Narok County introduces stricter regulations for tourists as wildebeest migration starts

Wildebeest migration. [File, Standard]

Narok County will continue to enforce a wildlife-first policy and safety regulations for visitors who tour the Masai National Game Reserve to see the spectacular wildebeest migration.

On Wednesday, the first crossing of over 300,000 wildebeests dived into Sand River waters at the border of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Mara, signifying the beginning of the peak season.

The spectacle was witnessed by hordes of tourists, international photographers, tour drivers and guides.

Yesterday, the park management warned tourists, drivers, and guides to observe set rules and regulations.

They risk a Sh20,000 instant fine and banning of their vehicles from accessing the park for one year.

Chief Park Warden Stephen Minis said there are over 300 Police Reservists deployed in the park.

The officers are stationed at all the wildebeest crossing points to ensure that there is no crowding of tour vans at the banks of the river that block the animal route.

"The county government led by Governor Patrick ole Ntutu has put the Masai Mara management plan in place, and this is the second migration it is in force, and drivers found off-road driving or found harassing animals will be fined according to set down rules and regulations," said Minis.

Other key issues highlighted in the management plan, said Minis, are the zonation and visitor use scheme aimed at managing and regulating visitor use and impacts in the different zones at the National Reserve.

The zonation scheme has established four categories of zonal area, which are high-use zone, low-use zone, Mara River Ecological zone and MMNR buffer zone.

"The high-use zones will be the focus of management efforts to enhance the reserve's tourism product and provide a high quality, proactively managed, wildlife viewing experience for visitors."

"The Mara River ecological zone, which has high tourism pressure because they are the rhino breeding areas and wildebeest crossing points, will have special management prescriptions and actions to protect the zone, and all tour guides must be sure they observe the rules when taking tourists to this zone," he added.

Matira camp co-founder and renowned wildlife photographer and guide Antony Ole Tira, who was among the first to witness the crossing, said millions more wildebeest are expected for this week.

International focus

The crossing is expected to become intense and will put Mara at local and international focus in the coming weeks.

Tira said the herds would now be headed to the climax point in a few days, Mara where many tourists will pitch tents to catch a glimpse of the crossing of wildebeest in the Nile crocodile-infested River.

"Both domestic and international tourists from all walks of life, from all over the continent, are expected in the Mara starting this week for the annual occurrence popularly known as the 'Eighth Wonder of the Natural world' meaning business will be booming here," said Tira.

For the next two months, the wildebeest will be meandering across the savanna but always headed northwards towards River Talek, where they graze and mate every year on their endless journey of chasing greener pastures.

They would meander between the western and eastern sides of the Mara River to the Mara Triangle and back, crossing the river at different points almost daily.

Their movements make the rivers the centre of attraction for tourists who want to catch a glimpse of crocodiles crushing their teeth into the ox-like African antelope with a drooping mane and beard, a long tufted tail and curved horns inside the Mara river waters.