Wildlife may face new threat


LEGISLATION ALLOWS KILLING

A Kenyan law allowing hunters to kill animals straying or for sport has aroused the anger of wildlife conservationists.

The country's parliament amended a 27-year-old piece of legislation which banned poaching and reckless killing of animals.


It now allows hunting for sport and for landowners to kill animals which wander on to their plots.

Apart from the new threat to wildlife, opponents of the law said it would also damage Kenya's lucrative tourist trade.

Activist Godfrey ole Ndopaiya said: "Just a few words of legislation could spell doom to wildlife conservation.

"They will at least cause a major setback in the country, where flora and fauna play a key role in attracting tourists."

One political source said the bill had been "sneaked into parliament" by a politician serving the interests of farmers.

Among the animals tourists flock to see are lions, zebras, varities of deer and giraffes.

Last Updated: 13:57 UK, Friday December 17, 2004

Horrors!

New Kenyan wildlife law enrages activists

December 17 2004 at 07:19PM

Nairobi - A controversial new Kenyan law, passed this month to allow sport hunting and killing of wildlife straying onto private land, has triggered complaints from conservationists, activists and local communities.

"Just a few words of legislation could spell doom to wildlife conservation, or at least cause a major setback in the country, where flora and fauna play a key role in attracting tourists," Maasai wildlife activist Godfrey ole Ndopaiya said by telephone.

The Kenyan parliament on December 9 amended the 1977 Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, which banned poaching and reckless killing of wild animals, allowing sport hunting as well as private ranchers to kill wildlife that drift into their land.

Infuriated wildlife activists were on Friday deeply suspicious of how the law could be changed to allow a free rein to people seeking trophies and fun.

But several sources said the bill was "sneaked into parliament" by a lawmaker serving the interests of white ranchers when most members were absent and those present did not know anything about wildlife.

"It was hidden in a score of parliamentary technical legislations when it was passed by the House rushing to wrap up business for December holidays," a reliable source said.

Since 1999, Maasai tribesmen have killed around 50 lions in Nairobi National Park that had attacked their livestock and up to 10 elephants have also met their deaths after straying into private farmlands, a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) official said.

Farm Guard in Critical Condition After Lion Attack

The Nation (Nairobi)

December 16, 2004
Posted to the web December 15, 2004

Nairobi

A farm watchman is in hospital in critical condition after he was mauled by a lion near the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

Mr Benard Tonui, 29, was seriously injured in the buttocks and abdomen in the attack on a maize plantation straddling the Bomet-Narok districts border.

He was admitted to Tenwek Mission Hospital unconscious and underwent a three-hour operation.

Two of his colleagues at Olenerai farm escaped unhurt in the Tuesday attack.

The beast is said to have strayed into the farm owned by a large scale white farmer from the Mara three months ago.

Another watchman at the farm, Mr Daniel Lelei, told reporters at the hospital that the lion had twice tried to attack him and a colleague before the Tuesday incident.

He said that workers had reported the attempted attack to their employer, but no action was taken.

Yesterday, the injured guard was still unconscious. Doctors described his condition as serious and said he would not be able to eat solid food for at least three weeks.

Meanwhile, elephants have invaded Lugumek and Kaboson locations bordering the park, destroying crops.

Local leaders have asked the Government to intervene.

In Laikipia farmer who lost peas worth almost Sh400,000 to elephants will not be compensated because his farm lies on a wildlife migratory route.

Kenya Wildlife Service official Dickson Korir said Mr Wanderi Kibocha's farm at Segera was also a traditional watering point for the animals.

He told farmers not to plant crops on routes used by wildlife, adding elephants had used the routes for many years.

KWS Passes Buck Over Elephants

The East African Standard (Nairobi)

December 15, 2004
Posted to the web December 15, 2004

Nairobi

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) yesterday advised farmers within the elephant migrating corridors to plant crops not preffered by wild animals.

Laikipia deputy game warden Nixon Korir said farmers could also erect electric fences around their farms since it was impossible to control the movement of elephants during the migration season.

Jumbos migrating from ranches in Samburu and Mt Kenya National Park to the Aberdares National Park and other areas have been destroying crops and terrorising residents.

At least two people from Segera Location of the area have been killed by marauding elephants in the last one year.

Crop destruction by the animals has been singled out as one of the major contributors to the perennial famine in the area every year.

Korir was reacting to an assessment by the Ministry of Agriculture on a farm where crop destruction was estimated at Sh384,000.

Lobby Protests Against Wildlife Bill

The Nation (Nairobi)

December 17, 2004
Posted to the web December 16, 2004

Nairobi

A group of people living near wildlife conservation areas yesterday marched through Nairobi streets to protest against a Bill seeking to amend the law on the animals and the communities.

They marched from Uhuru Park to the Office of the President where they presented a memorandum.

Led by the Coalition for Wildlife Conservation and Management, they appealed to President Kibaki not to assent to the Bill, which was passed in Parliament a week ago.

The chairman, Mr Sydney Quntai, said the Bill was flawed, arguing that it caters only for people living within a five-kilometre radius of the parks.

The Wildlife (Conservation and Management) Amendment Bill from Laikipia MP G. G. Kariuki requires that people living near wildlife sanctuaries pay insurance premiums, he said, but added that they cannot afford it.

They noted that sport-hunting, which is stipulated in the amendment, would encourage poaching and illegal hunting.

Mr Quntai urged the President to refer the Bill to Parliament for "appropriate amendments".

Changes proposed by the organisation were not listed in the Parliament order paper, he added.

The group said the Bill had financial implications to the Exchequer in terms of compensation and insurance and should have had the minister for Finance's prior approval as stipulated in the Constitution and Parliament's standing orders.

NitroX,
That is what impressed me most about the story too.

I guess Pravda and Izvestia aare now published out of London.

JCN

Lets see. 50 Lion At an average safari rate of only $10,000 and 10 elephant killed{ that we know of} at say $20,000 each- Why that could have generated a whole lotta income for the tribes involved and possibly saved lives if they were managed before becoming crop and human raiders.
Frank