"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain : The Innocents Abroad, 1869)

Thursday 17 June 2010

Serengeti Super Highway

The Tanzania Government is considering a proposal to drive a major highway across the Serengeti Plains just South of the border with Kenya and straight across the path of the world famous migration.

There is wide spread concern across the world about this road and its impact on both the migration and the wider Serengeti / Massai Mara ecosystem.

You can see articles on this via the following links :
- Frankfurt Zoological Society
- African Wildlife Fund
- New York Times
- National Geographical

There are strong arguments for the benefits such a highway will bring to communities to the West of the Serengeti but these need to be balanced against wider impacts both in Tanzania and Kenya Massai Mara.  Perhaps a different route might be more appropriate.

The Americans already have a petition against this but the UK Government has, unfortunately, withdrawn its  on-line petition site.  If you'd like to feed your thoughts into this debate, sign the American petition, email the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators or join the Facebook site.

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world" : John Muir
.

3 comments:

Marilyn said...

Hi - am trying to find a place to Record my deep upset about the Serengeti Superhighway. In September, I saw the road markers already in place there and I want to register my TOTAL UPSET with this idea. You mention an American petition website - I cannot find it. I only see postion papers opposing the idea from the American Wildlife Foundation, Natl Geographic etc...do you know of a specific place I can complain to???

John said...

Have a look at
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/find_fund_an_alternative_to_the_serengeti_highway

Anonymous said...

You can join in on the movement through the STOP THE SERENGETI HIGHWAY Facebook group.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/STOP-THE-SERENGETI-HIGHWAY/125601617471610

There are discussions, informatory links, and groups separated by country.

Prepare for International Serengeti Day on March 19th!