The plains of the Serengeti are home to the most spectacular migration in the animal kingdom. Every year thousands of herbivores, including wildebeest, zebras, antelopes, gazelles and impalas cross Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, travelling all the way to the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya.

This remarkable phenomenon, considered one of the most breathtaking spectacles on the planet, risks being compromised by the construction of a highway that would cut through the park. The Tanzanian government's proposal to create a commercial thoroughfare that would divide the natural sanctuary in two, threatening one of the richest ecosystems on the planet, dates back to 2010. The risks associated with building such an infrastructure within the park are considerable. The road could disrupt vital ecological corridors, slowing and obstructing the animals' migration; road accidents involving local wildlife would become a regular occurrence (the death of even a single adult female leopard would be a tragedy given the drastic decline in the population); and there would also be the risk of introducing diseases or non-native plants into the park.

Today, after four years and numerous battles, Serengeti National Park has cause to celebrate. The East African Court of Justice (Eacj) has ruled against the construction of the paved road. The court found the proposal unviable due to its significant environmental impact. The case was brought before the regional court by the association African Network for Animal Welfare (Anaw) in 2010.

"We respect Tanzania's sovereignty and its need to promote national development," said Josphat Ngonyo, executive director of Anaw, "however we believe it is necessary to protect a resource that belongs not only to the people of Tanzania and Africa, but to all of humanity."

The ruling, for the time being, removes the threat of a paved road. The Tanzanian government has announced its intention to explore an alternative solution by moving the route further south, thereby bypassing the park — much to the benefit of the animals, who will be able to continue roaming the "endless plain" (this being the meaning of the word "serengeti" in the Maasai language) just as they always have.