Category: Kenya

In the wilds of Kenya’s Northern Frontier District, Martin Wheeler, aka ‘bird-man’, and team use paraglider, car and footwork in surveillance effort to help thwart illegal wildlife trade. Africa’s wild elephants are being killed at their fastest rate since 1979-89, the bloody decade in which their number more than halved from 1.4m to 600,000. Wheeler, like many conservationists, is on[…]

The Kenya Wildlife Service has assured the country that the fight against illegal trade in ivory has been intensified but noted the number of elephants killed was still high. More tough talk from KWS’s Paul Mbugua, but there is still a lot of work to do to reverse the inexorable march of the poachers. Click here to read Joseph Muraya’s[…]

Bigger fines and stronger penalties alone won’t be enough to stop poaching for ivory – but traditional values could help Dr Paula Kahumbu has written another thought provoking article for the Guardian. There are few more passionate campaigners – if any – for Africa’s elephants. Click here to read her latest piece.

“Africa is facing an unprecedented crisis of elephant poaching that threatens to wipe out the species in a decade. As poachers gun down elephant matriarchs, and destroy their families, buyers of ivory in countries like China, Vietnam and Thailand purchase exquisite ivory carvings of their gods, and believe that they are somehow worshiping God. Don’t they know that their consumer[…]

A rare antelope that has been absent in the Mara has been spotted after a decade o absence. The single male Roan antelope was spotted near Roan Hill, to the south of the Maasai Mara reserve this week. “The hill named after this antelope has reclaimed its name,” said Paul Kirui, a Kenya Professional Gold Safari Guide. Kirui said the[…]

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has called for the immediate end to foreign countries buying ivory from Kenya. Mrs Kenyatta said countries in Asia, US and Africa said stopping trade in ivory from the country will discourage poaching. “If the countries stop buying ivory, demand will be lower. Buying is contributing to demand which is destroying the future of our elephants,”[…]

KWS says poachers have killed 137 elephants, 24 rhinos this year Poachers have killed at least 137 elephants and 24 rhinos this year amid global concerns over trade in game trophies. Kenya Wildlife Service director William Kiprono said half of the endangered species were killed in the Tsavo conservancy area where poachers masquerade as herders from adjacent ranches. Click here[…]

Some good news to end the week. Kenya’s President Kenyatta is backing up his words with action; pushing through much tougher penalties for poaching and adding an extra 1,000 KWS rangers. Click here to read the story from Nairobi’s Capital FM

At last! Kenya is starting to make good on promises to get tough on poaching, poachers and anyone helping them. At least 32 Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) senior officers have been suspended to make way for investigations into increased poaching activities in their areas, Kenya’s The Standard reported Saturday (June 8th). The suspended officers include those in charge of parks[…]

Some good news at last! In one of the swiftest responses to the recent reports of escalating poaching of elephants and rhinos, Kenya’s Cabinet has approved a complete overhaul of the country’s national wildlife legislation by approving the Wildlife Bill and Policy. Click here to read the article by Dr Paula Kahumbu in the Guardian.