Wild cross border accusations fuel tensions

Reports suggesting that Tanzanians set off a fire to forestall the wildebeests’ migration, dubbed the eighth wonder of the world, from crossing into Masai Mara, are abound. But as ALLAN OLINGO found out, the fires are not just on the Serengeti side but also in the Mara ecosystem

Picture yourself seated in a Land Rover from 8.00am then four hours later, at midday, the magical wonder starts happening. The wildebeests converge near the Mara River banks ready to cross to the Mara Triangle. Suddenly,  some fellows on a tractor start setting grass on fire on the Mara Triangle side.  On sensing the danger of the fire the wildebeests head to the east of Mara. The poor lions run for safety at the banks of Mara River.

That is how Onesmus Ole Irungu,  described his disappointment on social media, over the fires that have deterred the wildebeest crossing.

The sky is filled with white smoke, which stretches tens of kilometres away. On the Mara River, the wildebeests are waiting though some have started crossing.

Looking through the Ololoo escarpment, I could see the raging fires spreading fast through the plains all through to Serengeti.

It is an open secret that Kenya and Tanzania continue to instigate well-calculated moves aimed at locking each other out of lucrative economic resources, especially in the tourism sector.  The two neighbours have been engaging in fierce behind-the-scenes, cross-border hostility that mainly revolves around economic exploits in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. 

A fortnight ago, it was reported that farmers and rangers in Serengeti, on the Tanzanian side, were burning the grass. It was alleged that they were doing so, so that they could deter the wildebeests from crossing over to the Mara ecosystem.

Fire talk

The claim has been that the wildebeest migration, dubbed the eighth wonder of the world, benefits Kenya more than its southern neighbour. This was viewed, by Kenya as an act of sabotage, a claim that Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) denies.

Tanzania National Parks’ public relations manager Paschal Shelutete was quoted in Tanzanian media as saying that it is important for the herbivores to migrate from one point to another in order to avoid cases of inbreeding adding that the wildebeests spend only two months in Kenya with the rest of (ten months) in Tanzania.

“The fires that Kenya claimed were being lit to scare the animals from crossing into Masai-Mara are scientifically known as ‘Early Burning’, executed under the General Management Plan of Serengeti National Park,” said Shelutete.

Tanzania’s take

According to Shelutete, the fire is lit for several reasons. They include reducing the number of destructive insects such as tsetse flies and also reducing the amount of litter that can catalyse fire disasters especially during dry season.

Moses Ole Kida, a Kenyan tour guide says this is not the first attempt, by Tanzania’s game wardens who have in the last two years been burnt hectares of grass on the Serengeti side of the border when the migration nears, in a bid to restrict the famous wildebeests from leaving Serengeti.

“But the wildebeests move using instinct and always cross to the Mara without hesitation. The idea seems to have backfired and it’s not a surprise we did not witness the burning this year,” Ole Kida says.

Paul Ole Tira, a lodge owner in Mara says it is frustrating to host tourists who have come to watch the great wildebeests migration only to be disappointed.

“No matter the explanation, I believe the timing of this burning was not perfect because when we have a disappointed lot of tourists then we risk losing out. Its bad marketing for us, yet this ought to be the high season,” says Ole Tira.

A source from the Tanzania Wildlife Management who remained anonymous responded to accusations over the burning of the migration routes noting that the accusations against Tanzanians were far fetched.

“We are professionals and we know the impact it would have on the herds if they cannot get to pasture in Masai Mara. They would starve and we would lose a lot of animals.

“How can anyone in his or her right mind suggest we would risk this or be part of it? Even in the Masai Mara they are burning blocks, which they do every few years to regenerate vegetation.

Cross accusations

 “At one point the wildebeests were on our side of the river and could not cross because there was a scheduled burning of a certain area in the Mara Triangle,” responded the source.

The Mara Triangle, through their Facebook page, admitted that there was indeed a delayed burning of a block last burnt in 2007, and that due to rains the burning had to be delayed and a significant number of wildebeest were at the time across the river waiting to take the plunge.

“We apologise for the smoke caused by our controlled fire yesterday (July 27), which unfortunately coincided with the first wildebeests’ massing along the river. The fire was supposed to take place last week but it was postponed until the rain subsided and grass dried up,” read the Mara Triangle statement.

The statement further pointed out that each year, the Mara Triangle undertook controlled fires for rangeland management, which  it is usually done before high season. This year, it was hugely delayed due to continuous rain in the triangle.

The fire is set within firebreaks (the main roads) and each block is given several years rest. The timing of the fire is determined by expected rain from satellite weather forecast.

Mara’s statement

“Yesterday’s block from BBC Lugga, Nyumba Nane to Maji Ma chafu was last burnt in 2007.

 We use control burning to clear out old grass which is not eaten by most species and to encourage new growth for species such as Thomson’s gazelle and wildebeests,” the statement continued.

What is more baffling, however, is the timing and urgency with which these fires are put out, fuelling speculation of sabotage.

Couldn’t they have suspended the fires given that the animals had reached the crossing point? What will the animals graze on once they cross over?

These are some of the pertinent questions Kenyans are asking with regards to this unfolding drama that is threatening the wildebeest migration.

This is not the first time that  cross border accusations over the Mara–Serengeti ecosystems have been tossed around. The other bone of contention has always been Tanzania’s refusal to open the Bologonja gate, which would give tourists from Kenya direct access from the Masai Mara to the Serengeti and other tourist attractions in the northern Tanzania tourist circuit.

Bad neighbourhood?

While it would normally take a few minutes to cross from the Mara to the Serengeti, the closure of the gate means tourists have to endure a six-hour, 400km ride through the designated Isebania-Sirare border point.

While these accusations are flying across borders, Kenyans and tourists at large hope that a clear explanation will be given to these acts and that the migration, which has slowly started, will not be interrupted again.