The great migration of wildebeests from Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the Masai Mara Game Reserve is on.

And the spellbinding exodus has kicked off the annual tourist peak season in the game reserve.

An estimated 1.5 million gnus are expected to cross the crocodile-infested Mara River into Kenya as more than 160 hotels forecast high bed occupancy.

In 2006, the annual migration was named the Seventh Wonder of the world by an American TV station, ABC, which beamed the event live as the animals crossed the river from Serengeti National Park.

The Narok County Council estimates that about 500,000 tourists have visited the famous reserve in the last three years.

A check in most hotels at the weekend, indicated bookings would reduce in early October, when the wildebeests cross back to Serengeti to calve.

At this time of the year, there is high concentration of lions and other scavengers, which prey on the gnus.

More visitors

"The forecast is good and if all goes well, we will have many guests visiting the Mara this year compared to last year," said Council Clerk Joseph Malinda.

Last month, the council raised park entry fees from 40 to 60 dollars.

In the current financial year it projects to collect 95 per cent revenue from tourism activities, while five per cent will come from other sources including markets and agricultural activities.

The council also plans to increase bed occupancy in the hotels inside the park from 600 to 1,000 in line with Vision 2030.

Mr Malinda said from next month they would introduce an electronic payment system to check on corruption by some officers manning the gates.

"A big per cent of park entry fees are stolen and that is why we want to introduce a system that is tamper-proof," he said.

The system, he said, has worked well in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, adding that a management plan for the park was ready and hoped the council would adopt it at the full council meeting.

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