We should act now or lose wildlife heritage

Elephants at Rimoi National Game Reserve in Elgeyo Marakwet County. [Courtesy, Standard]

The results of the national wildlife census are out. The country recorded an impressive increase in the number of several iconic species. We ought to be elated by the increase in the number of elephants, rhinos, giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and the hirola antelope, among others.

And while lion numbers have been plummeting on the continent, the prides in Kenya have been showing signs of recovery, albeit slowly.  

The converse is also true. The cheetah, the world’s fastest animal, seems to be running into oblivion, having lost much of its hunting range.

The country is home to the two remaining Northern white rhinos, Najin and Fatu, with the fate of the entire species lying with scientists.

Conservationists are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping the implanting of the embryos into one of the remaining rhinos will save the species from extinction.

Why was the wildlife census undertaken? Wildlife-based tourism contributes 10 per cent of our GDP and knowing the status of the wildlife and associated habitats is key to allocating adequate resources. As the adage says, ‘if you cannot measure, you cannot manage’, hence the tagline for the three-month exercise, “Count to Conserve.”

However, conserving the country’s wildlife should go beyond the economic benefits. Wildlife is a national heritage that was conserved by our forefathers before the first national park was established.

Areas inhabited by wildlife were—and continue to be—sources of clean water, medicine and also fresh air. They act as carbon sinks thus mitigating global warming while acting as a buffer between zoonotic diseases and man.

Yet, man remains the greatest and most savage threat to wildlife conservation. While poaching has been contained to a large extent, habitat loss threatens the existence of much of the country’s fauna.

Corridors that were used by migratory animals in the Athi-Kaputiei ecosystem have been closed due to proliferation of human settlements.

The Loita wildebeest migration that coincided with the greater Masai Mara migration is on its last leg due to increased fencing. In addition, part of the government’s infrastructure developments have cut through wildlife protected areas. While such projects are needed, they should not come at great cost to the country’s wildlife. This natural resource is not infinite.

What, then, is the way forward? Since close to 70 per cent of wildlife exists outside of protected areas, the country should look for ways to incentivise landowners next to these areas for them to allow free movement of wildlife. The government should also balance the demands of development with conservation. One cannot exist without the other.

We owe it to our future generations to conserve the wildlife. If we fail to act, we risk losing this world-acclaimed heritage forever.