We reiterated this in recent days when discussing the bad behaviour of Italian tourists in Watamu, and today we are forced to repeat it, hoping that at least some of our readers want (or rather demand) to escape the wave of senselessness, disrespect and utter indifference that characterises our times. Seeing this even in natural paradises such as Kenya, which should be frequented by those who love and respect the environment and, consequently, those who live there, is even more painful.

Today, we are concerned with the destruction caused by tourists (and many of their companions, i.e. drivers and tour leaders of safari companies) in the parks and reserves of Kenya and Tanzania, particularly along the rivers that are currently being crossed by thousands of wildebeest during the so-called “great migration”, a spectacle that attracts supposed animal lovers from all over the world, who spend considerable sums of money on safaris in these areas, namely the Masai Mara reserve and the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania.

But what happens on the banks of the rivers is a horrifying sight: dozens, hundreds of off-road vehicles and minibuses crammed together, not only making the landscape look surreal, but also blocking the passage of the wildebeest themselves, who have very little chance of getting a running start to wade through the lower parts of the waterways and thus avoid being ambushed by crocodiles.
As a result, many more animals die, some even injuring themselves in an attempt to get around the vehicles or by throwing themselves off less welcoming cliffs.
There they are, the hunters of memorable photos, crowded together and smiling, self-proclaimed wildlife enthusiasts whose only wild trait is their disrespectful nature. Instead of respecting the animals, they contribute to their death no less than the crocodiles.

‘And it's not just the great migration,’ explains Massimo Vallarin, safari organiser and honorary Italian ranger in Kenya. ‘Every day we witness scenes of disrespect towards animals, even in Nairobi National Park, with cats being surrounded, and even in Amboseli, where animals can no longer run in total freedom and without fear.’
One of the problems, in addition to the degeneration of human beings, is the absence of those who should be monitoring, regulating and consequently fining those who behave disrespectfully.
These days, as every year, appeals from guides, naturalists and conservationists to institutions and safari companies themselves are flooding social media, especially Instagram and TikTok. To date, they have almost always fallen on deaf ears.

(photo by Nick Kleer)