Kenya translocates elephants to game reserve
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E-mail Xinhua, August 30, 2012
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has started translocation of 150 elephants to the Masai Mara National Reserve to help defuse tension with host communities.
The wildlife authority said the month-long exercise which begun late Tuesday aims to mitigate rising cases of human-elephant conflict in the area.
"The translocation is set to greatly minimize the human- elephant conflict particularly regarding to crop raids, property destruction, human injuries and death," KWS said in a statement issued in Nairobi on Wednesday.
According to the wildlife agency, the country has lost more than 10 lions, six alone in June, and four elephants since January due to conflicts with people.
Data from KWS also indicated total wildlife mortality resulting from human-wildlife conflict since January is 50, including 26 primates.
The east African nation has been losing 100 lions a year for the past seven years, leaving the country with just 2,000 of its famous big cats, meaning the country could have no wild lions at all in 20 years.
Conservationists have blamed habitat destruction, disease and conflict with humans for the decline in lion population.
KWS said the ongoing translocation is also expected to reduce incidences of elephant mortality and reduce the agency's expenditures on Problem Animal Control (PAC).
This is the second phase of the translocation exercise. In the first phase carried out late last year, a total of 62 elephants were successfully moved from Narok North District to the Masai Mara.
"These elephants have since been monitored intensively by GSM/ GPS satellite collars, aerial and ground patrols. A number of the translocated elephants will also be fitted with GSM/GPS collar chips to monitor and track their movements," KWS said.
According to KWS, rapid change in lifestyle of local communities from pastoralists to crop farming and other incompatible land-use practices have tremendously led to increased human wildlife conflict in the Narok County.
"Such conflict in many areas is mainly attributed to increased human population and loss of elephant habitat due to uncontrolled human activities, especially crop farming, charcoal burning and human settlements," it said.
The number of elephants has reduced from a high of 160,000 in 1970s to below 30,000. KWS said between the 1970s and 1980s Kenya lost over 80 percent of her elephants, mainly due to intensive poaching of elephants for ivory.
Also affected are the black rhinos whose number declined from 20,000 in 1970 to 577 in 2011.
The government has proposed a hefty penalty for poachers found killing wildlife in Kenya after a new law is approved.
Wildlife and Forestry Minister Dr. Noah Wekesa told Xinhua recently that the draft bill on wildlife had been completed but was recalled by the Attorney General for harmonization with the country's new constitution.
"The bill is currently at the Cabinet awaiting approval before it is taken to parliament for debate and a further approval to become law," Wekesa said.
He said besides given adequate compensation on livestock and damages done by wildlife, those found guilty of killing wildlife will be punished heavily.
He said the existing law is very lenient on the poachers who, after being arraigned in a court of law, ends up paying their fine and continues terrorizing the wildlife.
Under the bill, compensation for injury meted on farmers will attract a fine of 600 U.S. dollars, a figure that has raised complaints from farmers.
KWS said Narok County, about 100 km southwest of Nairobi, is currently designated as one of the human-wildlife conflict (HWC) hotspots in the country with elephants identified as the most problematic wildlife species.
KWS has launched a national elephant conservation and management strategy which provides a clear roadmap for conservation and management of elephants in Kenya for the next 10 years.
The elephant strategy seeks to reduce cases of human-elephant conflict and increase the value of elephants to people and habitats.
It outlines strategies KWS and other conservation partners will use to protect the species, particularly in key strategic locations, such as dispersal areas, migration corridors and in the human-elephant conflict hotspots such as the Narok ecosystem.
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