Mara — THE number of vehicles ferrying tourists entering and leaving the country via the Tanzanian/Kenyan Sirari Border Post has significantly increased this season.

Majority of the tourists are flocking into the northern fringes of the world's famous Serengeti National Park (SENAPA), to view the great migration comprising over 1.5 million wildebeest.

"Tourists are many here this time. They want to witness the wildebeest migration. And some of them are hailing from Maasai Mara Game Reserve on the Kenyan side," a tour guide of a popular travel company based in Arusha told the 'Daily News' as he was on his way from Sirari border yesterday.

The reporter witnessed dozens of tourist vehicles going and coming from one of the country's busiest border (Sirari). Good roads have also made it possible for the tour operating companies mostly from the northern circuit to use the shortcut, Tarime-Mugumu road, thanks to Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS), Mara office for ensuring that the regional gravel road is passable without difficulties.

Mugumu town, the capital of Serengeti District is approximately 40 km away from SENAPA. Mara is rated as one of the top regions with the best road network in the country. The 2013 wildebeest migration has in the recent days been roaming round Mara River which is shared by Kenya and Tanzania.

"Some of the wildebeest have started crossing Mara River but they are still on the Tanzanian side," a senior conservationist said. The wildebeest spend large part of their life in the country's second largest national park before crossing into Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.

It is an amazing journey that witnesses calving of about 250,000 new wildebeest babies in the southern grassland of the SENAPA every year. The animals keep on moving following green pastures and water.