Wildebeest migration starts one month early
Wildebeest arrive to cross a river in the Masai Mara National Reserve in 2015. PHOTO | CARL DE SOUZA | AFP
What you need to know:
The first batch of more than 10,000 animals crossed the Sand River Gate point on Tuesday evening.
The crossing marks this year’s largest migration, involving over two million animals in search of greener pastures in Kenya.
The annual spectacular wildebeest migration between Serengeti National Park and Maasai Mara Game Reserve has started.
The first batch of more than 10,000 animals crossed the Sand River Gate point on Tuesday evening.
The crossing marks this year’s largest migration, involving over two million animals in search of greener pastures in Kenya.
The natural happening has started almost a month earlier than expected.
Mr Nicholas Murero, a coordinator of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, said the early migration is unusual and is likely to have a positive effect on tourism in Kenya as it will give tourists a chance to visit the region before the August 8 General Election.
“We have never experienced this before but it’s a blessing in disguise for the country as uncertainty over the elections might discourage visitors,” said Mr Murero.
He said lack of pasture in Tanzania, due to drought, was probably the reason they had made the journey northwards early.
The sight of wildebeests crossing the crocodile-infested River Mara has been described as the seventh new wonder of the world.
Sarova Mara Camp tour driver-cum-guide Daniel ole Soit said the migration of the Oxlike African antelope with a drooping mane and beard, with a long tufted tail and curved horns, marks an early start of the tourist peak season.
According to Mr Soit, who has been in the industry for the past 16 years, past migrations have been between July and October, the main tourism season when visitors flock in to watch the dramatic river crossings.
The wildebeests meander between the western and eastern sides of the river, crossing it at different points almost daily but he wondered of the ecological happening that they came much earlier this year.
It has caught tourism stakeholders by surprise, with curio dealers in Narok town anticipating good returns. Some of the dealers who closed their businesses in the low season from January, indicate that they will reopen.
Hoteliers say they have started receiving bookings.
