The Wildlife
of the Mara Triangle
The Mara Triangle
51000 hectares of pure African wilderness.
Located in the south and west of the Masai Mara National Park, The Mara Triangle forms a beautiful wedge of wild and untamed Africa, between the Oloololo Escarpment, The Mara River, and the international boundary between Kenya and Tanzania.
Here the plains and the wildlife seem like they could go on forever. The escarpment, though always on the horizon, feels worlds away, and the wildlife will change the way you view the natural world forever.
Guests at Enkishui Safari Camp have a spectacular opportunity to get up close and personal with many of Africa's most awe-inspiring species from uncountable herds of plains game to the largest of the big cats, while spotting an incredible range of birds, reptiles, and other mammals.
The Great Migration
The Greatest Show on Earth.
The event on every nature lover’s bucket list.
Each year, millions of animals, including Zebra, Wildebeest, Topi, Eland, and Gazelle make their way around the Mara-Serengeti system: a journey with no beginning, no ending; a journey of incredible persistence and stamina; a journey of survival.
The stars of the show are the wildebeest, more than your imagination could ever conjure, with estimates well into the hundreds of thousands partaking in the annual trek. During the Great Migration, Enkishui Safari Camp guests play witness to the drama of one of nature's most impressive displays. From predators hunting en masse to the indescribable joy of newly born wildebeest bounding across the plains, the sheer proliferation of life in this place rightfully takes your breath away.
The wildlife of the Mara Triangle truly know no bounds.
JULY
From mid to late July the bulk of the herds begin to move into the northern Serengeti (Tanzania). Many of them will now face the easy task of crossing the mostly dry Sand River as they cross into the Masai Mara. From here they will move north and west, where they will encounter the Mara River. It is at this point that some of the most dramatic river crossings can occur.
AUGUST
Throughout August, the potential for incredible river crossings remains strong. However, what quickly becomes apparent for most safari goers at this time of year, is just how magical it is to be in the presence of millions of animals as they decide when to cross. As the plains abound with life, you quickly realise that river crossings are not the only life changing experiences during the Great Migration and that the wildlife all around you is the truly magical.
SEPTEMBER
By September most of the wildebeest and zebra will have made their journeys across the Sand and Mara Rivers and are now solidly within the Masai Mara and Mara Triangle. However, nature doesn’t follow our calendar, and it is still quite possible to see river crossings this month. But where September shines is in the sheer proliferation of animals, stretching as far as the eye can see across the plains. Whatever your expectations are, they will fall short of reality, as you are awed by what nature can produce.
Mother Nature is in charge
There is no way to guarantee a river crossing or a hunt or anything else out here in the wild. The unpredictability is what makes sightings and the wildlife so special. What we can guarantee is that our guides and our team have untold years of experience in reading both the landscape and the behaviour of the animals that live there. They know how to position you to have the best view of the action and have an excellent track record of predicting when action could occur. At the end of the day, nature calls the shots. We can advise you of the best times of year to visit depending on what you hope to see, but we can’t promise that the animals will cooperate.
What we do know is that our Enkishui Safari Camp is located in the very best position in the entire Masai Mara and Mara Triangle. Some of the largest and most prominent river crossing points are mere moments from camp, so staying with us gives you the best change to witness the “magic” the Mara has to offer.
The location of the major Great Migration Crossing Points in relation to the position of Enkishui Safari Camp
About the best time of year to visit Enkishui Safari Camp, for you.
The Predators
Powerful. Elusive. Inspiring
At Enkishui Safari Camp, we are incredibly fortunate to be located in the midst of a huge population of large (and small) predators. We can assure you that, at any given time, they’re close by because they often wander right into camp.
No one can make guarantees out here, but while on safari in this sector of the Mara Triangle, you can expect to see lions just about every day! The closest pride, the Purungat pride is large and often sighted within minutes of the camp. It's often this pride and its current group of males the "Inselbergs" that are seen stalking the riverbanks and making kills when the migration enters the Mara Triangle. Outside of the Migration period, these cats still offer incredible daily sightings.
There are also consistent sightings of a number of leopards in the area and on rarer occasion, cheetah. Our guides have the experience to know when a sighting is winding down or just getting started and will often times leave other trucks at a sleeping group of lions only to successfully find an active cheetah (or three).
