Maasai people in the TransMara

"Once you kill a lion, all the girls are yours"

The Maasai are an ancient and proud warrior tribe of the Kenyan interior, who have scarecly changed their ways and dress over the centuries. 

Such was their fearsome reputation even the slave traders and European missionaries were deterred from trying to enslave or preach to them.

However, the Maasai, often fought, and still do fight, amongst each other and between their various tribes. And together with outbreaks of disease amongst their cattle - the Maasai are traditionally pastoralists - cholera and smallpox, their numbers fell in the 1800s.

Maasai land

Allthough the Maasai lost a great deal of land during colonialisation by the British (more on the history of Kenya), over 80%of the TransMara region is still under communal ownership.

There are often disputes over land between the tribes, and sometimes this can lead to fighting - indeed, one of Noah's Scouts lost his equipment, including his GPS (an instrument which provides geographical coordinates from satelites) in a dispute that ended with his house being set on fire.

Future of the Maasais

However, inter-marriage between non-Maasais and Maasais means certain traditions are declining and new ones arising - such as crop farming, and these new activities are bringing the Maasai into increasing conflict with the wildlife that they have co-existed with for centuries.

However, inter-marriage between non-Maasais and Maasais means certain traditions are declining and new ones arising - such as crop farming, and these new activities are bringing the Maasai into increasing conflict with the wildlife that they have co-existed with for centuries.

Allowed to kill wildlfe

As "owners" of the Masai Mara National Reserve, the Maasai are allowed to kill animals if they are attacked, and also to hunt lions as part of their tradition from transforming a youth into becoming a Warrior (or Marran).

In fact, as this profile was being researched a group of young Maasai laid claim to having killed 20 lions in the previous weeks, as they prepared to become Marrans They also told the researchers that "Once you kill a lion, all the girls are yours." And at which point, as if to prove they were not yet warriors, broke into teenage giggles.

A maasai can have several wives if he can provide what is called the "bride price". What this basically means is the more cows a Maasai owns, the more wives he is allowed.

Benefits from tourism?

Considering their proximity to the world famous Masai Mara reserve, many Maasais do not benefit even indirectly from the influx of affluent tourists. This despite the fact that all tourist lodges in and around the Masai Mara Reserve must pay a fee to the local councils for each tourist that stays with them.

For this reason, and encouraged by Noah, the Maasai want to set up their own tourist lodge outside the reserve, so they can benefit more directly from the spectacular array of wildlife that abounds around them.