Serengeti wildlife legal victory

This video is called Serengeti – The Adventure (Full Documentary, HD).

From Wildlife Extra:

East African Court of Justice rules out construction of Serengeti super highway

The East African Court of Justice has ruled against the construction of a tarmac highway that would cut across the migration routes of the great herds of wildebeest and zebras in Serengeti National Park, Northern Tanzania.

On 20 June 2014, judges at the court ruled that the proposed road from Loliondo-Kleins Gate/Tabora B to Mugumu/Natta would be “unlawful” and “could cause irreversible damage to the property’s outstanding universal value.”

The road was proposed by the Tanzanian government to boost economic growth and improve transport links to neighbouring regions.

However, the plans were met with international outrage, with scientists warning that the resulting traffic could severely degrade animal populations, diminish the quality of grazing, trigger more grass fires and turn the ecosystem into a net source of CO2.

The case was first brought against the Government of Tanzania by the African Network on Animal Welfare (ANAW) and other concerned parties in December 2010.

“This is great victory for conservation in Tanzania and sends a strong message that future development cannot proceed in a business-as-usual manner,” said Festo Semanini, the Head of Programmes for BirdLife International’s Tanzania Project Office.

“This permanent injunction underscores the importance to protect natural places in Tanzania, which are increasingly coming under threat.”

Dr Chris Magin, the Senior Partner Development Officer at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB, BirdLife in UK) said the court decision demonstrates the need to respect international conventions.

“RSPB lauds this decision and encourages the Government to give priority to enhancing the ecological and touristic values of Serengeti, which is a global ecological gem.”

Although the ruling is being heralded as a major victory for wildlife conservation, the battle is not over yet as there are still plans for road construction in migration areas in the north, outside of the park boundary but well within the larger Serengeti ecosystem.

While the court has barred Tanzania from building a paved road, the government still plans to upgrade the existing seasonal dirt track to gravel, even though it lies in a designated wilderness zone where public traffic is not allowed.

This means that traffic through the national park, which is a designated World Heritage Site, is still likely to increase.