Rules and Regulations in Maasai Mara National Reserve

Rules and regulations in Maasai Mara National Reserve are the various guidelines that travellers visiting the park on a Kenya wildlife safari should follow so as to safeguard the park and also conserve the wildlife therein for later generations. Maasai Mar National Reserve is a highly popular tourist destination in Kenya and Africa as a whole, for the reserve inhabits one of the most concentrated wild game concentrations in the world, all in one place. Maasai Mara National Reserve is an open savannah grassland with open fields, hills and lavish vegetation cover and breath taking landscape.

With the breath taking beauty in Maasai Mara National Reserve, thousands of travellers do book to visit the park to enjoy its magnificence including watching the world spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration, and spectacular game drives. To regulate and conserve the wilderness of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, there are rules and regulations in Maasai Mara National Reserve that were put up for travellers to follow. The rules and regulations in Maasai Mara National Reserve were put up by the Narok Council together with the Trans-Mara council with the main objective of conserving the Maasai Mara National Reserve for future generations. The rules and regulations in Maasai Mara National Reserve are clearly written at the entrance gates on notice boards that all guests accessing the reserve can see upon entry. Below are some of the rules and regulations in Maasai Mara National Reserve;

Driver-guides are not allowed to drive off track. Only use the demarcated tracks in the Maasai Mara National Reserve during game drives in the reserve, so as to preserve the nature and wildlife in the reserve.
Do not make noise, neither by humans or even cars say by hooting, or banging on the sides of the safari vehicle. Be silent at all times, and only talk in hushed tones during game drives. This allows the wildlife to enjoy their right to peaceful nature even with guests around.

Switch off your phone, or put it in silent mode while in the park. Also switch off the radio while in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Loud ringtones and music scares away the animals in the reserve, stress them out that they can even charge at you.

Maintain a speed limit of 50km/hour while on game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve. This speed limit is to prevent accidents in the reserve as drivers could knock dead wildlife, which is being protected. Animals do cross the roads at any time, given they have no boundaries in their home, it is upon us the guests to drive carefully and not disrupt their livelihood.
Do not at any time get off your safari vehicle while on a game drive in Maasai Mara National Reserve, unless it is a designated park area. Walking safaris are done strictly under the escort of a park ranger who is armed with a gun. Do not go for a stroll in the park unless under strict protection, you are in the wilderness.
Always maintain a 100m distance away from the wildlife in Maasai Mara National Reserve. Do not attempt to get close to the wild animals, unless they do themselves. To get a better view of the wildlife, please make use of your pair of binoculars and do not ask your guide to break the rules for he shall be fined or even be banned from the reserve.

Feeding the wildlife in Maasai Mara National Reserve is completely prohibited and has a penalty of being chased from the park should you be found doing so. Keep your foods and drinks to yourself.
Respect the animals in Maasai Mara National Reserve, by not goading them into action by calling, clapping hands, banging on your side of the vehicle to attract their attention.

Do not pick or collect any specimen with you from the park say bones, feathers, plants, stones, flowers and the like. Leave the park as you found it, and go out of it the way you came.
Do not litter in the reserve. Keep with you all your rubbish, including food wraps and take it with you back to the park headquarters or offices and dispose of it properly. Most safari vehicles have well-kept dustbins inside the vehicle, kindly make use of them.
Do not smoke inside Maasai Mara National Reserve. Smoking must be done in the designated areas and camps, not in public, and endeavour to properly extinguish your cigarette thereafter.

Pay for your park entrance fee, no one accesses the Maasai Mara National Reserve without paying for park entrance fees.

All travellers who do visit Maasai Mara National Reserve with Kenya wildlife safaris should keep in mind that there are rules and regulations in Maasai Mara National Reserve that they should follow, failure of which they do attract penalties upon themselves, penalties that involve a monetary value or expulsion from the reserve. Off-track driving attracts a penalty of 10,000 Kenya shillings, possession of an invalid park ticket attracts a fine of 3,000ksh per person, littering inside the reserve attracts a fine of 500ksh, and default in paying park entrance fee attracts a fine of 2000ksh while noise and car hooting and animal harassment attract a fine of 10,000ksh. All the fines and penalties are paid for before leaving the Maasai Mara National Reserve, make sure to get a penalty payment receipt to be allowed to leave the reserve. Failure to pay the fines and penalties attract expulsion and indefinite ban from the reserve. Remember to always follow all the rules and regulations in Maasai Mara National Reserve for a sustainable Kenya wildlife safari encounter in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.