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Rains came too late for hundreds of wildlife
The growing sophistication in the weapons used by poachers has decimated the elephant population in the country by about 216 since 2007. Conservationists now warn that the world’s largest land mammal may become extinct if the trend persists. Photo/FILE
In Summary
- Now KWS takes steps to restore populations of animals in parks
“The cattle eat food that the wild game relies on; diseases can spread from domestic to wild animals, and the herders sometimes kill the animals that eat their cattle,” Mr Omondi said.
A total of 10 lions have been killed by herders who have lost their cattle to the large cats. In one case, farmers poisoned a carcass and it left for the lions. It killed not just a lion, but also 300 vultures that ate the carcasses of the cow and the lion.
Mr Omondi says the herders should expect to lose some of their animals if they choose to break the law and let them graze in game reserves.
The problem of livestock in game reserves was so serious, that the biggest expenditure of the KWS during the drought was in driving cattle out of the parks. In many cases helicopters had to be used at a cost of $1,000 (Sh75,000) per hour.
One of the challenges KWS faces in its efforts to keep cattle out of game reserves is that the Maasai Mara, Kenya’s most famous park, is not managed by the service. Instead, it’s managed by the Narok County Council who, Mr Omondi says, turn a blind eye to the herders.
“We have tried talking to the council to stop them, but it hasn’t worked,” he said.
As a response, the KWS is working on improving cattle grazing regulations. The wildlife service is also implementing new water management techniques to alleviate the effects of future droughts.
Conservation areas
“We’re looking into putting up ponds and water collection points in conservation areas,” Mr Omondi said.
The long-term effects of drought are well-known to KWS, and Mr Omondi points to the case of the wild buffalo populations as an example. Reducing in numbers from 12,000 in 1984 to about 4,000 today, the primary factor in the drop of wild buffalo numbers were the 1984 and 1993 droughts.
Even with the potential long-term effects and the short-term reduction in animal populations, KWS is optimistic about the future of Kenya’s wildlife.
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very sad indeed and here we are still bickering over Mau
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