safarimama

The close proximity of tourist facilities and increased fencing has interfered with wildlife corridors leading to increased cases of human-wildlife conflict, the report adds.

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/Insid...0Maasai%20Mara

HariS

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/sa...-wildlife.html

atravelynn

Excerpts from the above include:
<i>"This development is not guided by any existing development and management plan or even guidelines on type of facilities and bed capacities accepted in the various areas of the ecosystem. As a result the facilities are neither in harmony with the environment nor with each other,"


In the early Eighties there were maybe half a dozen lodges in the Mara with fewer than 300 beds; today there are more than 25 permanent lodges and well over 3,000 beds. East African conservationists say that soaring visitor numbers have severely damaged roads and grasslands.

According to a recent report by the International Livestock Research Institute, “The number of lions are going down, the cheetah numbers are declining, “and the wild dogs in the Mara system have become extinct.”</I>

But mating wild dogs have been reported in the Mara, so a revision may be needed.

How to fix the problem
<i>Cut corruption. Stop hunting. Create corridors. Move people. Pay people. Make tourism pay.</i>

christabir

I agree. We must make the locals profit from tourism. But we are doing such a bad job with wildlife (ie wolves in the Northern Rockies) in the States, I don't know how a continent with its massive problems can do better. There are individuals that kill wildlife out of spite when they are told that keeping them around will increase tourism and possibly improve an eco-system. I think we are going to have to take lots of pictures for future generations.

atravelynn

I wish I had a load of arguments to refute Christabir's last statement.

Our photos can someday join this one.
http://godwin.bobanna.com/martha_las...igeon_1914.jpg

You can tell what it is from the name in the address.

Gritty

While I agree with many of the general sentiments here, I question some of the perceived failures when they could be viewed as successes.

Pardon my contrarianism a little here, but aren't the locals (at least some of them) profiting from tourism? I hear the argument that people aren't profiting from tourism a lot, but I also have noticed that people will move themselves long distances to get a piece of the tourism pie. To me, the explosion of the number of lodging options shows that tourism doe pay--it just sounds like it needs to much more well-managed than it is.

On a completely different note--I don't understand why it's said that the States are doing a bad job with wildlife, specifically the wolves of the northern Rockies. That's a huge success story. The growing pains of wolf management are due to the program's success. Wildlife corridors were used to be the wolves to naturally repopulate former habitat (e.g., Glacier National Park, central Idaho), and the experimental reintroduction in Yellowstone resulted in wolves being delisted from the Endangered Species list sooner than expected. It's a great example of well-managed wildlife resources.

christabir

500 wolves were killed in Montana and Idaho this fall after being delisted. The hunts took place into denning season so pups were left to die when their Mom's were killed. The famous and much studied Cottonwood pack from Yellowstone was exterminated as soon as they left the park for no reason other than they were beloved by thousands. I understand eliminating problem wolves that are a menace to livestock and populations, but the backcountry killing was unnecessary and cruel. I don't want this to become a pro-con wolf thing, but I am just pointing out that humans are hard wired to kill stuff. I use the wolves because the info is out there for everyone to research as they want. They are also our top predator, so they are sort of comparable to African lions.

atravelynn

There's an argument on the other side, from Gritty! The explosion of lodging could be even more of a success if this money-maker Mara were expanded. More protected land for more wildlife and more tourism jobs.

In the US, protection of wolves have been a success in many parts and now as a result of that success there is more pressure for hunting the wolves. Too much hunting and we're back to square one.

I'll be part of that explosion in several months as I'll be visiting the Mara.

safarimama

another article today in ETNews

http://www.eturbonews.com/14544/mora...lishments-mara

keep up the pressure; sign the petition: Say No to Somak

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/i-w...ari-with-somak

atravelynn

"...leading conservationists, including BBC’s Big Cat Diary presenter Jonathan Scott and safari writer Brian Jackman, have joined in a call for people to boycott the operator and sign a petition."

spassvogel

I got a list of camps which are requested to leave the Massai Mara incl. Entim, Rekero, Naibor, Mara Bush camp and 8 others.
I would not bet these camps are giving up without fighting or bribing ;-) The names of camps were broadcasted on 4th of Feb 2010.
We have to wait and see what comes out of it.

What's going on in the MNC is were promising - at least that stretch of land and its management has extremely good ideas on how to keep a balance in view to wildlife and livestock incl. a steady income for all those Massai landowners who cooperate and lease their plots to MNC.

I used to be extremely worried regarding the whole MM ecosystem. But MNC seemingly has got the only clue of how to sustain wildlife and avoid human (lifestock for that matter)-wildlife conflicts.

SV

spassvogel

I have signed the petition last week and also wrote to every Kenya Tourism body I can think of stating my concerns in view to the Somak project. The same regarding the Cheetah drive-thru thing.

Sorry for the typo:

What's going on in the MNC is VERY promising

SV

atravelynn

SV,

Can you tell us the 8 other camps please? Thanks for your activism.

safarimama

SV,
Where did you get that information? Who is requesting that they leave the Masai Mara? Where was this broadcasted????? Clarify please. These are some reputable camps: Entim, Rekero, Naibor, Mara Bush camp. Not sure of the other 8???? Who are they? Where are they?

It's very dangerous to state facts and not substantiate.

sandi

Rekero? Has been at their location for years. And the Beaton family has been in Kenya since the late 1800s... for sure not them. Naibor and Mara Bush are also long standing camps; Entim being the newest though. And, 8 others???

Where did you hear this.

Though I did read about a week ago that Somak, due to the petition, pulled out of that Lodge; whether it will be pulled down or what... who knows?

atravelynn

I thought a lot of those camps listed were well established too. What's going on here? Long standing, deep seated corruption that is only now coming to light? Or sensational smear tactics based on jealousy and jockeying for position?

Both? This is big news in the Kenya tourism business if it is true and is terribly unfair if it is false and is getting traction.

spassvogel

Safarimama, sandi, altravelynn

It has been broadcasted on Kenyan TV and I got that list from a guide. I cannot reveal the name for obvious reasons.

I am sure every tour operator or travel agent who contacts a Kenya tourism body or the government directly gets the appropriate information.

As I stated - it was published on TV. It's not been a secret source giving just some names!

As to the fact that ALL of the camps mentioned are owned by "Kenyan cowboys" does not mean these guys can abuse the law to their liking.
Also the fact that some of the families are used to play their games for more than 100 years doesn't make it right or more honest!

All camps were licensed as mobile camps and simply did not move as agreed at the beginning.
So they were tolerated - based on heavy payments into certain pockets.

Now that seemingly has come to an end! Maybe the fact that Somak had to put their plans on hold has brought some stones into movement........

SV

atravelynn

Licensed as mobile, but did not move. That's interesting. I too wonder if the Somak incident got things rolling.

I have not tried to research this independently.

sandi

"mobile" or "seasonal" - they sure don't "move" but aren't opened all year, letting the land revert during the two wet seasons (Apr/May & Nov/early-Dec).

"Kenyan Cowboys" - really! Those you show (Rekero, Naibor, Entim*) are all owned by borne Kenyans, not foreigners.

*can't speak re: Mara Bush

Sounds more like Narok Council wants to replace these small camps with large properties, a la Somak... which might not be a smart idea after the campaign against that Somak lodge! If this be the case, then MNC will be the place to stay.

christabir

There are two sides to every story and then there's the truth. I hope however this happened and whatever the outcome that the eco-system wins. I wish it was easy. So much money and politics have apparently gotten involved here, unwinding it all fairly looks elusive. Keep us informed on this one. Very interesting.