Denbasking

This year’s annual migration across the Serengeti has been thrown into turmoil following new health and safety legislation by the World Wildlife Fund.

Regulations brought in only this week state that animals must travel in small groups of no more than 50 animals to prevent trampling, not exceed 10 miles per hour, take regular water stops to avoid dehydration and ‘clock in’ every two days as part of a location census.

The new rules might force the regular migration routes to be changed to make sure water is taken on board, something that experts are already criticising.

Malcolm Marsh, from African Mammal Watch said, “it’s going to be touch and go as to whether some of these animals will make the trip south this year, once again, health and safety has gone mad”.

The animals most affected by this are wildebeest, zebra, eland and Thompson’s gazelle although, strangely, lions and jackals are exempt from the conditions, sparking anti-ungulate accusations.

WWF spokesman Josh Pewsey said the measures had to take place following serious breaches of health and safety during last year’s migration in September. Some 500,000 animals crossed the Mara River for over seven hours leaving more than two hundred carcasses due to stampedes and drowning.

“It sounds harsh, but we can't let this happen again”, said Pewsey. “Last year, valuable migration time was lost because of these trips, slips and falls, hopefully, risk assessment forms will help curb the dangers.”

Authorities in Tanzania refused to comment, but denied reports that they were pandering to the growing compensation culture among big game herds.

Nwago Imbeka, chief warden at the reserve, said, “it’s just a sign of the times, we don’t want to lose our animals to silly accidents”.

Your Say:

Bravo! I congratulate the Tanzanian Authorities on their steps towards the British Governments current line. It takes youknowwhats to stand up and make it known that animals cannot look after themselves and do not know best. If this movement continues then Tanzania will soon be a safe as the United Kingdom has become.
Mr J. W. Johnston, U.K.

The 125 crocodiles of the Mara River are seeking legal advice. They will be denied their annual wildebeest feest due to the silly meddling by do-gooding beurocrats.
Mboko Ngwane

How on earth did the animals survived without us humans intervening to help them out? I just don't know.
Yuki Muraille, Austria

I found this entertaining "Newsflash of the Day" is from Null Hypothesis, The Journal of Unlikely Science:

http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/sci..._africa_satire

Enjoy, Den

atravelynn

Thank you for the timely update. I was personally offended by even the suggestion anti-ungulate comments.

HariS

The more human intervention there is.....the greater the potential risk of disaster......

matnikstym

why don't they just make a bridge over the Mara river? They could put in lane dividers to avoid trampling and commuter lights to alleviate the congestion at the toll plazas.

Denbasking

Lynn, you’ve put your paw precisely on the part of the article that my got attention as well! Den

Denbasking

got my (that is)

LyndaS

Oh this was so good! Just what I needed after 15 hrs of work!

Dennis, funny - someone suggested that same solution to our traffic problems here in Vancouver! Are you sure you don't sit on the council here?

Mohammed

Hey everyone

Why don't we conscript some of the guys for the "Seronera Highway Patrol"?

Maybe Harley D will donate some 500cc bikes as well.

Oh and BTW I forgot the Nike's. After all they gotta "jus do it".

Ha ha - nice interlude from a stresfull day at the office in gloomy wet Colombo.

Regards,
Mohammed

HariS

Mohammed,

Sorry about the finals......the whole of India was rooting for Mahela and CO!!!

Hari

hills27

Dennis, to further alleviate traffic jams, they could suspend tolls and reverse traffic on the inbound lanes just like they do in Florida for hurrican evacuations.

PredatorBiologist

This might sound like a good start but why should they move at all! Think how many jobs can be created by confining the herds to two locations (one in Kenya and one in Tanzania) and starting a huge grass harvesting/delivery program. Beyond the big job creation for humans, tourists will ALWAYS know just where to find the herds.

HariS

Hi PB,

Strangely, i was going to email you RE:this thread.......but, here you are!!!

Hari

PredatorBiologist

BTW, then to mitigate the crocodile situation more jobs could be made to raise and feed chickens (tastes just like wildebeest anyway) to the crocs -- again creating a situation just the way most tourists like it, guaranteed sightings of feeding behavior!!

PredatorBiologist

Thanks Hari -- field season has me swamped but this caught my eye on a quick flyby. I'm sporadic on Fodors for the next month or two or three but anyone should feel free to email direct as you know!

This topic was too important to go without comment

sandi

Too funny!

Denbasking

<b>Why Elephants Hate Bees</b>
By Lauren Evans
We all know elephants are scaredy-cats; show them a mouse and the big cowardy-custards run a mile.

Strangely enough though there’s no actual documented evidence of this occurrence. There is, however, evidence that elephants are scared of very different mini-beasts: bees.

That said, these aren’t any old bees we’re talking about, these are African killer bees, diminutive critters so notorious for their aggressive tendencies that they send shivers down the spines of many a macro-mammal. Now researchers in Africa are using these little guys to come up with a novel way of reducing conflicts between elephants and people.

In areas where elephants and humans co-exist tensions tend to mount. Rather than resort to shooting (a bit harsh) or fences (a bit restrictive) it seems a few well-placed hives can work wonders.

Elephants may be big, and bees a bit tiny to be any use as a deterrent, but if you know an elephant’s weak spots, he’s putty in your hands - apparently. A few stings on the belly, behind the ears, around the eyes or under the trunk and your elephant will be sent scarpering.

The researchers placed active and empty bee hives in trees in problem areas and monitored the amounts of elephant damage that occurred. After a few weeks, trees with occupied hives in them were untouched, whilst similar trees that contained no hives at all had up to 90% damage. Even the presence of an empty hive afforded trees some protection.

Further research showed that even placing a speaker in a tree that played recordings of bee-buzz were enough to protect the trees, and thus made them safer for the local population as well.

In a control test, Bach’s violin concerto was played from the speakers instead - elephants, it seems like Bach; these trees were trashed.

Hanging hives, or playing buzzing sounds, in certain areas could prevent raiding elephants from damaging agricultural smallholdings, ancient trees and ecologically important areas - the locals can even use the honey, as long as they can brave the killer bees!


<b>Killer Bee Facts</b>

Killer bees have hybridised with European bees and killed 1,000 people and 100,000 cows since the late ‘50s.

African bees look like their European chums, but if disturbed, they react ten times faster and recruit hundreds of individuals to chase their victim for up to a mile.

The average human can survive 300 bee stings, but 8,000 stings are not uncommon in a killer bee attack.

Scientists have located a ‘mean gene’ on the chromosomes of killer bees, which influences the speed and intensity of stinging behaviour…

http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/sci...s_african_land

Denbasking

I between dropped phone calls and not functional enough to do anything else at the moment but read this heavy material.

<b>Menagerie In Airport Hell</b>
By Stuart M. Smith
A zookeeper, a flamingo, a mongoose, and a small leopard go to the airport – it sounds like a bad joke, but it was actually just a very bad day for Jack Hanna, the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Hanna and three companions were returning from a zoo fundraiser with the crated animals. However, on arriving at the airport, the menagerie found the terminal closed and the only egress from the tarmac being a turnstile surrounded by ten foot bars.

&quot;Jungle Jack&quot; was attempting to take a 2x3 foot crate containing a flamingo through the turnstile when he got stuck, trapping them both inside. The rest of the party was also trapped, albeit on the tarmac outside the airport. Hanna, 60, was eventually able to free himself, and three firefighters later freed the 11-month old flamingo.

This is not Hanna's first time running afoul; whilst a student at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, he was chided for keeping ducks in his dorm room and a donkey in a shed behind his fraternity house.

In perhaps one of Hanna's best known incidents, then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was bitten on the chin by a baby cougar Hanna brought to the US Capitol in November, 1995.

http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/sci..._stuck_airport


More strange goings on in the animal world…

- Scary - When pets go bad
- Weird - Suicide squirrels
- Harsh - Grandad kills mad rodent
- Funny - The 'truth' about big cats in Britain

Momliz

back to the migration - what a missed opportunity here - tolls! Here in the DC suburbs we are going to have our lexus lanes soon, lanes for pay on the highways to alleviate congestion. Why not the same on the migration? After all, these animals need to support themselves and their roads. And regulating where they can go would help with any safety concerns

But, I'm surprised that the eco contingent hasn't chimed in talking about mass transportation - just think how much their carbon footprint would be reduced, and how much safer it would be if these animals all used mass transit.

And, for another laugh, go to one of my favorite websites and read the reviews on this recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...BOILING-105591

(this has nothing to do with Africa or travel, but it's funny!)

Denbasking

Momliz:

I am nearby and have noted the lexus lanes *coming soon* for some time now. A decent public transportation system for the migration is not a bad idea...perhaps it will then spill over to the citizens!

Low impact Migration -- good one!

Future... Hover Crafts -- Leave No Trace Migration

Off to see your link Momliz...