Shocking information from Serengeti is that the government of Tanzanian plans to appeal the ruling recently taken by East African Court of Justice that banned the construction of a highway going through Serengeti National.
On 20th June, 2014, the East African Court of Justice ruled against the intension of the government of Tanzania to build a bitumen commercial highway going through Serengeti National Park. This was meant to be a fifty four kilometer (thirty three mile) commercial highway running through the northern part of the national park. The East African court declared this construction illegal.
The court of public opinion is unified in expressing disapproval to the government of Tanzania for its plan to file an appeal.
The other month, the East African Court of Justice – EACJ ruled against the plans of the government of Tanzanian to build this paved commercial highway. This was actually considered a very big victory with regards to the conservation of this unique ecosystem.
Scientists have advised that construction a paved road across this special ecosystem will ruin the legendary International Heritage Site.
The ruling was constrained in that it just prohibited a northern, concrete road from this park. The government still intends to upgrade the current seasonal dirt trail to gravel, although it is found in a unique wilderness sector where public traffic isn’t authorized. For the time being, the ruling has halted a project which the Serengeti Watch plus scientists cautioned could ruin a legendary International Heritage Site as well as the yearly wildebeest migration.
The ruling of the court was the consequence of a lawsuit which was filed back in 2010 by African Network for Animal Welfare – ANAW which is a nonprofit organization based in Kenya. The inter-governmental court settles conflicts between the East African countries including the republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda as well as Tanzania)
Jophat Ngonyo the executive director of ANAW said following the court announcing its ruling that this wasn’t a victory for ANAW, not for their lawyer, not for the Serengeti Watch, not for their expert witness, however for the millions of wild animals within the ecosystem of the Serengeti-Mara Region. He added that this is a victory for nature plus God’s creation.
The Serengeti ecosystem consists of the Maasai Mara Reserve of Kenya, the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, as well as nearby reserves like Loliondo, Grumeti, Maswa plus Ikorongo. The almost 10,000 sq mile safeguarded area is approximately thrice the dimensions of Yellowstone National Park. The most renowned feature in the park’ is the Great Migration – the biggest land mammal migration on the planet. Annually over Two million animals including wildebeests, zebras plus antelopes, plus other herbivores – take a long voyage from the eastern-plains through the central part of Serengeti and then northward into the Maasai Mara looking for water plus fresh grasses and thereafter go back in a annual cycle that has been happening for centuries. The Serengeti is among the small number of reserves remaining on the planet which safeguards this complete ecosystem.
