Kenya launches wildlife census to boost conservation efforts – Xinhua

Kenya on Wednesday launched a national wildlife census, the results of which will boost conservation programs for iconic species facing climatic and man-made threats.

NAROK, Kenya, June 20 (Xinhua) — Kenya on Wednesday launched an annual national wildlife census, the results of which will boost conservation programs for iconic species facing climate and man-made threats.

The census, which will be conducted in phases, will run until June 2025 and aims to determine the exact number of species in terrestrial and aquatic areas across the country.

The exercise comes at a time when wildlife numbers are declining due to human-wildlife conflict and the constant prolonged drought normally experienced in their ecosystems.

Alfred Mutua, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, said the exercise is aimed at determining the current status of wildlife populations, trends and their distribution in Kenya.

“This census will provide invaluable data that will support evidence-based decision-making, conservation strategies and policy making, thereby contributing to ultimate sustainable management practices to protect the country’s rich biodiversity,” Mutua said during the launch at Narok airstrip, on the edge of the city. of the famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve, southwest of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

The last census took place in 2021 and more than 30 species of mammals, birds and marine species were counted in different ecosystems.

Mutua said the exercise is carried out every three years in accordance with the ecological cycles of fertility and mortality.

“Accurate wildlife data will guide resource allocation and ensure critical areas receive the attention and funding they need. It will also inform communities about the best conservation efforts to advance the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). This transparency and inclusion will strengthen the role of communities as stewards of our natural heritage,” he said.

Kenya’s rich wildlife resource is one of the country’s most important economic pillars.

However, the country is not reaping the expected optimal benefits due to insufficient knowledge of the status of the country’s wild populations, as comprehensive population data do not exist for many types of wildlife information management.

Patrick Omondi, CEO and director of the state-owned Wildlife Research and Training Institute, said the first phase of the count has prioritized the Maasai Mara and will run until June 22.

Omondi said other ecosystems in the pipeline include Amboseli-Magadi, coastal mega-fauna and Athi-Kapiti ecosystems, as well as the closed nature reserves of Ruma and Lake Nakuru National Parks, Mwea National Reserve and Solio Conservancy. The second phase includes the rest of the country.

He said they have developed rigorous scientific methods to conduct the wildlife census, which will ensure they collect reliable data on wildlife populations, their distribution and their habitats.

“We will use advanced technologies such as satellite imagery, GPS tracking and drone surveys. We aim to achieve a level of precision and detail that is unprecedented,” Omondi said.

Kenya’s key wildlife landscapes currently face multiple challenges, including increasing population and livestock populations, the impacts of global climate change, the spread of invasive and alien species, and the dangers of infectious zoonotic diseases that require frequent monitoring.

Mutua said Kenya has a wide diversity of ecosystems, including forests, savannas, freshwater and marine; and more than 35,000 wild species of fauna and flora that form the country’s biodiversity. The figures from the count have been used to formulate and update national species recovery and action plans in protected areas.

The Kenyan official said the comprehensive wildlife data obtained from wildlife censuses will provide timely data and information to support the development of provincial spatial plans, as well as protected areas and ecosystem management plans. ■