Now, even monkeys make the menu

By Dauti Kahura

This year is tough for wildlife. Thousands have died from hunger and thirst due to drought while others play hide and seek to avoid humans who hunt them for food.

Even baboons, monkeys and chimps that once were common along major highways have taken cover.

Conservationists say besides drought, the rapid growth in wildlife meat trade is the other danger facing wildlife.

The growth, they say, is buoyed by the ‘free resource’; hunger and perceptions bush meat is tastier.

"It has now become an informal industry founded on what is regarded as a free resource," says a biologist, Mr Iregi Mwenja.

He says recent media reports that Nairobi is the hub of game meat and consumption are misleading.

Targeted animals

Mwenja says although Nairobi is a big meat outlet, reports that bush meat trade in the city could be up to 47 per cent are untrue.

"It would be impossible to transport that kind of meat illegally every day," he says.

Mwenja says bush meat dealers mostly target large herbivores such buffaloes, elands, zebras and giraffes.

"If for example, every day 450 buffaloes are killed in Nairobi alone, how long would it take for the buffalo to be extinct?"

The researcher puts the figure for Nairobi bush meat trade at between two and five per cent at most.

Drought and hunger have increased demand for game meat.

The researcher says the displacement of people during the post-election violence also forced many people to move near game parks and reserves.

"Some now eke a living from bush meat," he says.

Mwenje says Soysambu ranch and conservancy is affected by increased poaching.

"The IDPs have been killing game in the conservancy because they do not have alternative source of livelihood," he says.

Kenya Wildlife Service Corporate Affairs Manager Paul Udoto says trading in game meat has been exacerbated by drought and hunger.

"Bush meat trade is reportedly on the increase along Naivasha/Nakuru highway, Ukambani, Kitengela and Nairobi," he says.

He says KWS is on high alert to keep poachers off game and national reserves.

Ms Paula Kahumbu, of the Wildlife Direct, says killing of wildlife for consumption is high because of hunger.

In some areas, she says, people are eating primates.

"In Baringo District, investigations have shown people are trapping baboons and slaughtering them for food," she says.

Concerns over poaching

Kahumbu says irrespective of drought and famine, wildlife should also be protected from poachers.

"Several years back there used to be lots of duikers, impalas, and gazelles roaming in the Tsavo parks and straying along the road but today if you spot a dik dik you count yourself lucky," says Kahumbu.

Mwenja says bush meat trade thrives along Naivasha/Nakuru highway.

"I was once served bush meat without my knowledge at Kikopey meat joints," he says.

Game meat is attractive because the profit margins are higher.

Mwenja says in the last 30 years the country has lost up to 70 per cent of the large herbivoures to bush meat trade. He says it is not difficult to tell the difference between bush meat and that from domestic animals.

"Bush meat is very lean and red in most cases".

He says since wild animals are mostly strangled , there is likelihood of blood clots in the meat.