Human-wildlife conflict on the rise

Loitoktok, Saturday May 13, 2023

KNA by Kimani Tirus

Human / wildlife conflicts has lately increased due to prolonged drought in the country.

Mr. Paul Wambi, KWS Assistant Director in charge of Amboseli Ecosystem said the recent dry spell affected the ecosystem and hence food chain such that carnivorous wildlife is now invading homes and grazing domestic animals which are easy prey.

Mr. Wambi said with the ongoing rains, pastures for livestock are now readily available and herders are releasing their animals into these pastures hence becoming easy prey for animals such as lions and hyenas.

The Assistant Director said on the other hand the herders are attacking the animals and killing them citing recent deaths of three lions occasioned by human-wildlife conflicts.

Mr. Wambi strongly condemned the acts of the local community who have resulted to taking law into their hands by killing the animals rather than reporting the matter to relevant authorities.

He further urged the local community to report incidents of stray animals invading their homes to Kenya Wildlife Service for appropriate action to be taken.

Mr. Wambi added that KWS compensate for the loss occasioned by the wildlife and hence no need of attacking or killing the animals.

In such instances, he noted that KWS captures the animals and take them back to the park or in other incidents transfer them to another area but regretted that a dead animal cannot be transferred and it is thus a loss to the country.

Mr. Wambi who was addressing the media after a two-day consultative workshop on matters related to wildlife in Loitoktok urged residents to be looking at the bigger picture of benefits gained by the wildlife such as revenue courtesy of tourism as well as thousands of jobs through wildlife conservation.

On his part, African Wildlife Foundation Legal officer, Mr. Benson Kasyoki, said AWF have been working closely with KWS by ensuring cases of crimes against wildlife presented are watertight and hence successful.

Mr. Kasyoki observed that AWF ensures KWS is well equipped as well witnesses are available in court timely apart from frequent training.

The legal officer said due to working closely with KWS cases which are presented in court concerning bush meat have a 90 percent success rate.

The workshop had brought together stakeholders working in fields related to wildlife both in Kenya and Tanzania.

Courtesy; K.N.A