African animal migration route blocked by tourists: hundreds crowd the shore, wildebeests startled and injured

It is once again the season for the great animal migration across the East African savannah, drawing crowds of tourists to Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve or Tanzania's Serengeti National Park to witness this natural wonder. Some visitors crowd onto the migration routes in an effort to capture the perfect photo, sparking concerns among wildlife reserve staff.

According to a report by Deutsche Presse-Agentur on the 2nd, a senior guide in the East African savannah recently released images showing tourists engaging in uncivilized behavior that disrupted the great animal migration, sparking widespread concern. The footage shows dozens of off-road vehicles parked along the banks of the Mara River between the Masai Mara National Reserve and the Serengeti National Park, with many tourists even getting out of their vehicles in violation of regulations to watch the animal migration.

The guide, named Nick Kler, stated that hundreds of people were crowded along the riverbank, blocking the migration paths of animals such as wildebeest. “The wildebeest repeatedly attempted to cross the river but were constantly interrupted.” Some wildebeest were startled and jumped from heights, sustaining injuries. Kler noted that injured wildebeest may die, “though nature is cruel, such deaths are not natural but result from human interference causing chaos.” .

Klerr specifically criticized several tour companies that allow or even encourage tourists' uncivilized behavior, urging people to boycott these companies.

The Tanzania National Parks Authority subsequently issued a statement confirming that tour vehicles violating wildlife viewing regulations had been identified, and that relevant guides would be disciplined.

The Masai Mara National Reserve and the Serengeti National Park are separated by the Mara River. From July to September each year is the dry season in Tanzania. To follow water sources and fresh grass, millions of animals, primarily wildebeest and zebras, migrate from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara. During their round trip, the animals must cross the Mara River, which is infested with crocodiles, twice, returning to the Serengeti in October.