Interview with Felix: some questions about African tourism and the relationship between the Masais and the wildlife.

I was privileged and honored to have a conversation with Mr. Felix in the Masai Mara, who is a senior conservationist working at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). I asked him so many questions about the effect of tourism on the normal life of wild animals in the Masai Mara, and the relationship of the Masais with the wildlife, especially the lions. These answers are extremely valuable, first-hand information.

Marco: Hi Felix, so nice to meet you. We will do a short interview about wildlife conservation, and I am going to ask you some questions.

Felix: Sure!

Ask: When I went to the park today, I saw lions, and there were like ten vehicles around 1 lion. So I wonder, what is the effect of tourism on lions and other wildlife in the Masai Mara?

Felix: In Masai Mara, most of the animals are used to the tourists’ vehicles. They adapted to live with them, so it might not be a big problem. The animal we think get the most influence from the vehicles are the cheetahs. For cheetah may left the park at an early age and return to the park after they grown up, so they may not be adapted to the noise made by the vehicles. For other animals, they are pretty much used to the vehicles and the tourists.

Ask: When I entered the park today, I saw some rules written on the board of the gate. Can you explain a bit more about how are these rules monitored by the workers here to ensure every tourists obey them?

Felix: We have rangers all around, who monitor the tourists to make sure them obey all the rules. The speed is monitored. And litering is prohibited. All the rubbish is supposed to be kept in the car, until you arrive the location where throwing rubbish is allowed. Also, in the park, vehicles should give way to the animals. If a animal is crossing the road, the vehicle must stop to wait.

Ask: Are there other precautions to minimize human impact on the wildlife here in the Maasai Mara?

Felix: There is a restriction that no vehicles should go out at night. Because we have many animals that are active at night. Even for the animals active during the day, prohibiting vehicles going into the park at night allows these animals to take a rest without the disturbance of human beings. This ensures animals to have time absolutely without human disturbance.  

Ask: Are there any Maasai villages in the park?

Felix: No, there are not Maasai villages in the park. They are not allowed to live in the park.

Ask: What is Maasai people’s average attitude toward wildlife like lions?

Felix: They indeed once to have the tradition of hunting them in the past. But now, they are told to change the tradition. You know, in the past, the number of lions is relatively big. There are thousands of thousands of lions. But now, the number is small. Also, the tradition is changed because they see the benefit of taking care of lions and other animals, because of, you know, tourism. Tourists like you go and buy their crafts, 10 dollars or 20 dollars, it is a great benefit to the Maasai. They realized that it is much better to go and kill the animals

Ask: I heard some poisoning and killing incidents before, what is the cause for those incidents?

Felix: The lion teeth. Some people normally buy them, so there are poachers go and kill the lions and take their teeth so they can sell them. Also the elephants, they kill elephants for the ivory. Those people are poorly educated, because if you keep killing them for their teeth, within a few years, everything will be gone. (angry) So we should take good care of these animals, because we can get other benefits, like from tourism, from them.

Ask: I saw a lot of cows and sheep in Amboseli and here in Maasai Mara. They are raised by the Maasai people. Are their any rules to restrict the grazing for them?

Felix: Yes, that is illegal grazing. There should not be any livestock in the park for grazing. So those people who do this is acting illegally. Normally our rangers will go and arrest them. They are normally given fines.

Ask: Is it possible like some carnivores, like lions steal their livestock and cause human-animal conflict?

Felix: Yes, it happens. Especially when the herbivores go back to Serengeti and the food source is scarce, lions can go to the villages and kill their cows. Eh…it is a problem but the villagers are told not to retaliate, because the government will compensate. They are supposed to report the damage, like the number of cows killed to the government.

Ask: my last question is what do you think can help better maintain a good balance between Masai people and wildlife activities?

Felix: Yes! To help them better deal with the animal, some of the revenue of the government should go to the Masais, for their children’s education, to buy medicine in the hospitals, to make roads. So continuously supporting the local community will make them better conserve the animals and cooperate with us.

End.

I would like to thank Mr. Felix again for spending time talking to me! And I really appreciate his effort in protecting all the lovely animals living in the Masai Mara. Thank you, Felix!