Maasai Mara National Reserve is one of the largest game reserves in Kenya, widely considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve (also known as Masai Mara and by the locals as The Mara). Maasai Mara National Reserve stretches 1,510 square kilometers (580 square miles) and raises 1,500-2,170 meters (4920-7120 feet) above sea level. Contiguous with the plains of the Serengeti, the Mara is home to a breathtaking array of life. The Mara Game Reserve is known all over the world for a wide range of wild animals such as the " big five " (lion, leopard, African elephant, cape buffalo, and black rhinoceros) and other popular species like zebra, giraffe, hyena, cheetah, wildebeest, eland and Thomson's gazelle. It is named in honor of the Maasai people (the ancestral inhabitants of the area) and their description of the area when looked at from afar: "Mara" means "spotted" in the local Maasai language of Maa, due to the many trees which dot the landscape. The reserve is managed by The County Goverment of Narok and the local Maasai community has been involved in the conservation efforts to contain poaching and other illegal activities.