Mara North Conservancy is a beautiful private wilderness area of more than 29,170 Ha (~72,080 acres). It is a vital part of the Maasai Mara ecosystem as it forms the north-western zone, bordering the Maasai Mara National Reserve in the south of Kenya. MNC is a not-for-profit entity established in January 2009, The conservancy is a partnership between 12 Tourism Partner members (10 permanent camps & 2 riding outfits) & 783 Maasai Landowners. The aim is to create a best-practice, world-class conservancy with long-term commitments to the environment, wildlife, and local communities

Ol Choro Oirouwa Conservancy is among the first conservancies established in East Africa as a Wildlife Trust in 1991. In 1992, the late Willy Roberts advised Maasai elders that white rhinos could flourish in Ol Choro’s habitat: Hence, they borrowed two rhinos from Solio ranch. In 1993, there were 10 southern white rhinoceros in Ol Choro which were translocated from Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa, and the borrowed ones were retranslocated back to Solio ranch. Being a model conservancy, today, Ol Choro is the only conservancy in Mara protecting two southern white rhinos under the surveillance of rangers and Kenya Wildlife Service officers.

Enonkishu is situated on the northernmost point of the Greater Mara Ecosystem covering an area of 5,928 acres, two tourism partners, and 42 landowners. The main focus of the conservancy is livestock improvement through innovative cattle management programs, running alongside novel tourism projects. Indeed, the name Enonkishu – Maa for healthy cattle – was chosen by community elders as the description of the ideal livestock herd.

The habitat comprises wooded acacia savannah with open plains on flat plateaus, riverine acacia forest, and rocky, undulating hills which provide a varied habitat for browsing and grazing ungulates, as well as hideout thickets for the predators. The Mara River runs alongside the conservancy.

There is a large number of giraffes and resident buffalos that live close to the Olerai boundary along the Mara River. Elephants frequent the conservancy and there is a pride of lion that is based on the edge of Enonkishu and Ol Choro Oiroua. There are many hippos and crocodiles in the section of river that borders the conservancy and the riverine forests provide an area popular with leopards. Rare species such as Aardvark, Caracal, serval cat, and Aardwolf are occasionally found. Colobus monkeys have been spotted in the valleys on the Kileleoni Hill and there have also been sightings of wild dogs in the conservancy.

Lemek Conservancy was initially part of the Koiyaki Lemek Community Wildlife Trust established on September 15th, 1995. Later, Lemek members felt the need to break away from the Trust and formed Lemek Conservancy, registering it in 2009.

Covering 6,027 acres with 480 landowners, Lemek Conservancy is one of the high wildlife density areas with Great Plains offering pleasant scenery and the best wildlife viewing areas of the Maasai Mara ecosystem. It is home to big cats namely Lions, Leopards, and Cheetahs, and occasionally large herds of Elephants can be spotted. Others include Hippo, Warthog, Buffalo, several species of Antelope, and numerous bird species. The Conservancy comprises open savannah and a tree-lined section of the Mara River with high concentrations of plains game and the wildlife numbers are particularly intensified during the annual wildebeest migration.

Mara Naboisho Conservancy is more than 52,000 acres made up of land contributions from 636 landowners. Located adjacent to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Naboisho is home to the big cats – in impressive numbers – and herds of elephants, giraffe, and wildebeest. The density of lions within Naboisho is one of the highest in the world, with a population of more than 70 identified lions who use Naboisho as their home territory.

Rare species such as Aardvark, Caracal, Serval cat, Aardwolf, and Ratel are occasionally found. Naboisho is a bird watcher’s paradise with several bird species rarely seen elsewhere in the Mara such as White-Headed Buffalo-Weavers, Northern White-Crowned Shrike, Pigmy Falcon, Von Der Deckens Hornbills, and Bush Pipits. The conservancy strictly monitors the number of tourists who enter the area, reducing the number of vehicles and the human impact on the environment and wildlife.

Olare Motorogi Conservancy (a combination of Olare Orok and Motorogi conservancies) covers an approximate area of 33, 386 acres and is a strategic buffer zone for the Maasai Mara National Reserve and key wildlife migration corridors. Built upon a partnership with 288 landowners, Olare Motorogi management has worked with the local people who agreed to move their homes and only allow carefully managed cattle grazing, leaving the wildlife completely unimpeded.

The Conservancy offers pleasant and exclusive tours in a pristine environment, with a rich and diverse wildlife population of both predators and herbivores, including Mara’s famous big cats and many elephants. Rhinos and wild dogs have also been sighted, and it is becoming a very viable habitat for these two highly endangered species, given the right sort of protection through sensitive tourism development.

Established in 2016, Nashulai is a Maasai founded, directed, and run conservancy protecting a critical migratory corridor and wild elephant nursery. It covers 6,000 acres and has 71 landowners.

Founded in 2005, Ol Kinyei is a pioneering and award-winning conservancy in the Mara eco-system covering an area of 18, 641 acres. The conservancy is a partnership between 177 local private landowners and four tourism parties. Since the formation of the Conservancy, many indigenous species have returned to the land. The Conservancy is now home to a wide variety of wildlife including resident pride of lions, leopards, and numerous other animals as well as over 300 species of bird.

Olderkesi Conservancy is adjacent to the southeast corner of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, just north of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. The conservancy is managed by two trusts: Cottar’s Wildlife Conservancy Trust (CWCT) and Olderkesi Wildlife Community Trust (OCWCT). These two groups have worked closely together over the past 20 years to create a vital, truly sustainable conservancy management plan. Olderkesi Conservancy is owned by the Maasai, who are the OWCT, but it is rented by Cottar’s Wildlife Conservancy Trust

The Pardamat Conservation Area is premised on a mixed conservation model to ensure the survival of the greater Maasai Mara ecosystem and the generation of economic benefits for local communities. Through this model, the Pardamat community’s 850 landowners have legally registered their 26,000 hectares of land as a wildlife conservation area.
The Pardamat area is important to the well-being of the greater Mara ecosystem. It is adjacent to Naboisho, Olkinyei, Lemek, and Mara North conservancies and serves as a migration route from the Loita plains that connects the four established conservancies to the Mara Triangle and then to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Additionally, its hilly and forested terrain is cherished by elephants for browsing as well as open spaces, against rising threats, like unplanned development and settlements as well as fencing.

Siana Conservancy covers 10,000 acres and is a partnership between 1,517 landowners and 15 tourism camps.

Mbokishi Mara Conservation Area lies in North East of the Northern Mara Conservancies, adjacent to Enonkishu Conservancy. It was established in September 2021 and comprised of families who have been supportive of the conservancy system since the inception of the conservancy models. Its location provides vast potential for increasing the acreage of wildlife habitat by nearly 10,000. Mbokishi houses five different communities that have committed their land to the conservation of wildlife species. The habitat includes forested hillsides which provide valuable habitat to young elephants and numerous threatened raptor species. Although the charismatic predators often make their presence known through conflict incidents with livestock, Mbokishi began implementing mitigation strategies to enhance the coexistence and teach the story of how wildlife conservation can benefit sustainable human development as well as additional improvement to livelihoods as the quality of livestock improves.

The Olerai Conservancy – protecting land for wildlife and people With around 70% of wildlife in Africa living outside protected areas such as National Parks, the proactive formation of community conservancies continues to grow in importance as a way of giving wildlife more space to prosper. In 2017, 21 landowners from the Ndoinyo community on the border of the Massai Mara agreed to lease their parcels of land to form the 1,361 Ha Olerai Conservancy. Olerai is a Maasai name for the Yellow barked acacia Acacia xanthophloea which is a characteristic vegetation among the diverse indigenous trees and shrubs that are currently protected in the area. Additionally, the conservancy harbors horses for horse riding safaris.

Olarro North and South Conservancies together cover 24,500 acres and are a partnership between 2,200 landowners and 2 tourism camps.

Oloisukut Conservancy covers 23,000 acres and is a partnership between 65 landowners and 2 tourism camps.

Enarau Conservancy was formed in 2022 The Enarau Conservation Area was established in the Maasai Mara, Kenya to expand wildlife conservation areas, restore degraded farmland, and protect existing vegetation and critically threatened habitats. When managed appropriately, the conservation area has the potential to attract more wildlife and promote natural plant regeneration. The latest addition to Northern Mara Conservancies which includes Lemek, Ol Chorro, and Enonkishu; Covers 866 hectares (2140 acres); Contiguous to newly formed Mbokishi Conservancy; Further expansions of the conservancy are possible; Site for CERK (Center for Ecosystem Restoration-Kenya); A wildlife corridor to Mbokishi will be built connecting Enarau to the Maasai Mara, adding another 1,000 acres to the conservation, bringing the total to 3,140 acres. This includes a 336-acre plot of leased farmland that had been exclusively used for intensive agriculture for more than two decades.

Mount Suswa Conservancy was started in 2008 as Mount Suswa Conservation Trust. Suswa Conservancy is a trans county and covers both Narok in the south west and Kajiado to in eastern sides The board of trustees was derived from the eight cluster villages from within and outside the slopes of the mountain. The scenic caldera of the mountain and mout Suswa lava tube caves act as tourists attraction features in Suswa. There is also several wildlife in the area.

Nyekweri Kimintet Community Forest Conservation Trust was formed in 2004 and registered as a Community-Based Organization (CBO) by the Current chairman Mr.Peter Tompoy and later became registered as a trust in June 2021 and a company limited registered in March 2022. It currently comprises 18 Staffs supported by different organizations such as World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA), Indigenous Information Network (IIN) & Africa Foundation (AF). It is a mixed-model Conservancy where Wildlife coexists with People & Livestock. The Conservancy boasts of the rich Maasai rich Cultural traditions, Scenic Siria Plateau and currently discovered as a suitable habitat for the Giant Ground Pangolin only in Kenya.