Threat to Kenya's Wildlife

IS KWS FIT FOR PURPOSE

Through its Actions and Inactions
These two videos are the latest in a series of controversies, involving the Kenya's Wildlife Service.




These demonstrations follow, a series of recent news items coming out of Kenya
Morans kill lion after buffalo kills boy .
http://www.the-star.co.ke/national/national/85836-maasai-morans-on-hunting-spree-in-amboseli
6 Lions Speared to Death
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Outrage+as+morans+kill+six+lions+in+night+of+terror+/-/1056/1431868/-/h6kx2y/-/index.html
The 3 Sacrificial Cubs
http://sybellefoxcroft.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/the-sacrificial-cubs-cheetah-cubs-of-the-mara-triangle/

The Miracle of Murera" by Safariman a Forum Member https://wildaboutanimals.forumotion.net/t1721-elephant-poaching-meru-national-park-kenya-feb-2012#35638

WS

Thanks WS. We've touched on KWS a lot recently and I have no idea really what we can do to put pressure on them.

Lai

I agree Lai, I'm not sure if any pressure could be applied, but when you look at that sign from the Video, to me its frightening for the future of the Mara, and the animals we love. That why I asked the question, because when you start to add these stories together is KWS, an actual danger to the wildlife of Kenya, and the survival of some of its iconic species. We have always said that the survival of the predators of Africa, and its other wildlife will depend on people seeing the economic benifits of tourism that will compensate them from the loss of their livestock, and other damage.
It seems clear from the demonstrations, that this is not happening neither in the amount, or the speed they are getting compensation, added to which KWS do'nt seem to react with any sense of urgency, when situations are reported. Hence the question is KWS, a danger to the wildlife it's supposed to protect.
WS

I agree WS 100%.

Lai

Yet another example of whats happening in Kenya
Even more evidence of the dysfunctional workings of Kenya's Government, and whats happening in the Parks
WANTED ALIVE !!!..not DEAD !
The recent mass killings of some of the Nairobi Na...tional Park lions on land south of the park , and the incidents with the lionesses in the Langata residential area have set the “alarm bells” ringing with many people who are concerned about the future of the lions .
In order to understand the future , we need to briefly look back at the past. In the years after 1946 when the park was gazetted there was still plentiful game and the annual migration movements south of the park were hardly obstructed . However it is now 2012 and Nairobi has become a mega city of approx 4 million people and growing , with the tiny 117 sq km Nairobi National Park , being rapidly surrounded and is fast becoming “ a green island in a sea of concrete “ .
I believe we are now at the “tipping point” , as action to help can no longer be delayed , as it was in 2003 when many lions were killed outside the park . The tough decision to make now is that park now needs to be fenced . However I believe that proper fencing is required almost all round , except for the possibility of a narrow migration corridor in the south , that will be dependent on the local community wanting to be involved in eco-tourism and wildlife conservation .
The reduced herds in combination with the size of the park , means that a viable lion population of not more than 30 lions is recommended , as lions are very important in the Nairobi park . Therefore surplus “problem” lions would need to be relocated to other parks or reserves , like Kora near Meru .
Responsible people cannot delay the right decisions as we all want the lions to be “WANTED ALIVE ….not DEAD’See more
This album shows much of what i have seen over the past few years and hopefully gives others some insight of what is inside the park !!!
by: Nairobi national park..
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So now they want to fence the park off completely, apart from a small migration corridoor, keep the lion numbers down to 30, and what do they do about new Cubs, and at the same time they want to build a road through the park.
WS

OMG it seems they have completely lost it.
Lai

Interesting article Whitestarling. However the only way Nairobi National Park can survive as a wildlife park is, as the article says, by putting a fence around it. That then provides a barrier between the human and animal activities which sadly in our modern 21st. century society are not compatible. There has been a problem for some time with animals particularly lion encroaching into residential areas. Langata is a very wealthy, up-market residential area of Nairobi with schools and shops etc. which is not going to welcome the presence of predators! The Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage has also been having problems with the rogue lions. As with any wildlife park or reserve, proper management is essential, even more so when fenced. but there is no other viable alternative. Several of the private reserves in the Laipikia area are already fenced and I can well envisage in 15-20 years that all the parks and reserves in Kenya will be fenced. South Africa went down this road a long time ago and although not a perfect solution it does work. Even the Kruger National Park, the 4th largest in Africa and much larger than the Mara, is completely fenced. It deters poaching and allows communities development without fear of wildlife.
Although we like to think of wildlife parks as pristine and wild, they are in fact artificial and man made. Once you designate an area as a national park the human element is removed (often forcibly) and you create a man made environment which you then have to manage and manage totally and properly.
The lions are another issue and Nairobi National Park is not big enough to sustain more than one or possibly two prides of lion, therefore genetic diversity becomes an issue if you want to avoid in-breeding. This is where efficient management comes in. Even in Ngorogoro Park in Tanzania they are having to introduce new male lions and remove the existing males to other areas to maintain sufficient genetic diversity.
There are no easy answers to the ongoing conflict between human development and wildlife, not just in Africa but in all areas of the world including the UK. Conservation only works if it includes the people most directly involved and should not be determined by organisations often thousands of miles away who are often promoting their own agendas.
Hope this doesn't sound too controversial!!

Safariman

No Safariman, you are making informed comment. I can see the sense in erecting a fence to help avoid human, animal conflict, as its the main problem. What I cant see is having done, that why build a road through it, unless they invision turning it into a glorified Zoo trip. If it was fenced, why else would you need a road otherwise. Also there would be a big problem in relocating the Pride Males to other areas, as has been prooved in the past. There would also be a problem with new Males being brought in, depending on cubs ages of the prides already in the area. The gene pool of all the other animals would also be effected. With Niarobi Park being so small would'nt it be better to just close it, and move the animals to other areas.
WS

With regard to the road, without seeing the route of the road it is difficult to know how it would affect the park. The reasoning behind the road is to try and find a way of by-passing central Nairobi for through traffic particularly from Mombasa heading north of Nairobi. At the moment the traffic trying to get into Nairobi in the mornings is horrendous. I have been stuck in traffic jams for hours just getting from the main airport into the city. They have recently opened a by-pass north of the city and they want to do a similar thinh to the south. As with London and many other world cities, traffic is increasingly a problem.
If carried out correctly, there should be no problem moving male lions, obviously it would not be done when a pride has small cubs and all the males adult and sub-adult would be moved at the same time. The park although fairly small is still comparable in size to some of the private reserves such as Lewa and Ol Pejeta which have similar problems with male lions. There is a not normally a problem of genetic diversity with the rest of the wildlife, as it is only really the lions among the predators that live in small social groups with large territories. Moving lions has generally been successful in the private reserves in South Africa. Also if the park was closed down it would be impossible to trans-locate the plains game etc. because of the vast numbers involved. It is the age old insoluble problem of wildlife and humans co-existing in harmony.

Safariman

Thanks for your insights Safariman. To be honest, and fair, I'm playing Devils Advocate. When this news was posted on the net, there were people posting their concerns, that I have put on here, and never having had the fortune of going to Kenya, or on Safari, I'm trying to increase my knowledge to get a proper perspective on the repurcusions these plans would have on the wildlife of the Park. As you have said its easy for organisation from thousands of miles away to comment, and I have said before to critisie from the comforts of our own home, we do'nt live with these problems, and the co-excistance of wildlife, and humans will never be solved to boths satisfactions. Its just when we interfer we tend to make a mess of things. One thing that does concern me though is still the gene pool of the animals. I'm thinking of animals like Hyenas, Monkeys, Babboons, and others that live a social family orintated life style, also animals like Leopards where the Males need to roam to increase the gene pool. In parts of the world they are working towards creating corridors between animal parks, and reserves to facilitate the movement of animals like these, do you think that would work in Kenya, and would be a good idea. The only other thing I would say about the road is that Kenya objected to the proposed Serengetti Road, but are now proposing to do the same thing although on a much smaller scale.

WS

With regards to the points you mention WS, leopards are not a problem, they find fences to be only a minor irritation, they either go over via convenient trees or under using burrows dug by warthogs, aardvarks and porcupines. Similarly baboons and other monkeys have no problem going over fences. I was lucky enough when in South Africa on a night drive to watch a leopard sramble under a fence and then calmly walk down a main road!! Leopards are very much adapted to the urban environment and are the most numerous of the big cats although they are rarely seen. The fences generally act to keep the larger animals within an area and humans out. Even when the fences are electrified, if the animals want to get out they will. The only slight downside that I came across were a pride of lions who specialised in chasing giraffe directly into fences to make their killing easier!!

Further to my post, I have managed to locate a photo of the leopard going under the fence.



Safariman

Thanks Safariman, never thought about Leopards doing that, and really I should have done, I've seen enough films, and documentary's about them, and as you say the most numerous of the Big Cats in the wild, amazing how animals learn with the Lions chasing the Giraffes into the fence, just shows how they can adapt to different things. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge
Brilliant shot Safariman Thanks
WS

Brilliant pic

very true that leopards are very adaptable to urban world!

fencing cannot be a solution as it restrict the movement of wild and cause inbreeding

shutting down the park and relocating animals will be disaster

i beleave it is the human settlement that needs to be relocated!

giving an example of Ranthambore National Park in india where human settlement moved out to make space for the wild! an entire village was relocated ! so why not the same here

also there should be buffer zones given near all national parks and corridors!