This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
Published on June 25, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the annual wildebeest migration in Kenya and Tanzania to a halt. For Kenyan-based safari operator Safarilink Aviation, June is typically the busiest time of year, with its small planes ferrying tourists to national parks in Kenya and Tanzania.
However, this year, the company's planes have been grounded since March, when Kenya closed its borders and stopped air travel as part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease.
“During this period, we carry, just going to the Mara, about 10,000 passengers per month,” said Alex Avedi, Safarilink Aviation’s CEO.
As a result, the annual spectacle of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest crossing the Mara river in search of greener pastures on the Kenya-Tanzania border has been disrupted.
Across Africa, wildlife reserves and parks have closed their gates, hitting the continent’s multi-billion-dollar tourist industry and leading to job cuts and loss of income for thousands.
However, in the heart of Nairobi’s National Park, one campsite run by safari company Gamewatchers 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.
