Wildlife poisoning in the Mara puts species at risk

Carcass of lion.[Courtesy]

On February 6, a tragic poisoning event in Maasai Mara National Reserve took the lives of a lioness and a hyena, just days after a similar incident in the Pololeti Game Reserve in Tanzania, which borders the park.

The first incident led to the deaths of three adult lionesses, a pride male wearing a tracking collar, and one cub, along with 13 hyenas, according to the Mara Predator Conservation Programme. The re-emergence of wildlife poisoning incidents has raised concerns among wildlife experts, who stress the need for greater awareness of the dangers of poisoning and increased funding to support mechanisms that reduce human-wildlife conflicts and compensate affected communities.