May 2006 will become a landmark date for conservation in the Masai Mara with the formation of Olare Orok Conservancy. Ron Beaton, Jake Grieves-Cook, Kipeen Ole Sayialel, Justice Moijo Ole Keiuwa and David Rakwa brokered a deal with the Masai land-owners bordering the Masai Mara Game Reserve, that has become the template for the Mara community wildlife conservancies.

The Masai Mara Game Reserve is a 370,000 acre area bordered by community lands to the north, west and east, and by Serengeti National Park to the south. These community lands have largely been sub-divided into 150 acre parcels, and were being operated under a variety of unsustainable land uses, as well as poorly managed livestock agriculture and wildlife tourism. These wildlife areas provide traversing rights to numerous safari camps and lodges, located within their boundaries. The method of payment in the past was a bed night fee paid by safari operators to the Masai. The challenge however, was the sustainability of such an arrangement both from the stand point of socio-economics, and the environment.

Development was not controlled and management haphazard. Olare Orok Conservancy is an intriguing new conservation concept on land-use. Just three years old it has set what is to become the blue-print for sustainability of the greater Masai Mara eco-system. Prior to 2006 the Olare Oroks 30,000 acres of prime grasslands, riverine forests and Acacia woodlands were populated by rural homesteads and grazed in an uncontrolled manner by large herds of cattle, sheep and goats. The eco-system was over-grazed and sustainability of the habitat for both people and wildlife being destroyed. After many workshops with the local Masai it was agreed that a new community conservation vision should be tried. To address sustainability of their land and to add value in both income and conserving vegetation, so that a combination of wildlife tourism and sustainable rotational grazing would create a win-win situation for both the Masai landowners and the wildlife of the Masai Mara eco-system.

Moving from a bed night system of payment, to a monthly rental system, has given the Masai landowners a reliable steady income. The Olare Orok Conservancy rented land initially through an 18 month MOU followed by a 5 year lease, now to be converted to a 15 year lease. The MOU initially was a confidence building exercise whereby all parties could opt out, however the success of a steady monthly income throughout the year regardless of how few guests had visited the area, in exchange for a sustainable rotational grazing policy, strictly adhered to by management, has developed a sound, reliable relationship between all parties. The management is operated through a board consisting of representation from the landowners, tourism partners and also in conjunction with donors who were instrumental in supporting the conservancy.

The Management company, together with facilitators and elders, brokered the removal of homesteads, and the reduction in domestic livestock herd sizes within core conservation areas, particularly duirinal refuge areas for predators were left completely free of domestic livestock. The Conservancy has once again become a haven for big cats, and part of the annual wildebeast migration route. The conservancy now offers some of East Africas finest, year-round wildlife viewing. The Olare Orok Conservancy has a maximum of 72 beds in four mobile tented camps giving guests a genuine safari experience, away from the crowded experience within the Masai Mara Game Reserve itself. A ban on the use of mini-buses gives guests an exclusive and wild experience with Bush walks and night game drives; activities not possible in the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The area boasts the highest number of large mammals per square kilometre in Africa. Over 50 different species of raptors have also been identified within the conservancy.

Through the Olare Orok Conservation Trust, additional income earning ventures, compatible with wildlife tourism are being experimented with. Hay is harvested at the end of the long rains (May/June) and stored outside the Conservancy for community use during the dry months of September and October. In turn the short grass areas left behind after the hay harvest provide prime grazing for herbivores particularly during the annual migration (July-September).

The Olare Orok Trust also works with adjoining womens groups to produce cow dung/hay brickets for future use in the Camps. These brickets will also become a great source of fuel instead of charcoal and wood.

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History of community conservancies in the Masai Mara ecosystem

Prior to the 1990s, community areas were operated as group ranches, covering vast areas, some in excess of 200,000 acres each. These areas were grazed in a sustainable way up until the middle 1980s. Thereafter, with better human health care and the access to drugs to control tick borne diseases, and tsetse fly, cattle and sheep population, as well as the masai people increased immensely. Education has helped somewhat, with human populations now starting to urbanise but cattle numbers have increased dramatically to unsustainable levels.

In 2002 land sub-division for registered group ranch members took place with approximately 150 acres allocated to each member. These small units were not viable economic units. By forming conservancies made up of many these 150 acre parcels seemed to be the best form of land use. Payment of rent pro rata per acre owned is a fair way of distributing income to the landowners. In the past the group ranch system was flawed with a few of the leaders sharing the spoils whilst the majority were excluded from the income earned from wildlife tourism.

The first conservancy to be formed in 1990 operated as a Trust, The Koiyaki Lemek Wildlife Trust collapsed through mismanagement. Olchorro Orogwa had more success but was only 18000 acres. After many more initiatives through Campfire, Community, Wildlife Tourism reached an impasse. The formation of Olare Orok and Ol Kinyei conservancies were the turning point for community conservation in the Masai Mara.

These conservancies have been followed by Nabosho and Mara North Conservancy both of which are in different stages of development.