Tourists upclose and perhaps a little too personal...

Maasailand  in Kenya and Tanzania is endowed with rich biodiversity and the highest wildlife
concentrations in the world. Among many wildlife preserves located in Maasailand are: Maasai
Mara, Buffalo Springs, and Samburu Game Reserves, the Tsavo West, Amboseli, Hells Gate,
and Lake Natron National Parks in Kenya, and in Tanzania the Serengeti, Mkomazi, Tarangire,
Lake Manyara National Parks, as well as the Ngorongoro and Loliondo Conservation Areas.
The world-renowned Oldupai (Olduvai) gorge, the site of anthropological discovery by the Dr.
Leakey is in the heart of Maasailand. The landscape of the cross-border Maasai-Serengeti
ecosystem is breathtakingly beautiful including the Ngorongoro, Maasai Mara, Serengeti,
Mkomazi and Olduvai Gorge, all listed as World Heritage Sites- places of significant
importance to the world. The unique wildlife and landscape coupled with the astonishing Maasai
culture make Maasai Mara-Serengeti the most visited tourist destination on the continent of
Africa.

In fact, tourism in Kenya logged steady growth from about 65,000 annual arrivals between 1965
and 1970 to an average of 800,000 arrivals annually in the 1990s. For instance, approximately
850, 000 tourists visited Kenya in 1998. Today, tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner
in Kenya and Tanzania. In spite of these enormous economic benefits to the tourism industry
and the governments of Kenya and Tanzania, tourism now poses serious threats to the
environment, wildlife and culture of the Maasai people. The situation is particularly
disconcerting since local tour operators are completely unregulated. The current trends and state
of the environment in the Maasai Mara is indeed alarming.

In response to the rising tourism demands, development has been carried out haphazardly in and
around the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, subjecting the preserve to tremendous pressure.
Wildlife harassment, off-the-road driving, pollution, noise, and other unprofessional,
unacceptable, and dangerous behavior by local guides and drivers that endanger both wildlife
and tourists are a common occurrence. The majority of tour operators have not recognized the
urgent need to train their guides on the importance and need to respect and preserve nature for
the enjoyment of the present and future generations.... Continued...