Located in Kenya, Maasai Mara

Wildlife Species at Masai Mara National Reserve

As the only organisation with a focus on covering the entire African sub-Saharan continent with its travel routes and partner destinations, Open Africa is committed to using its website to improve awareness (and thereby promote conservation) by mapping the incidence of conserved African wildlife across the continent. The following flagship species occur at Masai Mara National Reserve.

Wildlife Conservation & Social Upliftment

Wildlife Conservation Trust

Acting in partnership with the local Esoit community of some 3000 individuals, we are in the initial stages of establishing a trust that will develop an eco-friendly land use plan and result in improvements in key quality of life areas like education, health, and general developmental needs. Cottar’s has operated the Wildlife Conservation Trust for 6 years with the purpose of channeling donations to community projects for school construction, teacher salariesand accommodation, bursaries, ambulance runs, medicines, access to water, and wildlife damage consolation payments (when wildlife destroys community property, or kill livestock, consolation payments are paid to make up for the loss of revenue). Assistance in survey and legal costs has also been provided to help the community members acquire ownership of the Olderikesi Group Ranch.

Sustaining Livelihoods

Revenue for land rent and game viewing fees goes directly to the Maasai landowners. Calvin Cottar’s vision of the future is to offer the Maasai landowners of Olderikesi a lease agreement for 25,000 acres of their ranch at payment rates equitable to competing land uses such as agriculture or monoculture domestic stock (cattle etc). This would allow the stocking rates and areas of overgrazing to be controlled.

Face Africa

Face Africa is a joint initiative between Cottar’s 1920s Camp and a group of 25 women from the Esoit area. The venture helps the women develop products for sale in a manner which is consistent, non-exploitative and financially viable.

Other Initiatives

• Cottar’s provide medicine for two local clinics and organise AMREF to airlift medical emergencies. Currently we are collecting funds to support a mobile clinic. 
• The camp also operates a Very High Frequency (VHF) station and 5 radios for community scouts to communicate any ambulance and medical needs, security issues and wildlife poaching warnings.
• Cottar’s helped to implement the Maasai Mara Management plan 2010 – 2020, and was the leader in a successful bid to stop a major lodge development in the Mara National Reserve that would permanently have damaged the last wilderness area in the Reserve.
• Cottar’s supports a Forest Protection Program.