Random construction of hotels and lodges going around the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya might destroy the elephants that the tourists flock to see, warned conservationists.
Samburu is one of the best game parks in Kenya which attracts a large number of tourists. But the recent construction of four new hotels threatens the elephant migratory corridors and lion breeding habitats and that has irked the conservationists.
The BBC wildlife presenter Saba Douglas-Hamilton warned the construction could cause ‘untold damage’ to the park.
She said
These current proposed developments are all along the river. There will be a huge impact on the area most heavily utilised by the wildlife. We have to be very careful how we plan for the future. If landscape planning in Samburu is not managed it will have an adverse effect on the environment and the people who rely on tourism for their livelihoods.
Incidentally, her father Ian runs ‘Save the Elephants’, which operates in the same park. The conservation group, which works to protect 5500 elephants of the region, has been asked to vacate the reserve and was accused of publishing malicious reports about the park.
Incidentally, after a series of poor seasons due to terrorism, Kenya has recently seen a boom in its tourism industry and more than 1.8 million tourists are expected this year.