Viral Videos Mislead Public: KWS Says Ritz-Carlton Camp Doesn’t Affect Wildebeest Migration

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has pushed back against claims that the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp in the Maasai Mara National Reserve is obstructing the iconic wildebeest migration. In a statement issued on Thursday, November 27, the agency dismissed the allegations as misleading and inaccurate.

KWS clarified that the Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp, which has drawn intense criticism in recent weeks, stands in a legally designated low-use tourism investment zone as outlined in the Maasai Mara National Reserve Management Plan (2023–2032). “The Ritz-Carlton safari camp is situated within a designated tourism investment low-use zone, as provided for in the Maasai Mara National Reserve Management Plan, 2023 – 2032,” the agency stated.

The wildlife authority stressed that the government accords the wildebeest migration the highest level of protection. KWS highlighted several ongoing national conservation efforts as proof of this commitment.

“Our commitment is demonstrated through ongoing national initiatives, including the recent Cabinet approval to secure the Nairobi National Park – Athi-Kapiti wildlife corridor, among others. This policy direction highlights our firm resolve to safeguard all existing wildlife corridors, including those within the wider Masai Mara ecosystem,” the statement continued.

KWS referenced historical data from a GPS tracking study conducted between 1999 and 2002, where researchers monitored the movement of more than 60 collared wildebeest. The findings showed that the entire Maasai Mara reserve acts as a general dispersal zone and that migrating herds use the full 68-kilometre stretch along the Kenya–Tanzania border without relying on a single preferred route.

With this evidence, the agency insisted that safari camps located along the Mara, Talek and Sand rivers, including the Ritz-Carlton, have minimal impact on migration patterns and have long coexisted with wildlife without obstructing natural movements.

KWS emphasized that the Ritz-Carlton project underwent all necessary approvals.

“The Kenya Wildlife Service assures the public that all ecological, environmental, and regulatory requirements were thoroughly met and validated prior to approval of the Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp,” the agency said, adding that all tourism investments undergo strict environmental impact assessments to safeguard Kenya’s protected ecosystems.

The agency also noted that several permanent and seasonal camps already operate along the Sand River, none of which have previously faced similar accusations.

“Therefore, the long-term monitoring data conclusively indicates that the location of the Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp and the other five safari camps along the Sand River do not fall within, obstruct, or interfere with any wildebeest migration corridors,” KWS added.

Responding to viral videos depicting stranded wildebeest, the agency said the clips lacked context and were being weaponized by individuals with commercial motives. “Therefore, we encourage the public to rely on verified and official information to ensure that the general public is not misguided,” KWS reiterated.

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