Wildebeest Migration Halts Following Fire Sabotage

By Virginia Mwangi

Tourists, both local and international, are a disappointed lot after a mysterious fire, that has now lasted a week, blocked the wildebeests from migrating to the Mara.

Tanzania’s nationals living around the Serengeti National Park are accused of setting the area on fire to block wildebeests from crossing over into the Kenyan Mara.

A large area of the Serengeti reserve and along the Mara River is still on fire and has delayed the wildlife animals, also referred to as gnus, now grouped at the Mara River.

Kenyan tour operators, yesterday, accused Tanzanian rangers of sabotaging the migration of the wildebeests, which significantly attracts tourists, by lighting fires on the Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara Game Reserve border.

Wildebeests inhabit the Serengeti plains of southeastern Africa where they graze for most of their lives, in the Savannas and open woodlands, bordering Tanzania and Kenya. In a vast loop, more than 1.5 million wildebeest migrate every year.

The wild animals are known to migrate after the rainy season, around June or May, in search of greener pastures. The migration is recognized as one of the “Seven Wonders of the Natural World.”

The animals face a lot of danger in their quest for greener pastures as they have to cross rivers along the migration route where giant Nile crocodiles attack and kill especially the injured and young ones.

The Mara crossing is hence likely to extend to August and early October as it had earlier also faced a delay due to the rains.

Business is likely to be affected especially on the next migration of wildebeests in what seems as an economic sabotage by our Tanzanian neighbors. The relationship between the two countries is also likely to suffer if no amends are made.