This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
June is typically the busiest time of year for Kenyan-based safari operator Safarilink, with its small planes ferrying tourists to national parks in Kenya and Tanzania to witness the annual migration of 2 million animals.
However, this year the coronavirus outbreak has brought those adventures to a halt, with Safarilink Aviation grounding its planes in March after Kenya closed its borders and stopped air travel.
“During this period, we carry, just going to the Mara, about 10,000 passengers per month,” said Alex Avedi, Safarilink Aviation’s CEO, in a March 2020 interview with Reuters.
As a result, safari lovers have been unable to witness the majestic spectacle of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest running the gauntlet of hungry crocodiles as they cross the Mara river in search of greener pastures on the Kenya-Tanzania border.
Across Africa, wildlife reserves and parks have closed their gates as tourists stay home, hitting the continent’s multi-billion-dollar tourist industry and leading to job cuts and loss of income for thousands.
However, in a glimmer of hope, one campsite in the heart of Nairobi’s National Park reopened on June 12, adhering to strict health guidelines, including testing staff for COVID-19 and checking visitors’ temperature.
“The feeling that today we have opened up even with the conditions is great,” said Joseph Lelenguya, the manager of Nairobi Tented Camp.
But it will take time for foreign tourists and their dollars to come back, with Safarilink Aviation’s CEO estimating a 2- to 3-year recovery.
