In the last five years, annual visitor numbers to the Serengeti have increased to over half a million - Getty

The floodplains ahead of me were heaving with life. More than 60,000 waterbucks graze on the grasslands of Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park – the largest and densest gathering of the species in Africa.

Seeing any animal in large numbers is a thrilling experience. But what made this sighting extra special was the absence of revving motors and clicking camera shutters; surrounded by 4,000 square kilometres of wilderness, I was blissfully alone.

Elsewhere on the continent in a much better-known protected area, very different scenes were unravelling. As part of their annual migration, more than one million wildebeest are currently crossing between the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, thrashing through rivers and avoiding the jaws of predating crocodiles to reach fresh pastures on the other side.

What was once dubbed the greatest wildlife show on earth, however, is at risk of descending into chaos.

A few days ago, shocking images of vehicles crowding a major crossing point at Kogatende in northern Tanzania were posted on social media.

Even more shamefully, dozens of tourists had disembarked to sit along the grassy banks as if they were spectators at a Wimbledon match.

“The growing number of vehicles in these areas is placing immense stress on wildlife and disrupting one of the world’s most spectacular natural events,” warns Vanessa Dean, product manager for luxury tour operator Mahlatini, echoing the sentiments of many. “This fragile ecosystem is being steadily eroded, largely due to a troubling lack of effective regulation.”

Frequently marketed as safari’s flagship event, river crossings have attracted a post-pandemic boom in tourism to Tanzania and Kenya during the peak months of July and August.

Deep-rooted problems

In the last five years, annual visitor numbers to the Serengeti alone have increased by more than 100 per cent to over half a million.

Every year, new tales of bad behaviour circulate – vehicles crashing as they jostle for position, speakers blaring music to entertain impatient guests, and even the illegal construction of camps at crossing points. Despite new rules and restrictions, the situation is far from improving.

Critics are calling for tougher penalties including higher fines and revoking licences from irresponsible driver-guides. But the problem is deeper than a few rogue operators.

Even high-end, reputable companies have been buckling under pressure to deliver a bucket list experience to guests. Luxury safari experts andBeyond, currently offering stays at their Grumeti camp from $2,790 per night, were named and shamed as one of the vehicles photographed in the post.

River crossings have attracted a post-pandemic boom in tourism to Tanzania and Kenya - Getty

“We do not, and will never, condone behaviour that compromises wildlife integrity or guest safety,” said andBeyond’s Executive Chairman and CEO Joss Kent in a statement. He confirmed the company’s guests were present at the scene, but said they did not exit their vehicle at any point, and added that a full investigation has been launched to tackle what he considers to be wider problems impacting the industry.

“At the heart of this failure lies mismanagement and greed,” complains Jarrod Kyte, product and sales director from Steppes.

He points out that the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), responsible for the Serengeti, reportedly generated around £138 million in park fees over the past year.

“That money should be used to enforce low-impact, well-regulated tourism,” he says. “Yet where were the rangers? A basic code of conduct exists – but without enforcement, it’s meaningless.

“Without urgent reform, what should be the jewel in the Serengeti’s crown risks becoming a symbol of tourism’s worst excesses.”

‘Growing pains’

Responding to the images posted on social media, TANAPA has promised disciplinary action will be taken. Tim Henshall, head of Tanzania Tourism UK, says new measures are already under discussion – including increased patrolling of key sites, with the potential for quota systems and maximum waiting times.

He is confident that crossings can still be enjoyed as a world-class experience and puts recent incidents down to “growing pains” as Tanzania grapples with its rising popularity.

Across the globe, many other fragile destinations are struggling to manage surging interest in nature tourism. Earlier this year, new regulations were put in place to increase minimum distances for viewing polar bears in Svalbard and there are continuing concerns about the number of cruise ships visiting Antarctica.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in nature tourism globally - Getty

Tanzania’s problem is a bottleneck of visitors in a concentrated period. “We need to educate visitors that it is a 12-month cycle not a four-week scramble,” says Henshall. “The Serengeti is a huge national park, so there is no need to concentrate on one small sector for one small portion of the year.”

Safari specialists Nomad, which runs multiple camps in Tanzania, believe operators should “reduce the pressure valve on guides needing to deliver that river crossing moment” and focus on the migration as a year-round spectacle, where large herds can be encountered at different times of the year as they move around the park.

“Our message will be, should a guest want to guarantee a river crossing at any cost then Nomad will not be the right company for them,” says head of sales, Rupert Finch Hatton. “Tanzania dedicates a third of its land to wilderness - that’s an incredible stat and a leader in Africa. We have been investing in the lesser-known areas for the last three decades and truly believe Tanzania has so much to offer outside the hotspots.”

Two prime examples are Ruaha, a unspoilt expanse where a significant lion population thrives, and the country’s largest park, Nyerere – twice the size of the Serengeti with only 39,000 visitors per year.

Emerging destinations

Beyond the country’s borders, more safari destinations are emerging. Multiple parks across Africa – such as Zambia’s Kafue and Uganda’s Murchison Falls – are enjoying a resurgence in wildlife due to protection efforts and the reintroduction of species, but tourist numbers are yet to catch up.

Anyone seeking sightings of species on a grand scale could also head to Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on the Boteti River in November, where 30,000 zebra migrate from the Okavango Delta.

Operators, authorities and camp owners have acknowledged a responsibility to step up and protect our wild spaces. But perhaps the biggest culprit in the whole sorry scenario is us, the traveller.

“Everyone wants their ‘Instagram Moment’,” says Jonny May, founder of specialist Africa operator Wild Paths. “We all want to take a picture of something we’ve seen thousands of times before.

“Surely we should be seeking out [something] new, rather than just repeating what everyone else has done?”

Largely driven by social media – ironically the very tool being used to call out bad behaviour – tourists are rapidly losing respect for nature, selfishly prioritising personal gratification above preserving and protecting they very things they’ve paid money to see.

“This isn’t a film set or a zoo,” adds Ellie Walkinshaw, business improvement director at Yellow Zebra. “It’s the wild. Tourism still needs to happen, just in the right way.

“We see this incident as a wake-up call – a reminder that wild places deserve our respect, and sometimes, what’s best for the wildlife is more important than that perfect shot.”

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