Serengeti Wildlife to get water from Lake Victoria as climate change merges

serengeti-lionsEmilian Kihwele the Serengeti National Park Chief Ecologist says that the resurgence of the wildlife corridor connecting the important Serengeti Maasai Mara ecosystem with the huge Lake Victoria is very important.

Mr. Kihwele adds that this basin, that spans the border of Kenya and Tanzania, is negatively affected by climatic change plus human activities not suitable with conservation interests, and threatening the world’s greatest annual wildlife migration across the plains of East Africa.

The world’s greatest wildlife migration – the yearly loop of nearly 2 million wildebeests plus other animals across the legendary Serengeti national park of Tanzania as well as the well-known Maasai Mara reserve of Kenya – is an important tourist attraction, generating several million dollars each year.

Dr. James Wakibara A senior ecologist with TANAPA says that undulating climate change effects along with large scale irrigation plus industrial activities including mining along the vast basin have triggered higher volumes of water abstraction.

Escalated clearing of the forest as well as cultivation, correspondingly, in the higher catchment of Mau escarpments found in Kenya has gradually resulted in extreme deposit loads plus changed hydrograph of River Mara, the sole source of water for the wildlife living in the Serengeti Mara ecosystem throughout the dry months starting in August to September.

Scientists say As a result, the two seasonal floods plus droughts have turned to be more regular and extreme, ultimately causing River Mara water flow to be unpredictable in the previous couple of years.

Because Mara isn’t a huge river, rising abstractions or even pollution will ultimately severely degrade the ecosystem of the river and also impinge upon the standard requirements of people, wildlife plus livestock in addition to the overall economy of the basin.

Dr. Wakibara adds that in case the unnatural flow of river Mara gets to be more and more severe, it could, for instance, result in a reduction in the number of wildebeests, thus affecting the whole migration cycle which sustains the Serengeti – Maasai Mara ecosystem.

Dr. Wakibara adds that in case the unnatural flow of river Mara gets to be more and more severe, it could, for instance, result in a reduction in the number of wildebeests, thus affecting the whole migration cycle which sustains the Serengeti – Maasai Mara ecosystem.

This internationally unbeaten spectacle has brought about Serengeti to be referred to as the 7th wonder on the planet in 2008.

On the way, these animals consume 7,000 tons of fresh grass every day and drink sufficient water from River Mara which can fill 5 swimming pools.