Do Not Take Hot Air Balloon Safaris In Kenya

by Anonymous
(Scotland (UK))


I'm uncomfortable with people talking about hot air balloon "safaris" in Kenya.

Going in a hot air balloon over the national parks is known to scare animals. Rhinos have been known to be driven out of the game reserves simply because they were so scared of the hot air balloons going over their heads.

We should protect animals, not harm them. So I want to urge people not to take hot air balloons, and to not recommend them to others!

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starstarstarstarstar 		various!
by: wendy smith

What can one say! Regrettably ill-advised people seem to believe, implicitly, what they are told without researching the answer given to them. I am appalled and mystified as to why school-teachers would exclaim "hot-air ballooning harms the animals" to their pupils! Naturally, a strange noise makes the animal more alert, they listen and look, obviously their inclination is to not look upwards to the sky, but, they are still on alert. Have you ever been on a trek in the savannahs of Africa. I have, believe me, whilst there are trackers and rangers front and back of the column, the feeling one has is "is this scary or what?" But, also exciting to be on the ground to try and photograph an animal" One cannot always see in one's peripheral vision what is around the area because the grasses are so tall. The ranger is 'tuned in' to sounds around us as are the animals and a strange sound makes them as alert as the animals we are looking for. A lion or any large animal (except elephants)can creep in the grasses, very silently, one is aware of a tension in the air, the birds are not singing, everything is so still and the walkers are absolutely stationary, not a whisper to be heard. Eventually the ranger signals us forward, one hears soft explosions of breath being let out when we begin to move off again. The rangers know the favourite haunts of animals and it seems this partcular beast has moved on. We eventually return to the lodge without spying one. Now cast your minds back to hot-air ballooning and vehicles. Many items have been written under these commentary sections and there is not one right or wrong answer. The animals get used to the noise, yes, but there can be overkill of balloons in the air-space of which I am not in favour. But, perhaps the answer is to cut down the flights to a reasonable number without hsrming the economy of the country! The animsls also do not know humans are in the cars, all they detect are the fuel emissions, which being strange, they check it out, they cannot smell us when we have windows closed, which is one of the reason one does NOT disregard instructions from the rangers about not opening windows and/or hanging arms outside the car! Believe me I have seen some horrible incidences when the arm has literally been scored down to the bone when someone has disobeyed the 'close your window' order. So, although H-A-B could or might be stressful, momentarily animals are far more "street-wise" than humans. Think on people who have not been to Africa and yet dare to comment adversely!
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starstar 		Do Not Take Hot Air Balloon Safaris
by: Boy

Hot air balloon is a way better alternative to shooting an animal with a high power rifles, or getting too close to them with a camera in land for a memory. It causes no harm to animals and, they would be scared for a jeep aproaching them as well. For an animal to be scared it is part of their nature. That is how they preserve their lives. Animals do not get scared when they are used to people and are domesticated. That is way more cruel to animals. In my opinion the aforementioned article is ridiculous. Perhaps some coservationists wish to remove all people from Africa and to reserve the land only to wild animals it is like asking the lions to be vegetarian from now on...
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starstarstarstarstar 		Poachers
by: Wendy Smith

I have written on hot air ballooning before and hoped to take a trip to Kenya this year, which did not happen. However, I did get to Cape Town, albeit for a wedding and asked friends and relatives living in South Africa what has been happening on the balloon side and poaching. Ballooning in Kenya is thriving but, poaching has reared its ugly head again, particularly in South Africa. The game reserves, of which there are many, are now having to send out their game wardens to patrol these reserves because poaching has increased, drastically. I went to Kragga Kamma [forgive spelling] in the Western Cape, a beautiful, large reserve. Speaking with the Head Ranger, he advised us that they patrol the areas 24hrs, with shifts, 7 days a week. This particular reserve's Rhino has had a baby and they are fearful of losing it to poachers. I have photos of this young rhino and am devastated to think it could be a target. This is far more invasive than hot-air ballooning. Come on people, put on your thinking caps and forget all about the PC side of life! I lived and worked in SA for forty years. Nothing can take away the natural beauty of this wonderful land with its diverse populations, wonderful animals and extreme landscapes of colour. Have you visited it yet? Have you visited Kenya lately?
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starstarstarstarstar 		wow?
by: Animal Rights Activist

I think many of you are over reacting to the topic as it does not endanger animals in any way at all. As for the comment about 20 cars being around 2 animals... It simply wouldn't happen because African wild animals are exactly that, wild, the animals would not tolerate that many people around them at once. Please rethink what you're saying. I've been vegan for 3 years and I very much respect animals but you have to be realistic.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Hot Air Balloons are not a bother to animals..
by: Anonymous

The 47 minivans surrounding a mother cheetah with five cubs was FAR more invasive, dangerous and disturbing than the shadow of a hot air balloon (or a cloud) or the sound of the Balloon Burner (thunder?) to the animal. The female lioness used those same minivans as cover and wiped out two of the cheetah cubs while the guests in the minivans took photos. The tourist minivans even follow the animals, off road in the Masai Mara. The animals control the distance between themselves and a hot air balloon.

Kenya and the beautiful people that live here rely on tourism. Hot Air Ballooning is a huge draw. Get your facts straight before you go slamming something you obviously know nothing about.
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starstarstarstarstar 		champagne breakfast
by: Kenyan

Balloon rides in the Kenya Wilderness are a must and i would encourage eneyone who can afford it to take the trip!

Where else will you ever have champagne breakfast in the wilderness safe but yet sorrounded by wild animals.

Only after a hot air baloon ride in the Mara!
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starstarstarstarstar 		Thanks Pilot...
by: Arjen (webmaster)

Thanks, pilot, for providing this helpful fact-based perspective. I fully agree and take the opportunity for a late afternoon rant. :-)

The thing with radical environmentalists is that they see humans as NOT BELONGING to nature, while in reality humans are an integral part of nature. If lions are allowed to eat antelopes, and vulcanic mountains to spit out megatonnnes of CO2 in the air, then why wouldn't humans be allowed to do the same? Animals can only survive by harming nature, e.g. killing other animals. We humans cannot survive without causing at least some level of polution. We humans are self-conscious and free (contrary to animals) and this obliges us to act morally and responsibly with nature. At the same time, contrary to an animal who is basically "happy" if he has enough food, humans have higher needs on a soul and spiritual level. This is the other side of the coin of self-consciousness and freedom. Travel and meeting other cultures is one of those higher needs.
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starstarstarstarstar 		The pilots view
by: Anonymous

I fly passengers in balloons for a living. While I have never been to Kenya, I have flown in several other locations in Africa in game reserves.

Some basics... The animals are frightened by the noise generated by the burners and to be more specific, the noise of the gas as it escapes the jets before being ignited by the pilot light. It has a very high frequency which we cannot hear and which is not normally found in nature. On the upside, balloons don't have steering wheels and unlike vehicles, cannot persue the animals as they make their escape.

Animals have a learning curve and they grow accustomed to the balloons over time as they grow to realise that the balloons do not persue them and they are not harmed. Much the same way that they do not run away from the game-drive vehicles used by the safari operators once they have realised there is no threat.

While the purist view that animals should be free to roam wild is a nice ideology, there is the simple economic fact that they have to compete with humans for the space they occupy. Game reserves is a compromise that allows humans and animals to live side by side without the conflict of interest. It seems an accepted fact that tourism is a very neccessary part of conservation.

When you consider the big picture - Tourists pay top dollar to visit the parks and and view the animals, the parks employ the locals and they earn an income which means they do not have to hunt (or grow crops) for a living and thus the animals are protected. The well-being of the animals are necessary for the continued employment of the locals and this is the full circle. If you look at the price you pay for a balloon-flight over a game reserve you can appreciate that it is a good revenue earner. On average, one balloon flying in the parks require a staffing complement of approximately 12 - 15 people.

In conclusion I might add that balloons are resticted to operating over very small portions of the parks and that the minimal disturbance they cause is far outweighed by the economic advantages to the local community - animals included.
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starstarstarstarstar 		You can't go off roads or outside vehicles since a long time...
by: Arjen Koopman (webmaster)

Ace of Rock,

If you knew Kenya, you would know that by far most parks since long don't allow vehicles to go off the roads (and people are not allowed to leave the vehicles). And I can assure you that very wild animals, who would kill you if you really came near, will just keep standing there if a car came up to e.g. 15 or 30 yards - I've seen it all the time with e.g. elephants and buffaloes. That doesn't mean they aren't "wild" anymore - 99.9% of park visitors pose no threat to them, so why would they flee? They simply kill you if you'd come too near. Other animals (e.g. lions) don't like go get near humans, so they will stay away from the roads. Very simple.

It's the poachers (as far as they still exist, the problem isn't nearly as big as a few decades ago)and a few tribal warriors that will go off the roads and pursue animals for various reasons - they are all local (rural) Kenyans operating outside the tourist business. On the contrary, tourist dollars are a main reason why the parks and the animals are protected and well maintained by the Kenyan government, and poachers etc. are prosecuted.

Best regards,
Arjen Koopman
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starstarstarstar 		Sarfais
by: Ace of Rock

I think the balloon sarfais should be banned as the animals are chased out the parks and killed as they think the balloons are giant preditors which will eat them. i also think there should be a rule to keep cars and vans on the roads as they are going far to close to the animals and the animals are no longer truly wild, i say that because you can drive right up to them and they just ignore you.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Another faux pas........An ideology or just simple stupidity
by: Anonymous

Dear ignorant Scottish man or woman...

So some sheep farmer thinks he can rally up support to a point of stopping baloon flights over the Mara, Amboseli etc... The whole idea is complete bollocks. Good question is, what about the clouds, the eclipses, the aircraft, those migratory flamingos etc. etc...

Trying to make a fashion statement (perhaps ?), I think you ought to come down to Kenya and explain it to the Kenyan people who depend on tourism for a living as it is Kenya's life line... Shame on you because today while you are enjoying your cable tv, a hot shower and a full meal... some paupers in Kenya don't have any of the comforts you are so accustomed to due to the Western smeer campaigns and stupid regulations that have negatively affected this beautiful continent Africa... Let us LIVE.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Pro Balloons
by: kimutai

The young rhinos will grow up getting used to having hot air balloons around... People should have fun! Ride on balloons and let the animals get used... It's a natural conditioning process!
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starstarstarstarstar 		Domestic Animals and Hot Air Balloons
by: Anonymous

Even my dog in Iowa is scared to death of balloons and shakes when they are within miles of our home. We are the second hot air balloon area in the USA
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starstarstarstarstar 		Overrated...
by: Arjen Koopman

hi Lauren,

I answered your points already in my first post down the page... I think the concerns are vastly overrated. A lion or a hunter are both really much scarier to an antelope than a hot air balloon...
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starstarstarstarstar 		Hot air Balloons
by: Lauren

my geography teacher said that hot air balloons scare the animals because of the hot air balloons shadow. Because it has been known for many hot air balloons to come over Kenya nearly every day. Does this affect the animals?
Does it scare them in a certain way?
Also my geography teacher has said that hot air balloons also scare the animals by their noise. Such as the gas. Is this true? or false?
Because i'm only believing what i have been told and i'm also trying to proove my brother wrong.
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starstarstar 		Education is important
by: Anonymous

I think that if someone takes a hot air balloon ride and that inspires that person or someone who was shown the photographs to help preserve the animals or their natural habitat then it's worth taking a hot air balloon ride... Are we going to ban airplanes next???
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starstarstarstarstar 		reply
by: Anonymous

im the person who created this. i didnt expect for anybody to answer, though i would like to express more of my opinion. the animals desrev to be in a wilderness were no humans are aloowed, for it is there home. but being filmed, and photo'd isnt fair on the animals, becuase they would also want to have their natrull life. being harrassed all day sin't natural. sometimes, over 50 cars are around 2 or 3 single animals. is this really right ?
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starstarstarstarstar 		It All Depends On The Where, When And How...
by: Arjen Koopman (webmaster)

Hello Anonymous,

Whether animals are actually harmed by hot air balloons is a topic for debate, to the best of my knowledge. If there's harm, it obviously depends on the circumstances: the where, when and how. For example, people who claim that animals are in fact harmed, say that the balloon's shadow over the ground is the big scare for animals. But almost all hot air balloons take place during and right after sunrise, when there are no real shadows to speak of. If certain types of animals are in fact harmed, then hot air balloon rides could simply take place in areas where such animals aren't present. KWS (Kenyan Wildlife Service) has very good knowledge about this.

Furthermore, clouds and other natural phenomena also create shadows, and no one seems to see any problems in that. Animals have the power to adapt. E.g. elephants and buffaloes in Kenya have grown accustomed to tourists - they stay totally relaxed when a slow-driving vehicle approaches them up to sometimes 30 meters. Why couldn't they accustom to the sight of a hot air balloon? Remember, it's only the sight that's the big problem according to environmentalist. I'm sure traveling by airplane to Kenya is doing equal or more harm to the natural environment than a balloon ride, so if you'd like to protect nature, then you shouldn't travel to Kenya at all (assuming you're not canoeing from Scotland to Africa).

This point is important as some environmentalists seem to take an extra purist stance when it comes to Africa. They try to put limits on Africa that they don't advocate for the developed part of the world. I never heard any environmentalist complain about hot air balloons in Europe. Apparently, they think Africa is in an ideal "pure" state and it should remain that way. In reality, Africa is a continent in a deprived state, where millions of people still struggle to survive. Tourism is one of the biggest sources of income for Kenya, as well as many other African countries, and tourism could ensure an acceptable living standard for many Kenyans. I know there's more to tourism than hot air balloon safaris, but your point can be extended to many areas of tourism in Kenya. People in Kenya have a right to survive just like animals do (sic), and constant handouts and foreign aid are not the answer - regular economic development including tourism is.

Anyone, feel free to join the debate, but please, no nastiness here (as was in the original post). There's enough of that already in the world.

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