Masai Mara National Reserve Management Plan 2009 – 2019 2nd Draft March 2009 I The Masai Mara National Reserve Management Plan 2009-19 has been financed and developed by the County Councils of Narok and Trans Mara through a participa- tory planning process involving a cross section of MMNR stakeholders. The African Wildlife Foundation provided co-financing and technical supervision for the planning process. The Mara Conservancy provided co-financing for the planning process. The Conservation Development Centre provided tech- nical assistance, facilitation and co-financing for the plan- ning process. Version: 9 March 2009 Approval page The County Council of Narok and the County Council of Trans Mara have approved the implementation of this management plan for the Masai Mara National Reserve, 2009 - 2019 On behalf of the COUNTY COUNCIL OF On behalf of the COUNTY COUNCIL OF NAROK TRANS MARA _____________________ _____________________ Mr. J. Malinda Mr E. Mun’gaya Clerk Clerk Date: Date: _____________________ _____________________ Cllr P. Ole Moriaso XXX Chairman Chairman Date: Date: SEEN AND APPROVED BY: On behalf of the MINISTRY OF LOCAL On behalf of the KENYA WILDLIFE SER- GOVERNMENT VICE _____________________ _____________________ Samuel Kirui Dr Julius Kipng’etich Permanent Secretary Director Date: Date: Acknowledgements This management plan is the outcome of a combined and concerted effort by the many stakeholders of the Masai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) – including the Reserve managers who care for the area, the local communities living around the Reserve who support and benefit from the Reserve, the tourism investors and operators that have made the Reserve one of the world’s finest wildlife visitor destinations, and the ecologists and scientists who have been at the forefront of efforts to enhance the understanding of the MMNR’s excep- tional biodiversity and habitats. The plan owners - the Narok and Trans Mara County Councils, the Core Planning Team, and the co-sponsors - the African Wildlife Foundation, the Mara Conservancy and the Con- servation Development Centre, would like to sincerely thank all those many people who have contributed to the development of this plan, both by investing many hours of their time in the various working group sessions and other stakeholder forums, as well as supporting the planning process in kind, by offering ac- commodation and meals to the planning teams as well as other contributions. The list of stakeholders who have participated in developing this plan is far too long to thank individually, but a full record of all those that have generously contributed their time to the process is given in Annex 3. Below we acknowledge some of the outstanding contributions that have been made by members of the Kenyan tourism industry under the umbrella of the Kenya Tourism Federation to make the planning proc- ess a resounding success. Core Planning Team member and support for Tourism Working Group Support for the Community Support for the Tourism Working Support for the Tourism Working Working Group Group Group Support for the field reconnaissance Support for the field reconnaissance Support for the field reconnaissance visit visit visit i Foreword by Hon. William Ole Ntimama, M.P., E.G.H Two years ago, in November 2006, the Great Migration of the Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem was recognized internationally as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, alongside other priceless world heritages such as the Polar Ice Caps and the Grand Canyon. For those who know the Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem well, and especially the Masai Mara National Reserve at the heart of the ecosystem, this accolade came as no sur- prise, because the Great Migration and the natural ecosystem that supports it is without doubt the most spec- tacular and breathtaking natural phenomenon on earth. How fortunate Kenyans and Tanzanians are to have this incomparable heritage on our doorstep! These days, we frequently see in the media worrying reports about vast tracts of the Amazon rain forest be- ing cleared for soya bean plantations, animal and plant species becoming extinct at an astonishing rate of more than 100 species every day, and all over the world, of devastating changes in river flows as a result of deforestation, climate change and water extraction for irrigation. Within this disturbing broader world pic- ture, the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem stands out like a bright beacon of hope. Much of this success story can be attributed to the traditional land-use practices of the Maasai people, who through their nomadic pastoral life- style, have always nurtured and respected their natural surroundings, and been tolerant of the wildlife that has shared their lives for hundreds of years. Indeed, through these traditional land-use practices, it seems the Masai understood sustainability long before the term was invented! It is largely because of these practices that we today can marvel at the wonders of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem and its Great Migration. Almost 50 years ago now, in June 1960, I had the honour to be a member of a delegation of Maasai commu- nity leaders to meet the British Governor of the then Kenya Colony, not long before our nation’s independ- ence. One of the items on the agenda of that meeting was the future management of wildlife in the Maasai lands. Our delegation made the case that the Maasai people have always preserved wildlife, and that we as a community would continue to do so in the future. But to be successful at this, we argued that the wildlife reserves should be under the control of the local community, and that nothing less than this would give the Maasai people the feeling that the wildlife in their care is a national asset, and of benefit to them. We further argued that the revenue generated by the wildlife reserves should accrue to the local councils, for use in community development projects such as schools and water supplies. A year later, the Masai Mara National Reserve was gazetted, under the control and management of the County Council of Narok. As a result of the significant management efforts that have been made over the subsequent 47 years by the Narok County Council, together with, from 1995, the Trans Mara County Council, we can be rightly proud of the conservation successes that have so far been achieved. Notably, the Great Migration continues to make its unrelenting annual migration, numbering in excess of 1.5 million wildebeest, 250,000 zebras, and a host of attendant carnivores. However, major threats are looming both inside and outside of the Reserve, which seriously threaten its long-term viability. Inside the Reserve, these threats include rapidly expanding visitor use and accommodation facilities, which are impacting on the natural environment and natural habi- tats and also on the quality of the tourism product that the Reserve offers. Outside the Reserve, changing and escalating land-use practices in the greater ecosystem and unregulated development of tourism lodges and camps are closing off wildlife dispersal areas and undermining water supplies that are crucial to the survival of the ecosystem’s habitats and biodiversity. If the Mara National Reserve is to survive another fifty years, we urgently need to develop a road map which will enable us all to confront the many challenges the Reserve now faces. It is for this reason that I especially welcome this new Masai Mara National Reserve Management Plan, the first management plan for the Reserve for more than twenty five years, and which is long overdue. Through a highly participatory process involving the local community, policy makers, the tourism industry, ecolo- gists, scientists, and Reserve managers, the plan sets out a stakeholder -agreed vision for the future of the Mara Reserve plus, in simple and unambiguous terms that all can understand, the means to achieve that vision. In ii line with the global significance of the Reserve and the greater Ecosystem, the plan sets out a highly ambi- tious agenda for the custodians of the area to achieve, one which will undoubtedly require an intensification of our efforts in the years ahead, as well as the introduction of new professional protected area management approaches drawn from best practice from other parts of the world. All these new directions and initiatives ultimately have two vital aims – to ensure the survival of this unique and priceless natural heritage of the Maasai community and of Kenya, and the continuing generation of optimal economic benefits from the Re- serve for all the people of the Narok and Trans Mara Districts in which the Reserve is located, as well as all Kenyans. The Mara Reserve and the greater Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem has had an illustrious and successful past of which we can be proud, but with the help of this new management plan, we are now embarking on a new future for the Reserve – one which is both in tune with the international significance of this natural spectacle, its economic importance to Kenya, as well as with the rapidly mounting threats to the area. To achieve this bright new future in the face of the difficult challenges confronting us will require both bold leadership and committed management. However, with the ownership of the Masai Mara National Reserve and all its world-famous natural treasures inevitably comes great responsibility. As is written in Genesis (9:2): “All the animals, birds, and fish will live in fear of you. They are all placed under your power.” The Masai community and its leaders must not now shirk from its responsibilities and historical vigilance in safeguarding and caring for the Mara ecosystem, as the heritage not just of the Masai community, nor even of the Kenyan nation, but of mankind. Minister of State for National Heritage & Culture Narok November 2008 iii Executive summary The Masai Mara National Reserve is today faced by unprecedented challenges.