traditional grazing fields, negatively affecting wildlife migration. A rise in fencing exacerbates the restriction in free movement for migration, and grazing opportunities are diminished. The Mara Conservancy encourages conservation efforts in

135-764: A third list organized by New7Wonders and determined by another global vote, includes entire cities: The list of "Seven Wonders of the Underwater World" was drawn up by CEDAM International, an American-based non-profit group for divers that is dedicated to ocean preservation and research. In 1989, CEDAM brought together a panel of marine scientists, including Eugenie Clark , to choose underwater areas which they considered worthy of protection. The results were announced at The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., by actor Lloyd Bridges , star of TV's Sea Hunt : British author Deborah Cadbury wrote Seven Wonders of

180-529: Is 224 km (139 mi) from Nairobi , and hence it is the eastern regions which are most visited by tourists. It has a semi-arid climate with biannual rains and two distinct rainy seasons. The 'long rains' last around six to eight weeks in April and May and the 'short rains', in November and December, last around four weeks. There is a significant rainfall gradient: around 800 mm (31 in)/year in

225-694: Is a large national game reserve in Narok , Kenya , contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania . It is named in honour of the Maasai people , the ancestral inhabitants of the area, who migrated to the area from the Nile Basin. Their description of the area when looked at from afar: "Mara" means "spotted" in the local Maasai language , because of the short bushy trees which dot

270-554: Is easy to access by plane with Angama Mara Airfield, Kichwa Tembo, Mara North, Musiara and Serena airstrips, and with daily scheduled flights connecting it with other parks and reserves in Kenya, the Kenyan coast (Mombasa, Diani, Malindi) and Nairobi (Jomo Kenyatta and Wilson airports). The Mara Triangle is also reachable by road. Maasai Mara Maasai Mara , also sometimes spelt Masai Mara and locally known simply as The Mara ,

315-561: Is one of the areas where herds of the Great Migration enter and exit the Maasai Mara National Reserve from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania , making it one of the prime viewing locations for this wildlife spectacle. Crossings of the Mara River are world-renowned for being particularly dramatic, featuring in many wildlife documentaries such as Wild Africa and Big Cat Diary . The Mara Triangle

360-481: Is one third of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, with an area of 510 km. It has two natural borders and one political; to the southwest is the Tanzania / Serengeti border, to the east is the Mara River , and to the northwest is the Oldoinyio Escarpment (also called Oloololo or Siria Escarpment). The landscapes of the Mara Triangle include riverine forest, red oat grasslands, volcanic hills and

405-531: The " Big Five " – lions , African leopards , African bush elephants , African buffaloes , black and white rhinos – are found all year round. The Maasai Mara is the only protected area in Kenya with an indigenous black rhino population unaffected by translocations. Due to its size, the Mara can support one of the largest populations in Africa. The population of black rhinos was fairly numerous until 1960, but it

450-654: The Maa language . This number includes not only the Maasai but also Samburu and Ilchamus people in Kenya. The total area under conservation in the Greater Maasai Mara ecosystem amounts to almost 1,510 km (580 sq mi). It is the northernmost section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem , which covers around 25,000 ha (62,000 acres) in Tanzania and Kenya. Maasai pastoral ranches are to

495-484: The Mara Triangle , several Maasai group ranches, and Maasai Mara conservancies . When Maasai Mara was originally established in 1961 as a wildlife sanctuary, it covered only 520 km² of the current area, including the Mara Triangle. The area was extended to the east in 1961 to cover 1821 km² and converted to a Game Reserve. The Narok County Council took over management of the reserve at this time. Part of

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540-605: The 16th century and the word " medieval " was not invented until the Enlightenment era. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable refers to them as "later list[s]", suggesting the lists were created after the Middle Ages. Many of the structures on these lists were built much earlier than the Middle Ages but were well known throughout the world. Typically representative of such lists are: Other structures sometimes included on such lists include: Following in

585-551: The 19th and early 20th centuries, some writers emulated the classical list by creating their own lists with names such as "Wonders of the Middle Ages", "Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages", "Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind", and "Architectural Wonders of the Middle Ages". It is unlikely that any of these lists actually originated in the Middle Ages since the concept of a "Middle Age" did not become popular until at least

630-556: The 400-metre high Oloololo Escarpment. The Mara Triangle is managed by the Mara Conservancy , under contract by the Trans-Mara county council, a local non profit organisation formed by the local Maasai people, and contains a number of anti-poaching units. There are two permanent lodges inside the Mara Triangle - Mara Serena and Little Governors. There are a few camps on the park's periphery which offer game drives inside

675-463: The American national newspaper USA Today and the American television show Good Morning America revealed a list of the "New Seven Wonders", both natural and human-made, as chosen by six judges. The Grand Canyon was added as an eighth wonder on November 24, 2006, in response to viewer feedback. Similar to the other lists of wonders, there is no consensus on a list of seven natural wonders of

720-652: The Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year competition, showcasing the Mara as a year-round destination and raise funds for conservation initiatives active in the Mara. The competition ran for six years, ending in 2023. The inaugural winner was British photographer Anup Shah. The 2019 winner was Lee-Anne Robertson from South Africa. Paolo Torchio won in 2020, Harry Collins in 2021, Preeti and Prashant Chacko in 2022, and Shravan Rao in 2023. Between 1989 and 2003, ungulates were monitored in

765-600: The Industrial World , a book telling the stories of seven great feats of engineering of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 2003, the BBC aired a seven-part docudrama exploring the same feats, with Cadbury as a producer . In a 1999 article, Astronomy magazine listed the "Seven Wonders of the Solar System". This article was later made into a video. Many authors and organisations have composed lists of

810-578: The Maasai Mara on a monthly basis; the survey revealed a decline of giraffes by 75%, of common warthogs by 80%, of hartebeest by 76%, and of impala by 67%, attributed to the increased number of livestock grazing in the park and an increase in poaching. The rise of local populations in areas neighbouring the reserve has led to the formation of conservation organisations such as the Mara Elephant Project. The project aims to ensure

855-422: The Mara Triangle and their counterparts in the eastern part of the Mara. A flow assessment and trans-boundary river basin management plan between Kenya and Tanzania was completed for the river to sustain the ecosystem and the basic needs of 1 million people who depend on its water. The Mara Predator Conservation Programme also operates in the Maasai Mara, cataloging and monitoring lion populations throughout

900-547: The Mara and Talek rivers. The plains between the Mara River and the Esoit Siria Escarpment are probably the best area for game viewing, in particular regarding lion and cheetah. Large carnivores are found in the reserve. Lions are the most dominant and are found here in large numbers. Spotted hyenas are another abundant carnivore, and will often compete with lions for food. Leopards are found anywhere in

945-643: The Reserve and has accomplished several of their goals since taking stewardship. According to their website, as of 2022 they have arrested 4,500 poachers, vaccinated 100,000 dogs against rabies and distemper, improved access roads, and provided security for the local community and tourist facilities. Wonders of the World Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to

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990-669: The ancient Near East . The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty, and because it reflected the number of planets known in ancient times (five) plus the Sun and Moon. The Greek historian Herodotus (484 – c. 425 BC) and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (c. 305–240 BC), at the Museum of Alexandria , made early lists of seven wonders. These lists have not survived, however, except as references in other writings. The classic Seven Wonders were: In

1035-684: The county, while the County Government of Narok manages the Narok Sector. The more visited eastern part of the park, known as the Maasai Mara National Reserve, is managed by the Narok County Council. The Mara Triangle in the western part is managed Mara Conservancy, on behalf of the county, since the early 2000s. The outer areas were administered by ranches of the Maasai community. The land

1080-411: The distinctive Masai giraffe . The large roan antelope and the nocturnal bat-eared fox , rarely present elsewhere in Kenya, can be seen within the reserve borders. The area has been named an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. More than 500 species of birds have been identified in the park, many of which are migrants, with almost 60 species being raptors . It is an important area for

1125-529: The distinctive acacia tree. The western border is the Esoit (Siria) Escarpment of the East African Rift , which is a system of rifts some 5600 km long, from Ethiopia 's Red Sea through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and into Mozambique . Wildlife tends to be most concentrated here, as the swampy ground means that access to water is always good, while tourist disruption is minimal. The easternmost border

1170-675: The east to 1200 mm /year in the west. Elevation: 1500 - 2180 m ; Rainfall: 83 mm /month; Temperature range: 12–30 °C (54–86 °F) Blue wildebeest are the dominant inhabitants of the Maasai Mara. Around July of each year, these animals migrate north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide. It involves some 1,300,000 blue wildebeest, 500 000 Thomson's gazelles , 97 000 topi , 18 000 common elands , and 200 000 Grant's zebras . All members of

1215-565: The hip), and spots and rings on the tail. Collected over the years, photographic data allows the project team to trace kinship between generations and build Mara cheetah pedigree. The data collected helps to reveal parental relationship between individuals, survival rate of cubs, cheetah lifespan and personal reproductive history. The resilience of the game park model and the impact of the covid pandemic have also been evaluated so as to include consideration of issues of equality, and environmentalism. The BBC Television show titled "Big Cat Diary"

1260-557: The landscape. Maasai Mara is one of the wildlife conservation and wilderness areas in Africa, with its populations of lions , leopards , cheetahs and African bush elephants . It also hosts the Great Migration , which secured it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa , and as one of the ten Wonders of the World . The Greater Mara ecosystem encompasses areas known as the Maasai Mara National Reserve,

1305-595: The north, east and west. To the south is the Serengeti Park, the Siria/Oloololo escarpment is to the west. The Mara River , along with its tributaries the Sand and Talek rivers, are the major rivers draining the reserve. Shrubs and trees run along most drainage lines and cover the hills. The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland with seasonal riverlets. In the south-east region are clumps of

1350-417: The park: Angama Mara , Bateleur Camp, Kichwa Tembo, Kilima Camp , Mara Engai Wilderness Lodge , Mara Siria Tented Camp & Cottages , and Mpata Safari Club. It is also possible to take your own camping gear and stay at one of the public or private campsites and a number of seasonal mobile camps are set up to coincide with the arrival of the megaherds of the Great Migration each year. The Mara Triangle

1395-421: The peaceful and prosperous co-existence of humans alongside wildlife. According to the project, human wildlife conflict is seen as a leading threat to the reserve as the population continues to grow. Tourism has increased exponentially. Less than 10 lodges were in the area in the late 1970s. The end of the moratorium saw facilities increase to 140 in 2008, and nearly 200 in 2016. The growth in population creates

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1440-539: The plains, making it hard to track them. Smaller carnivores that don't directly compete with the latter include African wolves , black-backed jackals , African striped weasels , caracals , servals , honey badgers , aardwolves , African wildcats , side-striped jackals , bat-eared foxes , Striped polecats , African civets , genets , several mongoose species, and African clawless otters . Antelopes can be found, including Grant's gazelles , impalas , duikers and Coke's hartebeests . The plains are also home to

1485-563: The predator impact and human activity on cheetah behavior and survival. The head of the Project, Elena Chelysheva, was working in 2001–2002 as Assistant Researcher at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Maasai-Mara Cheetah Conservation Project. At that time, she developed original method of cheetah identification based on visual analysis of the unique spot patterns on front limbs (from toes to shoulder) and hind limbs (from toes to

1530-550: The present day, in order to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural features and human-built structures. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the oldest known list of this type, documenting the most iconic and remarkable human-made creations of classical antiquity ; it was based on guidebooks popular among Hellenic sightseers and as such only includes works located around the Mediterranean rim and in

1575-485: The region. Concentrating on the northern conservancies where communities coexist with wildlife, the project aims to identify population trends and responses to changes in land management, human settlements, livestock movements and tourism. Since October 2012, the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project has worked in the Mara monitoring cheetah population, estimating population status and dynamics, and evaluating

1620-467: The reserve was given National Reserve status in 1974, and the remaining area of 159 km² was returned to local communities. An additional 162 km² were removed from the reserve in 1976, and the park was reduced to 1510 km² in 1984. The Maasai people make up a community that spans northern, central and southern Kenya and northern parts of Tanzania. The Maasai rely on their lands to sustain their cattle, as well as themselves and their families. Before

1665-419: The reserve where there are trees for them to escape to. East African cheetahs are also found in high numbers on the open savanna, hunting gazelle and wildebeest. African wild dogs are quite rare here due to the widespread transmission of diseases like canine distemper and the heavy competition they face with lions, who can often ravage their populations. Their packs also roam and travel far distances throughout

1710-413: The reserve's establishment, the Maasai were forced to move out of their native lands. Some of this was due to smallpox outbreaks among the people as well as rinderpest outbreaks among the cattle . Tradition continues to play a major role in the lives of modern-day Maasai people, who are known for their tall stature, patterned shukas and beadwork. In 2008, an estimated half a million individuals spoke

1755-415: The threatened birds that call this area home for at least part of the year. These include: vultures , marabou storks , secretary birds , hornbills , crowned cranes , ostriches , long-crested eagles , African pygmy-falcons and the lilac-breasted roller , which is the national bird of Kenya. The resident Martial eagle is endangered. As of 2023, Mara Conservancy manages the Mara Triangle on behalf of

1800-559: The tradition of the classical list, modern people and organisations have made their own lists of wonderful things, both ancient and modern, natural and artificial. Some of the most notable lists are presented below. In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers compiled a list of Seven Wonders of the Modern World, paying tribute to the "greatest civil engineering achievements of the 20th century". In November 2006,

1845-480: The traditional Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was not one of the winners announced in 2007 but was added as an honorary candidate. A similar contemporary effort to create a list of seven natural (as opposed to human-made) wonders chosen through a global poll, called the New 7 Wonders of Nature , was organized from 2007 to 2011 by the same group as the New 7 Wonders of the World campaign. New 7 Wonders Cities ,

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1890-541: The world, and there has been debate over how large such a list should be. One of many existing versions of this list was compiled by CNN in 1997: In 2001, an initiative was started by the Swiss corporation New7Wonders Foundation to choose the New 7 Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments through online votes. The Great Pyramid of Giza—part of the Giza Pyramids , the only remaining wonder of

1935-598: Was filmed in the Maasai Mara. The show followed the lives of the big cats living in the reserve. The show highlighted scenes from the Reserve's Musiara marsh area and the Leopard Gorge, the Fig Tree Ridge areas and the Mara River, separating the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara. In 2018, the Angama Foundation, a non-profit affiliated with Angama Mara, one of the Mara's luxury safari camps, launched

1980-482: Was severely depleted by poaching in the 1970s and early 1980s, dropping to a low of 15 individuals. Numbers have been slowly increasing, but the population was still only up to an estimated 23 in 1999. The Mara Conservancy, one of the managing bodies of the reserve, reported 120 black rhinos in 1971 and 18 in 1984. They claimed one black rhino in 2001 when they began management and a stable 25-30 in 2023. Hippopotamuses and Nile crocodiles are found in large groups in

2025-537: Was then subdivided, though some members received greater benefits than the majority of landowners. This weakened regulatory system threatens sustainable management of the Mara. The Maasai Mara is a major research centre for the spotted hyena. With two field offices in the Mara, the Michigan State University based Kay E. Holekamp Lab studies the behaviour and physiology of this predator, as well as doing comparison studies between large predators in

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