Serengeti will not die

It is in 1952 that a German cinematographer directed a documentary ‘Serengeti Shall not die’, but now this phrase is about to unite the world in a common cause to ensure that the Serengeti will NEVER die.

Serengeti, in case you never know, is the oldest and largest national park in Tanzania and a very important wildlife area in East Africa and Africa in general. This park was declared by the organism of the UN UNESCO like Patrimony of the Humanity and since then; it has been under the watchful eye of the whole world.

Safaris in Tanzania are not complete without two nights in the Serengeti National Park and that is evident in most of the safari packages you come across. In almost all Tanzania safari packages, the Serengeti is a must. That has been the trend and will continue to be the trend as long as Serengeti LIVES.

Recently, there was an announcement of plans to build a road in northern Tanzania that was supposed to run through the northern tip of the Serengeti National Park. This has since sparked a loud outcry from nature enthusiasts and conservationists around the world, with all voicing their views on how sad it is to hear what appear to be ‘plans to kill the Serengeti’.

Most importantly, all stakeholders are concerned about the wildebeest migration, which has also long been dubbed ‘The Great Migration’. This amazing natural phenomenon is the largest mass movement of wild animals and the most amazing animal spectacle in the world. The migration sees more than a million herds of wildebeest accompanied by hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles that travel thousands of kilometers annually across the border from Serengeti and the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya; in search of green pastures and water.

Building a paved road through the Serengeti involves more traffic and fast-moving vehicles. All of that translates into a threat to the Great Migration and the death of Serengeti, but no one is prepared for that. Not even the government of Tanzania.

The latest statement from the Government of Tanzania through the Head of State, His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete; It is from the clarification that the construction of the highway will continue as planned. However, the assurance is that the stretch across the Serengeti will remain gravel and not built to bitumen standards. The declaration of the Presidents is good for everyone, but what remains is a question; What about the other Game-controlled areas around Serengeti that are also the Serengeti Ecosystem? For example, the Loliondo controlled hunting area, where herds cross each November on their way back to the Serengeti from the Masai Mara national reserve in Kenya.

If Serengeti dies, Safaris in Tanzania is also dead. For the good of all generations to come; We all have an obligation and a role to play to ensure this; ‘Serengeti will die.’