Must be the fault of over-hunting!


Wildlife 'crash' in the Mara region of Kenya, Africa
By Matt Walker
Editor, BBC Nature

Populations of wildlife species in the world-renowned Masai Mara reserve in Kenya have crashed in the past three decades, according to research published in the Journal of Zoology.

Numbers of impala, warthog, giraffe, topi and Coke's hartebeest have declined by over 70%, say scientists.

Even fewer survive beyond the reserve in the wider Mara, where buffalo and wild dogs have all but disappeared, while huge numbers of wildebeest no longer pass through the region on their epic migration.

However, numbers of cattle grazing in the reserve have increased by more than 1100% per cent, although it is illegal for them to so do.

Continue reading the main story “Start QuoteThe status of Masai Mara as a prime conservation area and premier tourist draw card in Kenya may soon be in jeopardy”
End Quote Dr Joseph Ogutu Senior statistician in the Bioinformatics unit of the University of Hohenheim
This explosion in the numbers of domestic livestock grazing in the Mara region of south-west Kenya, including within the Masai Mara national reserve, is one of the principal reasons wildlife has disappeared, say the scientists who conducted the research.

Dr Joseph Ogutu, a senior statistician in the Bioinformatics unit of the University of Hohenheim, Germany conducted the study with colleagues there and at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya.

They already knew that populations of some large mammals were declining in the Masai Mara, based on an earlier study published in 2009.

But this only examined seven species, over a 15 year period, using limited sampling techniques.

So to get a fuller picture, the team looked at data gathered since aerial monitoring of Kenya's wildlife began in 1977.

This covered 12 species of large mammal, ostriches and livestock, and allowed the team to calculate trends in wildlife numbers over a 33-year period across the entire reserve, and in the Masai pastoral ranches adjoining the reserve.

The data also allowed the scientists to investigate whether numbers of migratory wildebeest and zebra coming into the Mara each year have reduced.

Continue reading the main story African buffalo are the only wild cattle species, and bonds between females are strong. If one individual is under attack from a predator, the herd will rush to the victim's defenceGiraffes are the world's tallest animal. Their first experience of life is a two metre drop to the ground, because female giraffes give birth standing upFind out more about Africa's extraordinary wildlife
"We were very surprised by what we found," Dr Ogutu told the BBC.

"The Mara has lost more than two thirds of its wildlife."

Of the 13 large species studied, only ostriches and elephants had not fared badly outside of the reserve, while inside the Masai Mara only eland, Grant's gazelle and ostrich showed any signs of population recovery in the past decade.

The declines are particularly surprising, say the scientists, as they had expected animal populations to have recovered since 2000-2001.

That is when major conservancy efforts, and an increase in local policing, began in an attempt to protect the wildlife there.

"But to our great surprise, the extreme wildlife declines have continued unabated in the Mara," says Dr Ogutu.

"The great wildebeest migration now involves 64% fewer animals than it did in the early 1980s," he adds.

That is despite numbers of wildebeest on the Serengeti, where the migratory animals that cross the Mara come from, staying relatively unchanged.

Zebra numbers are falling
During the wet season, when there is no migration, resident wildebeest in the reserve have all but disappeared, falling by 97%.

Zebra numbers residing inside the reserve have also fallen by three-quarters.

There appear to be three main causes of these dramatic declines: the activities of poachers, changing land use patterns in ranches within the Mara, and an increase in the number and range of livestock held on these ranches.

According to Dr Ogutu, over 1500 poachers have been arrested within the Mara conservancy between 2001 and 2010, with more than 17,300 snares collected by rangers in the same period.

"Poaching continues to be a major menace," he says.

But the boon in livestock numbers can be just as damaging.

"Not only have numbers of cattle, sheep and goats increased but their distribution has widened, with the density of cattle increasing more than three-fold and that of sheep and goats more than seven fold up to 5km inside the reserve.

Vast numbers of wildebeest once travelled through the Masai Mara
"Sadly though, wildlife distribution has contracted throughout the entire Mara region in the same period."

Heavy grazing by these livestock is thought to be displacing the natural fauna.

It may also be making the larger species more vulnerable to starvation during the recurrent severe droughts that have struck the Mara in recent decades.

This competition may be what has already driven out the buffalo, say the scientists.

The expansion of settlements, fences and livestock numbers need to be regulated if these declines in wildlife are to be arrested, they propose, as well as bringing down poaching levels.

"Otherwise, the status of Masai Mara as a prime conservation area and premier tourist draw card in Kenya may soon be in jeopardy," says Dr Ogutu.

As a cattleman of past years I'm usually the first guy to stand up and counter-punch any jabs thrown at the beef industry. AND I'm also the first guy to pick a fight where and when there is rampant and unsustainable overgrazing!

Seems that Kenya has not figured out any system to sustain both wildlife and cattle grazing - they had better and soon.

Lucky so far for wildlife in the Tetse belt as this problem has been abated by a natural barrier.

BUT....Don't hold your breath for long...There are do-gooders that are working on putting the Tetse on the endangered list and when they do...WE'll see the same drastic wildlife declines now being witnessed in Kenya.

Any belief to the contrary is pure foolishness.

Ultimately wildlife in Africa as we know it is going to lose the battle.

Screw Kenya. These bastards have shit their nest big time. See how much tourism comes their way once the game is gone. That CITES even allows these idiots to attend, much less dictate policy at their little get together's , is one of of the most laughable situations in the "world of conservation".
My heart bleeds for the wildlife on the same scale that I wish misery on the Maasi and the government.

Come on Dave, tell us what you really think. Glad to see I'm not the only one with no time for those folks. Short sightedness, greed, fantasy, and political agendas all in a seething, dying mess. Kenya is the poster child for why the world needs scientific wildlife management that, in a healthy ecosystem, will normally include hunting.

Dean

+++111111 dave

Yup!! Just watch South Africa going the same way with more crap in the pipeline. Afican Socialism wankin away.

Scientists from California will conclude the wildlife is dying from lead poisoning and that the lead in the ecosystem came from bullets fired by those nasty hunters in the past.

It would probably serve everyone better if instead of posting epithets and accusations of corruption or political ineptitude, we simply acknowledge that Kenya's experiment (at the direction of non-native whites like Leaky) in prohibiting sport hunting has resulted in exactly the opposite of the result intended.

The country that is closest to following the Kenyan example is probably Botswana, which is moving to eliminate hunting in vast areas of the country believing that this will enhance the non-hunting tourism industry. Respectfully, I hope that the country's leadership realizes that this is a strategy doomed to failure and reverses it policies before it becomes another Kenya with game populations a relic of what they once were.

Sit with the KWS jokers for 20 minutes and listen to them tell you all about how their wildlife problems are mostly due to habitat loss and how their real task is teaching people how to "co-exist with wildlife". Then look at all their cartoon books designed to show illiterate villagers how to build "elephant resistant" areas in which to plant. Then enjoy their discussions about how they have all the revenue they need from tourism and international organizations. Of course, they might but the LOCALS CLEARLY DON'T...hence the continued problems. Frankly, my time with KWS was disappointing to say the least.

Oh, and ILRI had a leopard killing some of their research goats over a period of months a few years ago and had absolutely NO clue how to deal with it. Given that, my faith in their wildlife management research is not so great.

quote:

Sit with the KWS jokers for 20 minutes and listen to them tell you all about how their wildlife problems are mostly due to habitat loss and how their real task is teaching people how to "co-exist with wildlife". Then look at all their cartoon books designed to show illiterate villagers how to build "elephant resistant" areas in which to plant. Then enjoy their discussions about how they have all the revenue they need from tourism and international organizations. Frankly, my time with KWS was disappointing to say the least.

That is most likely the reality of what we are dealing with throughout Africa - like it or not. Taking the attitude of "F'm", or otherwise will not solve a thing - if anything is truly solveable.

However, as with any situation in dealing with incompetent / irrational parties, a posture of staying close and watching for opportunity is the "only" option. Sooner or later a chance to turn things in the right direction will come along.

Question is, will we as a group have burned all the bridges that could lead us over into an area of suatainable compromise.

We need to step carefully here as this is the "intel" gathering period.

JW

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Wemmer:
Seems that Kenya has not figured out any system to sustain both wildlife and cattle grazing - they had better and soon.

There are quite a number of very successful private ranches in the Laikipia region where this already occurs (ol Pejeta, Ol Jogi, to name a couple). The common denominator is that these are owned and managed by experienced ranchers and conservation minded enterpreneurs who have no cultural or traditional "attachment" to livestock as most local pastoralists in Africa do. This cultural attachment to livestock is something very difficult for non-african pastoralists to understand. It could take several generations to change this mind-set and by that time, who knows what wildlife will be left on those lands?

At the same time, who are we to expect these people to forgive their lands to wildlife? That is what National Parks and reserves have been established for. All wildlife living outside these PA's is essentially doomed. Its happened all over the rest of the world at some stage in history, including all of our back yards!

quote:

There are quite a number of very successful private ranches in the Laikipia region where this already occurs (ol Pejeta, Ol Jogi, to name a couple). The common denominator is that these are owned and managed by experienced ranchers and conservation minded enterpreneurs who have no cultural or traditional "attachment" to livestock as most local pastoralists in Africa do. This cultural attachment to livestock is something very difficult for non-african pastoralists to understand. It could take several generations to change this mind-set and by that time, who knows what wildlife will be left on those lands?

At the same time, who are we to expect these people to forgive their lands to wildlife? That is what National Parks and reserves have been established for. All wildlife living outside these PA's is essentially doomed. Its happened all over the rest of the world at some stage in history, including all of our back yards!

Well put! The cultural attachement aspect is most likely not going to change in our lifetimes - the scary thing is that when a person of this mindset acquires some degree of monitary wealth (versus that of object wealth) logic dictates that they will most likely purchase more and more cattle to out-do the neighbor / family members. Those animals have to eat! I'll bet that this is part of trhe problem with overgrazing in certain "restricted" areas.

And again you are correct - we have no right whatsoever to tell these people what to do with their livestock - that is unless these animals invade areas that are supposed to be "off limits" to grazing. I suspect that the folks committing that offense are somehow directly tied to gevernment officials (who do have monitary wealth).

There is no telling waht the end result will be, but suffice it to say, things are constantly changing and before long you will have to read books to experience "wild Africa"!

It is what it is!

Let me know when someone convinces tribal cultures of Kenya and Tanzania that something other than cows, gotes or camels is "wealth".