I stumbled upon an issue happening with safaris in Africa. A tourist stated that, while with a tour guide, them and 27 other vehicles raced across the plains to wait and watch a few cheetahs kill the nearby wildebeest. When it happened there were groups and groups of tourists taking pictures and videos of the gruesome last moments of an animals life. This is what the Maasai Mara safari has become.
They have recently set new rules and require vehicles to be at least 82 feet away from a cat species. They also stated that only a maximum of 5 vehicles at a sighting, but this is not followed. It is almost impossible to monitor the 579 sq mile park.
The guides survive off tips. If the tourists do not see the "big five", then they do not tip. That is why the guides are rushing through the plains to catch sightings. If this continues, the animals are going to hide more, or even avoid their natural migration. A study done in 2018 showed fewer cheetah cubs in high tourist areas. The balance does not need to be thrown off with any of the animals, but especially one that's dwindling in numbers.
Sources:
Nunis, Vivienne. BBC News. Maasai Mara safari overcrowding stresses Kenyan wildlife. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58783025
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_five_game
https://www.maasaimarakenyapark.com/information/rules-regulations-masai-mara/
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/marketplace-africa-maasai-mara-safari-pivot-spc-intl/index.html
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