The couple, both award-winning photographers, authors, TV presenters, conservationists, and co-founders of the Sacred Nature Initiative, demonstrated how the Great Migration of wildebeests is under increasing threat.
A fragile balance under siege
Despite the apparent abundance of wildlife, the very fabric of the migration is fraying. Human activity is pushing the ecosystem to its limits, and the scars are showing. “We’ve been watching this migration for decades, and the changes are undeniable,” Jonathan said.
The threats come from all sides: agriculture, expanding human settlements, large-scale wheat farming, deforestation, poaching, and unregulated tourism. One of the most pressing issues is the destruction of the Mau Forest in Kenya—critical to maintaining the flow of the Mara River, which nourishes the Serengeti and sustains the migrating herds. “Without the Mau Forest, the Mara River will disappear. And if the river goes, the migration collapses,” Jonathan warned.
Snares set by poachers to trap wildebeests for bushmeat pose another insidious danger. “Up to 100,000 wildebeest—10% of the population—are caught in wire snares every year,” Jonathan revealed.
Climate change is further compounding these pressures. Once predictable seasonal rains have become erratic, throwing the migration’s rhythm into disarray. “We used to be able to tell when the short rains and long rains would come. Now? Who knows. Drought or deluge—it’s all up in the air,” Jonathan lamented.
The Maasai dilemma
The Maasai people, long the guardians of the savannah, are also caught in the middle of this crisis. Traditionally, they coexisted with wildlife, their semi-nomadic lifestyle ensuring a balance. “They’re not the villains here,” Jonathan emphasised. “They’ve lived alongside these animals for centuries. If anything, they are the reason the wildlife still exists.”
However, some Maasai herders are now bringing cattle into protected reserves at night, leading to overgrazing and conflicts with predators.
The Great Migration of the Serengeti and Maasai Mara is not the only one at risk. The Loita migration in Kenya, once numbering over 120,000 wildebeests, has dwindled to just 10,000 due to agricultural expansion. The Tarangire migration in Tanzania is similarly collapsing under human pressure. “We are witnessing extinction in real time,” Jonathan warned.
A call to action
Jonathan and Angela launched the Safari Etiquette campaign in 2021, which seeks to educate tourists on responsible wildlife viewing, advocating for less intrusive practices.
The numbers are sobering. A staggering 96% of mammalian biomass on Earth consists of humans and their livestock, leaving only 4% as wild mammals. “That should be a wake-up call,” Jonathan stressed. “This isn’t just about saving the wildebeests. It’s about saving ourselves.”
His final words hung in the air: “Go and see it while you still can. Because if we don’t act now, future generations won’t have that chance.”
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