Tourists flock to Mara for wildebeest wonder

PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH Tourists gather at Look-Out Point to witness the wildebeest migration at the Mara River on July 16, 2013.

What you need to know:

  • Managers of hotels and lodges at the reserve say this year’s event has attracted more visitors compared to last year

Hundreds of tourists have started streaming into the Maasai Mara game reserve to witness the annual wildebeest migration.

Managers of hotels at the reserve said they were struggling to accommodate all the tourists as this year’s event had attracted more visitors compared to last year.

“Managers of lodges and tented camps are being forced to seek accommodation outside the park for the visitors who are coming in large numbers,” Mr James Sindiyo, the chief warden at the reserve, told Nation.

He said many tourists kept off the spectacle last year for fear of terrorists attacks experienced in parts of the country as well as the election campaigns.

The wildebeest migration, is one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, which attracts tourists from all over the world who come to watch the animals migrate from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to Maasai Mara game reserve for greener pastures.

During migration, the animals cross the Mara River in Kenya where crocodiles prey on them. Other predators also prey on the animals as they enjoy grazing on grass at the expansive Mara plains.