Poaching of elephants is not on the increase, the Kenya Wildlife Service has said.
KWS director Julius Kipng’etich said the recent seizure of ivory in Nairobi was not a cause for alarm as the tusks were old and had originated from southern Africa.
“Kenya was just a transit point,” he said.
Speaking at the launch of the Wheelbarrow Race, an event organised to raise funds for conservation, at Hells Gate National Park in Naivasha on Thursday, Dr Kipng’etich said KWS officers were always on high alert.
He also said many of the parks had recovered from the effects of last year’s drought and that the number of wildlife was increasing. (KNA) - Kenya safari vacations
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Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Eco-warriors form shield for park protection
An eco-friendly brigade formed a human chain stretching over seven kilometres on Saturday in a campaign to protect the endangered Nairobi National Park.
The “Human Greenline” that was to stretch from Athi River’s Cheetah Gate to just beyond the Carnivore Restaurant was meant to draw attention to threats posed by humans to the park.
No grabbing
“The whole idea today is to tell the world we have had enough grabbing of land, and Kenyans want to conserve their heritage,” said Anoop Shah, who chairs the Nairobi Greenline Steering Committee that is behind the initiative. - Kenya safari packages
Initially, the target was to have the human chain cover the entire 30 km to mark the World Environment Day on Saturday, but the Kenya Wildlife Service said the estimated 5,000 people who turned up stretched out over seven kilometres.
The joint project between the KWS and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers aims to create a 30 km long by 50 m wide forest of indigenous trees to shield the park from the growing metropolis, Mr Shah said.
The Nairobi Greenline, a three-year programme, requires Sh40 million to cover the 30 km belt.
Cover cost
Approximately Sh35 million will go to cover the cost of digging trenches, soil preparation, fencing, sinking boreholes, piping, planting tree nurseries, irrigation, seedling transportation and labour.
The other Sh5 million will go to maintaining and patrolling the Greenline.
The organisers raised Sh16 million from Saturday’s event, Mr Shah said. Corporate organisations that donate Sh1 million will be given a kilometre to plant and maintain.
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The “Human Greenline” that was to stretch from Athi River’s Cheetah Gate to just beyond the Carnivore Restaurant was meant to draw attention to threats posed by humans to the park.
No grabbing
“The whole idea today is to tell the world we have had enough grabbing of land, and Kenyans want to conserve their heritage,” said Anoop Shah, who chairs the Nairobi Greenline Steering Committee that is behind the initiative. - Kenya safari packages
Initially, the target was to have the human chain cover the entire 30 km to mark the World Environment Day on Saturday, but the Kenya Wildlife Service said the estimated 5,000 people who turned up stretched out over seven kilometres.
The joint project between the KWS and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers aims to create a 30 km long by 50 m wide forest of indigenous trees to shield the park from the growing metropolis, Mr Shah said.
The Nairobi Greenline, a three-year programme, requires Sh40 million to cover the 30 km belt.
Cover cost
Approximately Sh35 million will go to cover the cost of digging trenches, soil preparation, fencing, sinking boreholes, piping, planting tree nurseries, irrigation, seedling transportation and labour.
The other Sh5 million will go to maintaining and patrolling the Greenline.
The organisers raised Sh16 million from Saturday’s event, Mr Shah said. Corporate organisations that donate Sh1 million will be given a kilometre to plant and maintain.
=============================================================================
Read our blog on: Houses for sale and rentals in Kampala Uganda, Masai mara tour Kenya
Park owners demand permits
The Kenya Wildlife Service has been accused of frustrating the owners of game sanctuaries by denying them licences.
Proprietors of the parks said they had not benefited from their facilities as they had failed to get permits to operate.
“I have been a snake handler for more than 40 years and yet I have been denied a licence,” said Mr Jackson Iha, whose park is located at Mtwapa.
“We are conservationists and we love animals, that’s why we have invested a lot in these facilities, but without licences we cannot move forward,” said Mr Gerald Macharia ,who runs a snake park near Tsavo East National Park’s Bachuma gate.
They complained that they are not allowed to advertise or receive guests. Such visitors would enable them to meet the cost of running the sanctuaries.
According to Mr Macharia, his snake park would complement Tsavo Park because visitors don’t get to see reptiles during game drives, as well as provide jobs.
Tourism last year earned the exchequer Sh62.46 billion from 950,000 visitors while this year, more than a million visitors are expected. Earnings are expected to hit the Sh80 billion mark.
Frustrating
Mr Arthur Tuda, the KWS senior warden in charge of Coast region, denied that they were frustrating conservationists. Most of the unlicensed sanctuaries did not conform to set standards, he added. Kenya tours
“We wouldn’t want tourists to visit places that do not measure up to the industry,” he said.
However, he said KWS had received proposals they were considering and would soon license those that qualify.
Proprietors of the parks said they had not benefited from their facilities as they had failed to get permits to operate.
“I have been a snake handler for more than 40 years and yet I have been denied a licence,” said Mr Jackson Iha, whose park is located at Mtwapa.
“We are conservationists and we love animals, that’s why we have invested a lot in these facilities, but without licences we cannot move forward,” said Mr Gerald Macharia ,who runs a snake park near Tsavo East National Park’s Bachuma gate.
They complained that they are not allowed to advertise or receive guests. Such visitors would enable them to meet the cost of running the sanctuaries.
According to Mr Macharia, his snake park would complement Tsavo Park because visitors don’t get to see reptiles during game drives, as well as provide jobs.
Tourism last year earned the exchequer Sh62.46 billion from 950,000 visitors while this year, more than a million visitors are expected. Earnings are expected to hit the Sh80 billion mark.
Frustrating
Mr Arthur Tuda, the KWS senior warden in charge of Coast region, denied that they were frustrating conservationists. Most of the unlicensed sanctuaries did not conform to set standards, he added. Kenya tours
“We wouldn’t want tourists to visit places that do not measure up to the industry,” he said.
However, he said KWS had received proposals they were considering and would soon license those that qualify.
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