Top Gear presenters who drove cars over fragile salt plains have “undermined the whole tourism industry” in the area, environmentalists claim.
Jeremy Clarkson and his co-presenters have been criticised for driving over the Makgadikgadi salt plains in Botswana. The area has one of the last big zebra migrations in Africa and is the habitat for flamingos and other birds. Normally, only quad bikes can be used on the salt flats and must travel in single file.
Rachel Noble, of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), said: “Jeremy Clarkson may argue that they are promoting tourism and doing this show is a good thing, but they’ve damaged the environment that people pay money to go and see, and undermined the whole tourism industry.
“The other issue is the awful example it sets to self-drive safaris entering national parks anywhere in the world, particularly in Africa. They have to rely on people being responsible but a lot of irresponsible driving does go on. This is just going to be encouraging that kind of behaviour.”
The EIA has worked in Botswana for five years, most recently on fencing off part of the salt flats to help to control and conserve wildlife.
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Mary Rice, the agency’s head of campaigns, said: “It’s a very fragile ecosystem. It’s not like if you go to the beach and make tracks in the sand and the waves wash them away; the salt plains are very different. There is a thin crust that falls across the top and when you put vehicle tyre tracks there it doesn’t wash away with the rain. It can be there for decades.”
She added: “We understand that they were approached by guides in the park telling them that they shouldn’t be driving off-road and they were ignored.”
A BBC spokesman said experts were employed who ensured that the team did not go near any conservation area. “Driving single or double file was an area of debate: our experts suggested single file could leave worse damage as it caused a permanent track if used over and over. There were three normal vehicles and quad bikes were used by the filming crew. We categorically deny any claims that we made permanent damage to the pans. The rainy season is November and will wash away any tracks that may remain.”