Save the #Serengeti …

Road development is planned to connect settlements to the west and east of the Serengeti.

Timing varies, but herds generally move from the Western Corridor north around July crossing a proposed road outside of the park.

In August, they continue north toward the Masai Mara Reserve. They may stay in this area for a time, however, and move back and forth as there is permanent water here.

Around November, herds return south toward the short grass plains where calving takes place. They extend outside the park into the Loliondo area, which is settled by Maasai herders.

Road development will service established gold mines on the west.

Roads will also service soda ash mining on #LakeNatron to the east. Mining was previously prohibited there as it would endanger the entire breeding population of #LesserFlamingos in East Africa. Now mining is back on the table.

Road development will also service a new international airport, allowing passengers to arrive from other countries, being co-financed by a US billionaire who owns luxury lodges in this area.

Roads outside the park are a serious threat. But the most critical piece is the section through the Serengeti National Park. The government says this will be maintained as a “gravel road.” In fact, it is currently neither a road nor gravel. It’s a seasonal dirt track as shown above. Serengeti Watch has documented the entire route with photos and GPS.With roads on either side, there will be increased traffic on this section and pressure to eventually pave it. If this is done, the impact on the migration will be devastating, as it will attract even more settlement, invasive species, human-wildlife collisions, poaching, and the fragmentation of the ecosystem.

See a survey of more than 300 scientists Serengeti Watch conducted.

Wildlife preservation is important. But human welfare and development is vital. In fact, there is an easy win-win solution, an alternate southern route that would be less costly, help more people, contribute more to development, and save the Serengeti.