Virus keeps tourists from Africa's great wildlife migration

One of nature's most spectacular sights, East Africa's great wildebeest migration, went largely unwatched this year as effects of coronavirus pandemic are felt as far as continent's wilderness.

Travel restrictions kept tourists away for annual wildlife migration in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve and only a handful of guides and park wardens were re to watch thousands of wildebeest antelopes make ir famous trek in search of new grazing pastures.

Tour guide Milton Siloma has worked in world-famous reserve on Kenya's sourn border for 30 years and said he's never seen it so quiet.

“We are alone,” he said. “We are supposed to have thousands and thousands of tourists around watching this phemen.”

Although absence of tourists makes little difference to giant herd of wildebeest moving between Kenya and neighboring Tanzania, it's a serious problem for park, local government and surrounding community.

Without tourists re is income from park entry fees, scenic hot air balloon rides — a specialty of park — and tourist lodges.

“COVID(-19) has really affected so many operations for us here in reserve in sense that revenue, funds, that county government was collecting from Maasai Mara National Reserve has gone to zero,” said chief warden James Sindiyo.

effect for people who live on edge of park and who rely on tourism is also significant. Kele Kasare, one of local Maasai people, said y depend on money y earn from visitors.

“ biggest problem is food," he said. "We are t getting eugh food and at times when re is money from tourists, we sell our cows, livestock. But w even market has been closed. So, we are facing a lot of difficulties.”

That has also started to harm park. Chief warden Sindiyo said some hungry community members have begun to illegally hunt animals in park for meat and re have been a number of arrests.

"y kill just because y are desperate to get meat,” Sindiyo said.

wardens fear a larger problem could be on horizon — poachers trying to take vant of situation by targeting Maasai Mara's elephants or endangered rhis.