My recent visit to Kenya’s magnificent Maasai Mara was both epic and distressing. 

Observing masses of wildebeest and zebra crossing the Mara River repeatedly as the herds criss-cross the northern Serengeti (Tanzania) and Maasai Mara (Kenya) from August to October is one of Africa’s best safari experiences. It really is.

One gets caught up in the drama of the moment, the chaos, the celebration of life. And death, as massive crocs and tactical lions gorge on the reckless and the unlucky.

BUT. How to manage that other great migration – that of large numbers of Homo sapiens converging on this tiny piece of Africa to witness this natural phenomenon? 

I witnessed a crossing two weeks ago where about 60 vehicles waited patiently about 100m from both banks of the Mara River while the gnus and zebras slowly converged on their chosen crossing point.

Then, when the first hooves hit the water, it was a crazy, chaotic sprint as hundreds of tons of steel gunned with screaming engines to get to the best observation points.

It was surreal, exhilarating and sickening as we all converged on what is only a few hundred metres of river bank, jostled for position and somehow avoided collisions. Heaven help any small birds or animals hanging out in the rally zone.

The temptation to judge others was real. Did the fact that our guide behaved better make me less part of the problem? Did the fact that we left the gridlocked traffic jam to find calmer experiences give me the moral high ground? No, I was and am part of the problem. 

This is not my first rodeo. I have been travelling Africa for more than 30 years and witnessed many Mara River crossings – in both the Maasai Mara and Serengeti.

Uproar over plan to litter Botswana’s Chobe National Park with lodges

Back in the day, guides would park at the most likely crossing points and wait. This strategy blocked off some crossing points and influenced herd behaviour, so new rules were established. These days, guides have to allow the herds to commence the crossing before they approach the river bank – and officials in tiny green Suzuki Jimnys enforce slightly better behaviour.

We saw the Jimnys wade into traffic jams, and the officials order guides to back away from the river bank. These efforts temporarily opened up crossing points – but the number of vehicles and crossing points nullified most efforts.

So, even with this improved strategy, it’s still chaotic and very stressful for the herds. It’s still not sustainable. 

I am not suggesting that tourists be banned from crossings – that would significantly reduce government revenue and employment and threaten small local business viability. The Mara/Serengeti ecosystem needs the revenue.

Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations

Governments worldwide are happy to cash in on tourism, but they do not invest in their ecosystems – it’s easier and more lucrative to strip-mine precious ecosystems than to protect them for the slow-burn but ultimately more profitable tourism industry.  

It’s important to understand that the guides in East Africa are as passionate, skilled and experienced as those in South Africa’s Greater Kruger, the Okavango Delta and elsewhere. But when forced to compete to secure the best view for their guests, they will do what it takes – as do their southern African counterparts.

The Kangaluwi mine issue: Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park is under threat

I have been on many game drives down south where guides crash through or over bushes as they relentlessly follow the big cats across sensitive soil types. So let’s not pretend that this problem of guide behaviour is unique to East Africa.

The high vehicle volume in most popular national parks in Africa is not an issue in the private reserves and concessions; the high prices of a night at these private lodges reflect that exclusivity. Note that the Mara River crossings all occur in national parks and reserves, so high vehicle volume is the main issue at play.

A different strategy

We advise our safari clients wishing to avoid the chaos to visit the area outside the river-crossing season – the herds have left (as have the human hordes). The predators are resident, and they have plenty of food on the menu.

Or visit the herds as they make their way on this continual migration into the southern Serengeti and give birth (plenty of predator action). Or, if you are hell-bent on seeing the river crossings, book at the tail end of the crossing season – when the crowds are reduced.

However, this strategy does increase the risk of missing the main crossing action. Nature does not keep to human calendars – the timing of herd arrival and departure from the crossings areas largely depends on rainfall timing and volume. 

The solution to the high traffic volume and resultant poor behaviour has to come from the top – the government and national park management. Increasing the price to attend crossings will reduce volumes.

Dubai royal family driving out thousands of Maasai to oblige rich foreign hunters

This strategy has worked well for the mountain gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda, where trekking permits can cost up to $1,500 (about R25,500). The obvious victims would be the less financially endowed among us – including many local East Africans.

Or, perhaps they could auction a defined number of tickets to the show and spread allocations across all bidders. These two suggestions require plenty of panel-beating. 

We, the travel industry, need to embrace this problem and find a more responsible way of showcasing this extraordinary spectacle before pressure groups and officious government agencies shut the door on the Greatest Show on Earth.

Safari njema, keep the passion. DM

Simon Espley is CEO of travel and conservation company, Africa Geographic.

Dear Minister Creecy, your Game Meat Strategy puts the cart before the horse and must be delayed