Page 14 - People Daily Newspaper
P. 14
NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 20, 2021
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Rise in the mammals especially the elephants have ity of water and pasture.
been met with anxiety and ap- Collectively, ranches occupy
population endangers prehension by artisanal farm- over 1.2 million acres of land.
Taita Taveta residents, ers in Taita-Taveta county who “We have very many ele-
are still trying to figure out phants in the ranches because
leaves a trail of losses what the surge in the num- we have pasture and water,”
ber of elephants portends for said the rancher.
The recent release of Kenya’s them. The increased conflicts are
first National Wildlife Census Elijah Mwanjala, is one such also blamed on illegal settle-
2021 Report was received with artisanal farmer at Landi area ment along migration corri-
celebrations by conservation- in Mwatate sub-county. dors, which interfere with the
ists across the country. And annual jumbo migration.
with good reason too. The However, the recent eviction
results showed a significant Farmers anguish of over 3,000 residents and de-
At midnight a fortnight ago,
increase in the population of a herd of elephants paid him molition of houses at Ndovuni
animals in the wild. a nocturnal visit. They had village in Voi is a pointer to the
From buffaloes to rhinos to strayed from a nearby ranch. efforts by the government to
zebras and lions, the numbers Asleep at that time, he was A family of elephants cooling off at a watering point at a hotel in Tsavo East National Park. KNA reduce the conflicts by clear-
pay homage to the conserva- jolted awake by the terrifying placidly licked sugar from a the farmer cowering in the It is such encounters that ing the animals’ routes.
tion efforts by the government noise of a quivering house and bowl, munched half a sack of corner. have increased the anguish of Voi Deputy County Commis-
aimed at preservation of Ke- the rending sound of a roof be- simsim and maize grains he “I was terrified. I was sure farmers who fear that conflict sioner Daniel Nduti says the
nya’s rich biodiversity. ing pulled apart. had stored after his harvest. the house would collapse. I did incidences will only increase. villagers had settled illegally in
However, the good news of After prying loose one edge Satiated, the jumbos rambled not sleep again that night. Who The 2021 census report Tsavo East National Park and
a surging wildlife population of the roof, the elephants away into the night leaving could,?” recalls the farmer. showed that the country has hindered the migration of el-
36,280 elephants. Out of this ephants into the park.
total, 14, 964 are in the Tsavo
Ecosystem while the rest are Farmers compensation
distributed across other eco- “This was a migration cor-
systems in the country. ridor that had to be cleared.
The data from Tsavo shows They had settled right inside
ǘȌɩǶȌɩخƧȌخDzƵ a gradual growth of the jumbo a protected area,” said the ad-
population; an indicator that ministrator.
§ƊɈƊ ernment to promote conserva- to erect electric fences in most
KWS has announced plans
the billions spent by the gov-
troubled areas to keep the el-
§ª å yielding results. areas. Currently, a 93-km elec-
tion and eradication poaching
ephants inside the protected
and illegal wildlife trade are
tric fence from Mwatate to
In the 2014 census, Tsavo’s
jumbo population was at
Kasighau to Mackinnon Road
in Voi is under construction.
11,217. By 2017, the numbers
had grown to 12, 866. With
Kamutonga-Alia fence is set to
the current numbers at over
resume after court gave a go-
14,000, it is largely expected The erection of the 30-km
םכלנ wȌƮƵǶ jɩƊ ƵǞ ɯƊDzȌن the population will keep on ahead for the project.
Despite such interventions,
growing.
The growth in numbers is a
Wildlife Service (KWS) and
positive move for the tourism local leaders are urging Kenya
sector and promoters of bio- Ministry of Tourism and Wild-
diversity. However, the flipside
is the possibility of increased
(ǞƊǶ ؿןנןؿלو cases of human-wildlife con- 14,000
flict in several areas viewed as
conflict hotspots.
The current population of
In Tsavo, areas considered
as troubled zones include the largest land mammals
according to the National
àƵDzƊ ƦǞƮ ɯƊ ƧǘǞȁǞ ȁƊ DzǞȯƵDzƵƵ ɐȯƊɈƵ Kasighau, Mbololo, Maungu Wildlife Census Report 2021
and Sagalla in Voi; Kishushe
§ȲȌƦȌɮ ɈǘǞȺ ²ƊɈɐȲƮƊɯ ףكמכƊǿن in Wundanyi and Maktau and
Bura in Mwatate. It is only in
Taveta sub-county where el- life to expedite compensation
claims for crop damage and
ephants’ invasion is rarely re- property destruction.
ported.
Sagalla MCA Godwin Kilele
says delays in paying com-
Annual migration pensations for crises like crop
Lately, a worrying trend has destruction were hurting the
emerged where conflicts are farmers.
being reported in areas tradi- He added that thousands
tionally not associated with el- were left without food after
ephants’ invasion. Landi is one their crops were destroyed and
such area. Other areas where thus a need to release the mon-
cases are reported frequently ey quickly to avoid widespread
include Ghazi, Miasenyi and starvation.
Ngolia. “Compensation should
“We have never had these
'HDO 3RD invasions in the past. We don’t come on time so that people
can at least buy food,” he said.
know what has triggered them
Senator Johnes Mwaruma
now,” says Mwanjala. had tabled a bill in the Senate
One of the major factors be-
that sought to compel all com-
ׅ ( æ² ing cited for this trend is the pensation claims filed to be
ravaging drought inside Tsavo
paid within 90 days. The fate of
National Park. Decline in wa-
À Jث
the bill remains.
ter and pasture has pushed
To date, KWS has paid over
elephants into ranches and Sh50 million in compensations
human settlement areas. for deaths caused by wildlife.
Bongo’sa Mcharo, chair of However, no compensation
Taita-Taveta Wildlife Con- has been received for crop
׀ׁׁׁ ׀׀ׅ ׁׁׁ servancies Association, says losses, property destruction
elephants have flocked in the and animal predation.
ranches owing to the availabil- - KNA
