A professional safari guide has shared a video and images of tourists blocking a natural migration path for thousands of wildebeest.
Nick Kleer’s viral video, taken in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, shows him explaining what he just witnessed.
This is followed by footage of crowds of tourists and game vehicles gathered at a river crossing, blocking herds of wildebeest attempting to navigate the perilous terrain.
“I’m very shaken up after what I’ve just seen…something needs to change around this migration,” professional safari guide Nick Kleer said in the video.
“Cars on the other side of the river blocked all entry points. Then all of the passengers were allowed by their guides to get out of the cars.”
Kleer explains further in the video caption how hundreds of people were crowding the banks. The wildebeest tried again and again to cross, but access was repeatedly cut off.
“Some wildebeest panicked and leapt from cliffs,” he wrote.
“Others were injured and will likely die. And yes, nature can be brutal, but this wasn’t nature. This was chaos caused by human interference.”
Kleer also tagged several of the guilty parties, and urged safari lovers not to use these tour operators in future.
“Please don’t go with these companies,” Kleer pleaded. “I’m going to be naming and shaming all of them.”
In a seperate post, Kleer uploaded images of the choas, showing how the wildebeest herds were forced to scatter.
“These are not the natural, time-worn paths they’ve followed for thousands of years,” he added.
“These ancient migration routes, shaped by instinct and generations of survival, were blocked by humans who should know better.”
Safari company comments
In response, one of the guilty guide companies tagged in the post – Leopard Tours – thanked Kleer for raising the issue.
“We are deeply concerned by what was witnessed in the Serengeti, as such behavior goes completely against the training and values we instill in all our driver guides,” the company wrote to Kleer in a direct message.
“Leopard Tours will take immediate action in line with our policies. We remain fully committed to ethical and responsible wildlife tourism.”
The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) also released a statement confirming a violation of park regulations at the Kogatende wildebeest crossing site.
“TANAPA has already identified all vehicles involved in the particular breach of park regulations and strict disciplinary measures will be taken against the Driver Guides operating the tourist vans,” it read.
Have you witnessed the wildebeest crossing during the Great Migration?
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