Thousands of tourists are flocking to the Maasai Mara for one of the greatest shows on earth. Millions of animals will risk life and limb in coming days - for the so-called Great Migration. And the Mara River plays a central role.

It is home to the most vicious crocodiles in East Africa - and a venue for what some call the Eighth Wonder of the World.

More than two million animals, wildebeest, zebra and gazelle among them, will cross the Mara in search of new grazing. And the tourists are camped out along the river, waiting.

"The Mara is a wonderful place to be and if it's your first safari, it's probably one of the best places to come," a tourist Derek Howes.

A spectacle for tourists, but for the animals, it's a life and death struggle.

"We have had lots of crossings, lots of croc kills and cheetahs, leopards, lions,” Derek Howes said.

The Mara forms in the Kenyan highlands, and drains into Lake Victoria in Tanzania. It's less than 400 kilometres long - tiny by some standards. But locals say its impact is massive - drawing the animals and the tourists.

"This River is the key to the annual wildebeest migration. When they cross and the river is full, that's when tourists enjoy it the most,” a resident said.

"When many tourists come to see the crossing, so many tourists come to see the Maasai villages. Many mobile camping sites are also along the Mara River. So many locals benefit from the camps,” a resident Ledama Moijoi said.

Locals, mostly the Maasai who are pastoralists, also depend on the river for their day to day lives.

The Mara River is literally the lifeline for the Maasai Mara national reserve. Without it, Kenya would not be home to the 8th wonder of the world.

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