This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
Tragedy Strikes Maasai Mara Game Reserve ¶
Published on August 24, 2020
More than 300 wildebeests drowned in a suspected stampede while crossing the Mara River in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve on Sunday afternoon.
The wildebeests' bloated and rotting carcasses now litter the river, filling the air with the sickly stench of death.
Conservationists in the reserve described the deaths near the Lookout area as tragic, attributing it to the animals choosing the wrong point to cross the swollen river.
Maasai Mara Deputy Chief game warden Eddy Nkoitoi believes the stampede occurred due to the high number of wildebeests and the pressure from the back while those in front kept dropping down, blocking the way.
'So all the wildebeests that came from the back stepped on the first ones down and so on, hundreds died, giving hundreds of crocodiles and vultures more than they can chew,' said Mr Nkoitoi.
Mr Nkoitoi was leading a team of game rangers to rescue some of the wildebeests that later attempted to cross but got stuck in trenches.
Maasai Mara rangers rescuing a wildebeest calf that survived a drowning incident on Sunday afternoon.
Some of the animals on the upper level were still alive and tried to get out, fighting for their lives, but in the end, none of them stood a chance.
Mr Nkoitoi estimated that more than 10,000 wildebeests have died since the beginning of the migration in May from different causes, including predators, natural reasons, accidents, and stampedes.
'I have lived in the Mara for the past ten years and this is by far the worst I have ever seen. It is very distressing for people who have been working to prevent poaching to see such large numbers of animals wiped out in a matter of days,' he added.
The wildebeest migration was named among the seven natural wonders of the world. It happens every year as several animals gather at the river's banks before plunging into the water to cross over in search of pasture.
Each year, hundreds die in the stampede, with some simply drowning in the swirling waters while others are snatched by crocodiles.
Currently, migrating wildebeests are headed northwards towards River Talek where they graze and mate every year.
Tourists flock the Maasai Mara Game Reserve to witness the wildebeest migration.
