Masai Mara game reserve is located in Narok county in Kenya, it’s one of the most visited conservation areas in Africa providing excellent wildlife viewing opportunities and famous for the great wildebeest migration which is one of the world’s natural wonders and it also provides an habitat for Grants gazelle populations.
The gazelles live in groups known as harem which males defend and protect during the mating seasons and herd any females that cross their territory, female home ranges sometimes overlap male home ranges
Grants gazelle in Masai Mara
Grants gazelle also known in Kiswahili as swala granti is a species of gazelle endemic to some parts of Africa. The name Grant was derived from a British explorer who was called James Grant.
In Masai Mara Grants gazelles live on short grasslands and adapt to dry areas just like Thompson’s gazelles. During the drier months when the fresh grass is scarce, they graze on woody leaf plants to supplement the scarcity of water and fresh grass. The Grants gazelle in Masai Mara don’t join the great wildebeest migration like Thompsons gazelle but sometimes migrate within areas of Masai Mara and don’t move for long distances.
Major threats to Grants gazelle in most are is habitat loss and poaching though numbers in Masai Mara are being conserved and protected with the hope of populations increasing in the future. In 2015 there were about 140,000 to 350000 gazelles left in the world.
Masai Mara also provides good overall wild life watching adventuress where visitors can see several animals including. The big five during game drives or balloon safaris at the reserve. Some of the examples of animals found in Masai Mara include; African bush elephant, cape buffalos. Rhinos, lions, leopards, wildebeests, zebras, cheetahs, warthogs, bush buck, reedbucks. Hyenas, African wild dogs, bat eared fox, aardwolves, black backed jackals, impalas. Duikers, Masai giraffe, roan antelopes, hartebeests and many others.
Dominant male gazelles very strongly guard female gazelles during estrus period by preventing other males from accessing the female. Female gazelles reach sexual maturity at 18 months and gestation period is 198 days after conceiving. When the young ones are born, the mothers hide and protect them for some days. Usually eats afterbirth fluids to destroy the scent. Females nurse their young up to 4 times in a day and they are weaned at 6 months. In Masai Mara Grant gazelles usually produce around January and February.
