Baraza Wildlife Direct | Tanzania authorities are planning to construct a commercial highway across the Serengeti National Park marking an end to one of the worlds greatest spectacles, the wildebeest migration.
The road will have untold environmental impacts and could sever a critical corridor for the annual migration of hundreds of thousands of wildebeests, zebra and other animals.
Pascal Shelutete, spokesman for the Tanzanian National Parks Authority, was quoted in a recent UK Daily Telegraph story in defence of the project. “This new road will bring a great benefit to the economy of this cut-off part of the country, and ease the movement of people and goods,” he says.
Conservationists including AWF and tour companies in USA are petitioning the Tanzanian government to halt these plans. A Facebook petition to stop the Serengetti Highway has attracted the attention of the Tanzanian government who, foolishly still defend this irrational project.
In an interview with The East African, Tanzanian authorities claim that “No big project of this scale would be contemplated without a thorough feasibility study [really?], and it has shown that there will be no impact on the migration [Oh please don't insult our intelligence].” Everyone knows only too well that such a road will directly affect the migration in Tanzania and Kenya as the animals move north. Additionally, increased ‘human encroachment’ will lead to an escalation of poaching activities and diseases to the wild animals.
AWF has proposed an alternative route – the construction of a tar road linking Wasso in Loliondo Division, Ngorongoro District, with Mto was Mbu. You can add you voice to the facebook appeal page.
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