At the northernmost point of the Serengeti, past the Tanzania-Kenya border, lies an extension of the Serengeti ecosystem called the Maasai Mara. Compared with the massive Serengeti National Park, the Maasai Mara is a relatively small region, dominated by sweeping plains of red-oat grass and adorned with umbrella acacia trees that are scattered over the landscape like polka-dots. In fact, the word “Mara” means “spotted, and it accurately describes the varied patchwork of bushes and trees that interrupt the openness of the plains. Situated on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, the landscape is bisected by the Mara River, its gallery forests and its snake like tributaries. The sun rises daily over the densely foliaged Ngama Hills to the east, painting the landscape with gilded hues until at the end of the day it eventually sets over the wall-like Oloololol (or Siria) Escarpment to the west. The northern boundary is defined by the Loita Plains and the Aitong Hills, while again the southern-most boundary is delineated by none-other than the vast Serengeti National Park of Tanzania. The Maasai Mara served as the location for some famous scenes in the classic movie “Out of Africa”, and more recently has also been the shot location for the famous BBC series “Big Cat Diary.” There are four distinct topographical classifications for the various types of habitats that form the Maasai Mara ecosystem: the Ngama Hills to the east of Keekorok, the Central Plains between the Mara River and the Ngama Hills, the wall-like Oloololo Escarpment which forms the western border, and the Mara Triangle between the Mara River and the Oloololo Escarpment. Factors such as soil type, rainfall, drainage, and the incidence of fire all influence the type of vegetation that is able to grow in each area. For example, the Mara Triangle and the Oloololo Escarpment receive the highest amount of rainfall and should be able to support dense bush and woodlands. However, due to the relatively high incidence of fire on the slopes, only thickets survive here in gullies that are shielded from such threats. The Mara Triangle is mainly comprised of “black cotton soil” – a clay-type of earth that drains poorly. Lush grasslands grow here, supported a myriad of herbivores including the great wildebeest and zebra herds that travel here during the heart of the dry season. Rocky outcrops called inselbergs ascend out of the sea of grasslands in the Mara Triangle, providing vantage points for predators like cheetah. The Ngama Hills contain porous, sandy soils that support dense bushland and shrubbery. At the base of these hills are a few permanent springs. The gently undulating Central Plains have lost much of their bushland due to the influence of both fire and elephant, although there are still scattered areas of bushlands that thrive in drainage lines or at the top of low hills. There are many large predators in the Maasai Mara – including the lion, leopard, cheetah, and spotted hyena. Lions are the kings here, with paired coalitions of male lions usually patrolling a territory that includes one to three prides of female lionesses. Cheetahs hunt by daylight, usually catching their prey after a slow stalk and high speed chase. Cheetahs are usually silent creatures, with the exception of occasionally loud purring and the chirp-like call a mother cheetah uses to communicate with her cubs. Leopards stalk their prey in the shadows, usually at night, and these big cats primarily inhabit the woodlands, riverine forest or rocky outcrops of the Mara ecosystem. Leopards are the most elusive of the big cats – even when located they are hard to see due to their excellent camouflage. Hyena live in the Mara as well, hunting most of their own food around dusk or dawn. Hyenas live in clans, which are dominated by the females and led by one alpha female. Smaller predators include the black-backed jackal and the endearing bat-eared fox. Various resident herbivores that reside in the Maasai Mara include Topi and Hartebeest, which are closely related and similar in appearance. Elephant, eland, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles are often seen out in the plains and bushland areas, as they are both browsers and grazers. Impala wade through the grasses and shrubbery, always alert for predators that might be stalking nearby. Large herds of Cape buffalo can be spotted teeming throughout the grasslands; Cape buffalo feed exclusively on grass so they are most often seen on the plains or wallowing in water holes to keep cool. Black Rhinos, one of the most treasured animals in East Africa due to their rarity, can be seen in the Masai Mara. Black Rhinos are browsers and prefer to hang out in thickets or broken plains that include both shrubs to eat and water for drinking and wallowing. Warthog can be seen grazing on their knees with a tusked “smile” while dainty little dik-diks scurry between thickets. The rivers of the Maasai Mara are the life-blood for much of the surrounding wildlife community. Life teems in the rivers themselves – prehistoric looking creatures such as crocodiles and hippos make their home in these waters. The dense riverine forests on either side of the rivers are also home to herbivores such as bushbuck and red duiker, and the shaggy waterbuck is never found far from the water. Giraffe spend much of their time in the trees, browsing the canopy above, although they also spend time in broken grasslands or bushland communities. Primates that live here include olive baboon, vervet monkey, blue monkey, and red tailed monkey. Nocturnal bush babies also make this area their home, although they can only be seen in the wee hours of the early morning. Early morning or late afternoon is also the best time to witness the large variety of birds that live here such as green pigeons and the green wood hoopoe. If you listen closely, you may hear the haunting cry of the African fish eagle soaring above the treetops. Although there are several resident animals that call this place their home year round, the Maasai Mara really comes into its own in the middle of the dry season (July to October) as a section of the wildebeest and zebra herds of the Great Migration move into the northern regions of Tanzania, with some of them spilling over into this region of Kenya. An especially famous spectacle is the wildebeest-zebra Mara River Crossing. The great Mara River is a mandatory obstacle that the wildebeest and zebra must overcome to reach the lush un-grazed pastures on the other side. There are some places along the Mara where the banks are very steep and rise several feet above the river itself, while crocodiles lurk in the dark waters below. In a scene of ultimate mayhem, the wildebeest plunge their bodies over the sheer banks and into the swirling waters below in a desperate attempt to reach the other side. Many will survive the chaos and will scramble to safety on the opposite shore; however, many will not. Hundreds will drown in the rushing waters, will be eaten by crocodiles, or will be crushed to death in the stampede. It is a dramatic scene that embodies the raw, harsh realities of the wild, but it is a scene that you won’t soon forget. Nobody knows exactly what day or time the wildebeest will choose to cross the river, making it very difficult to time a trip around this spectacle, and also making those who actually see the crossing very lucky indeed! Regardless of whether or not you see the Mara River crossing, the teeming herds of wildebeest and zebra – telegraphed by great clouds of thunder and dust - will undoubtedly be the highlight of your trip to the Northern Serengeti and the Maasai Mara in the dry season.