Baraza

Category: Africa, Climate change, In the News, Kenya, Lions, National Parks and protected areas, Rhinoceros, big cats, drought, national parks, richard leakey, tourism, wildlife, wildlifedirect | Date: Sep 05 2009 | By: admin

In a previous story about cattle dying in the Nairobi Park We have been going purple in the face trying to raise awareness about the public health, ecological and economic threat facing Kenya as a consequence of uncontrolled movements of cattle during the current drought.

This is Dauti Kahura  story published in today’s East African Standard

A week ago, a man died of anthrax in Nyeri after eating infected cow meat. A week earlier, although not reported, two rhinos from Nairobi National Park died of anthrax. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) confirmed the cause of deaths.

The death of the man should raise the red flag. There is great fear that some of the meat being sold in and around Kitengela and Ongata Rongai butcheries could be contaminated with anthrax, foot and mouth and east coast fever. Investigations by The Standard on Saturday revealed that sick and dying cattle are slaughtered on the roadsides and expose nearby communities to outbreaks.

Temporary bomas

Last week, five kilometres into Masai Lodge Road in Ongata Rongai where herders have set up temporary bomas, The Standard on Saturday team found sickly cattle being slaughtered for distribution to neighbouring butcheries.

Mr Rolf Schmid, a restaurateur who has lived in the area for almost two decades, raised the alarm.

“My first instinct was to contact the Ministry of Health and veterinary officials to come and witness the slaughter of dying cattle,” he said.

The Ministry of Public Health officers and vets from Kajiado concur that some of the cattle appeared sickly although not all were emaciated. The Government health officials, who sought anonymity because they are not authorised to be quoted, confirmed that the animals pose danger.

Due to drought, Maasai herders drive the cattle up to the city and many of them are kept in bomas along Mombasa Road. Tens of thousands of cattle that have been migrating from Loitokitok, Tsavo West, Kibwezi, Sultan Hamud and Kajiado are also being held in bomas on the northern and southern sides of the Nairobi National Park.

By day, these cattle are hosted on the local ranches around the park and by night driven inside it for grazing. Early this week, The Standard on Saturday observed hundreds of cattle being driven into the park on the southern end from the Masai Lodge Road. Tired and exhausted, they walked in a profile, with some not completing the journey.

herding in parks

According to a KWS senior warden, herders have been cutting the fence to allow large numbers of cattle into the park. KWS impounded 1,000 cattle and when the herders came for them the next day, they said some of the animals belong to “well connected Kenyans”.

Due to severe drought and exhaustion of grazing fields, Nairobi National Park is the only location in city with ample grazing field.

But now it is also massively threatened with decimation. More worrying is the fact that the wild animals are also at great risk of being infected with diseases. KWS officials say some antelopes have been infected with foot and mouth.

Tags: anthrax, cattle, Dauti Kahura, Lion, Lions, LIvestock, Nairobi Park, rhino, wildlifedirect

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Category: Climate change, Emergency appeals, Mau Forest Complex, elephants, national parks | Date: Aug 03 2009 | By: admin

Today Wangari Maathai wrote a thought provoking article warning all of us in Kenya that the water shortages, power black outs and crop failures that we are feeling now are payment for our disrespect towards the Mau Forest  - our most important water tower.

She argues that the destruction of Kenya’s Mau Forest Complex has come about as a result of years of mismanagement (planting of monocultures and abuse of shamba system) as well as corrupt practices that led to encroachment, land grabbing and illegal logging by politicians and their friends. It irks us that these were the very people we entrusted to protect it.

“These destructive practices greatly reduced the forest cover and the “environmental services” it renders us, which we take for granted.” She states. Indeed, Kenya is facing one of the worst droughts in living history. Rivers have dried up, hydro power schemes have shut down, and vegetation cannot survive in the dry earth. Starving animals have reduced the landscape to a dustbowl in many places, now livestock and wildlife are dying in droves.

Professor Maathai reminds us that environmental services including the control of rainfall patterns, conservation of rainwater in underground water reservoirs and wetlands, conserving biodiversity, controlling water flow and therefore soil conservation and serving as a carbon sink and thereby reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide have all been compromised. And this she says, is why we are suffering today.

Maathai is right that we must be pay for the environmental damage we cause. But she is wrong that the destruction of the Mau is the sole cause of this devastating drought. Climatologists are warning that this situation is much greater than the destruction of the Mau Forests. The failure of the rains this year and high temperatures are not due to local causes, these are signs of a global phenomenon the El Nino. They have sent out an alarm that we are facing an El Nino year. This devastating climatic aberration is associated with rising sea temperatures.

The situation is bad and is getting worse. In February the Kenyan Government declared a state of emergency saying that 10 million people may face hunger and starvation after a poor harvest, crop failure, a lack of rain and rising food prices.  According to predictions, the hot dry spell will be followed by windy storms and heavy rains after September and this could go on until February. The punishment will therefore be prolonged, with failing crops, and devastating floods.

As in 1964 we could see the death of 90% of the countries livestock. Wildlife is equally badly affected. We have been receiving heart wrenching reports of elephants, hippos, and wildebeest deaths in Amboseli, Masai Mara, Tsavo and Laikipia.

While the government deals with the humanitarian crisis, we must not forget the wildlife.

Cynthia Moss has just written to ask us to urgently help raise $10,000 towards saving elephants in Amboseli. Iain Douglas-Hamilton of Save the Elephants has also reported the ravages of the drought on elephants in Samburu. William Knocker has been writing about the situation in Nairobi National Park.With so many livestock herders inside the parks now it is essential that we help with law enforcement until the drought breaks.

This appeal is to ask you to help us save wildlife during the drought

Until the rains break we must protect the wildlife as best we can in Amboseli, Masai Mara, Laikipia and Samburu. Please contribute whatever you can to help us keep rangers in the field during this especially difficult time. Meanwhile, we will keep you updated as the situation develops.

Paula

Tags: conservation, El Nino, Kenya, LIvestock, parks, wildlife, wildlifedirect

3 responses so far