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Kenya’s environment court to consider a claim that a lux safari camp was harming wildebeests routes

NAROK, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s environment court said Thursday it will consider a case challenging the operations of a luxury safari camp in the Maasai Mara reserve amid claims it was infringing on the annual wildebeest migration corridor.

The decision came after a local conservationist, who had initially filed the suit, moved to withdraw it. The court dismissed the motion for withdrawal said it would take up the case again on Feb. 10 and decide how to proceed.

The case was filed in August following local and international condemnation over claims the location of the Ritz-Carlton Maasai Mara Camp was blocking the annual wildebeest migration, which draws thousands of tourists from around the world.

The luxury camp, operated by Marriott International, is expected to be among Kenya’s most expensive destinations, charging guests up to $3,500 per night.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is home to several other luxury camps that provide tourists with an opportunity to be up close with wildebeests during their annual migration to the neighboring Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

Judge Lucy Gacheru of the Environment and Land Court said that although the law allows a petitioner to withdraw a case, it is at the judiciary’s discretion whether the case should be thrown out and that, in this instance, the serious environmental impact issues raised were of significant public interest.

The Kenyan conservationist, Joel Meitamei Olol Dapash, filed the withdrawal motion on Wednesday, stating that his concerns had been addressed after consultation with the parties involved.

However, the project developers, Lazizi Mara Limited, asked the court to reject the withdrawal, stating that despite their compliance with all regulatory and statutory requirements, the developer had been portrayed negatively and should be allowed a fair hearing in a court of law.

Buffalo named Donald Trump for his golden locks is a sensation at a Bangladesh zoo

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — With his shock of golden hair and trim 700-kilogram (1,500-pound) build, Donald Trump has been drawing crowds from across Bangladesh since he arrived at the national zoo last week. The rare albino buffalo became a sensation when a farmer noticed that his blond tuft of hair resembled the distinctive locks of the U.S. president. After a video of the pale horned mammal went viral on social media, large numbers of people started showing up at the farm outside Dhaka to see him for themselves. The animal was originally meant to be slaughtered for the Muslim festival of sacrifice. But citing security concerns, the government ordered him transferred to the zoo in the capital, where large crowds are now braving sweltering heat to see him. On Tuesday, visitors pressed against the fence of the buffalo's enclosure, filming with their phones as some fathers hoisted small children on their shoulders for a better view.
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