Here are five wildlife holidays that fit the bill. The Eselenkei Conservation Area is on Maasai tribal land in the shadow of snow-topped Kilimanjaro, a few miles north of Amboseli National Park. Unlike many safari areas in Kenya, the animals here are still very wild as the area is relatively unvisited. Tourist numbers are limited to eight a day to minimise the impact on the environment. Animals sighted within the Conservation Area include elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah and other cats, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, gerenuk, impala, oryx, lesser kudu, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, striped hyena, bat-eared fox, and ostrich.
Birds of prey are also prolific.
The range of animals is all the more amazing considering that the Maasai and wildlife have been at loggerheads in recent years. In 1984, the Maasai were evicted from their traditional lands in Amboseli to make way for conservation and safari tourism. The Maasai began killing animals thinking that it would stop the tourists coming and they would get their land back. The Maasai tribal lands have been set aside as a private reserve for wildlife and the Maasai are now receiving a rent for the lease of the land from the tour operator plus an entry fee for each tourist visitor. They also benefit from employment as game scouts, road builders and workers at the luxury safari lodges.