“The experience is becoming more akin to a circus”
OPINION
Safari is the very essence of adventure – a trek through the wilderness in search of large, charismatic animals. Yet in some places, such as Kenya’s Maasai Mara, the experience is becoming more akin to a circus.
The habituation of wild creatures to safari vehicles, which largely mask the humans inside, has allowed us the enormous privilege of experiencing close-up views of iconic creatures such as lions and rhinos, and of witnessing one of the last great land mammal migrations on Earth. That some guides and visitors are taking advantage of this privilege is a travesty. Wild creatures have learned over the eons that humans mean danger; seeing ‘man the hunter’ on foot, their instinct is to run. We have led them to believe that they can trust the presence of vehicles, and we betray that trust every time we harass a lioness with cubs or a leopard trying to hunt.
The advent of wildlife tourism has been a mixed blessing, generating much-needed income that supports protected areas and local communities. Yet striking the right balance is not easy, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Mara, where over-development of tourist facilities has resulted in utter chaos. Too often, our tourism industry has been willing to sacrifice the environment for a quick buck, even though this defies good business sense in today’s world of climate crisis and biodiversity loss.
In 1977, Tanzania closed its border with Kenya, perceiving its neighbour as a ‘predator’ on its tourism industry. They were right. They also pointed out that, while Tanzania had a Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism, Kenya had a Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. In other words, Kenya prioritised economic returns over the environment. They were right again.
The circus is not just in Kenya. In India, a tiger sighting can rapidly degenerate into a scrum of vehicles blocking the cat’s path. In response, a group of conservationists have written a book called Stop! Don’t Shoot Like That. In a similar vein, working with Narok County’s ‘One Mara’ initiative, which safeguards local people and wildlife while developing attractive tourism products, we are recommending a ‘Safari Etiquette’ that aims for new standards of excellence. The intention is for guides and visitors to prioritise wildlife with
