Tourexpi
A
delicate operation ensues on a cool morning under the careful supervision of
Kenya’s minister for tourism and wildlife.
The
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel are administering a sedative to calm
elephants that are to be relocated, ensuring their safety.
A
large crane is used to gently lift the elephants, which weigh between two and
seven tons and have their legs securely harnessed into the waiting transport
trucks.
Precision
and care are crucial at this stage to minimize the stress that the animals
endure during the move.
The
operation is part of a broader exercise to transfer 50 elephants from Mwea
National Reserve to Aberdare National Park — an ambitious move designed to
address the pressing issue of human-wildlife conflict in central Kenya.
As
the translocation nears completion, many communities in the area are welcoming
the change, seeing it as a necessary solution to long-standing challenges.
The
elephant populations in the Mwea National Reserve have experienced a notable
boom in recent decades, rising from 49 in 1979 to an impressive 156 today,
according to the KWS.
While
the population growth is a conservation success, it has placed tremendous
strain on the reserve’s ecosystem, exceeding the habitat’s carrying capacity
and pushing the elephants to stray into surrounding farmlands.
Conflict
with local communities
It
has led to increased instances of human-elephant conflict, with the animals
raiding crops, damaging water tanks and destroying property, leaving local
communities frustrated.
“Depopulating
the area is a good thing,” said 64-year-old community elder Moses Wainaina
Karanja. “The elephants raid our crops and destroy water tanks. Many of us
depend on farming to survive, and the damage has been unbearable. In some
instances, they even kill or injure us. I remember cases where people died and
many others were injured.”
The
view is shared by many in the Mwea region, where agriculture is the mainstay of
the local economy.
With
the elephants wandering out of the reserve in search of food and water, farms
have suffered substantial losses.
The
KWS has been working closely with communities to mitigate conflicts, but the
scale of the problem requires a more permanent solution.
“The
elephant translocations are complex but they offer immense long-term benefits,”
said Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano. “By relocating elephants, we not only
protect the animals and the communities they affect but also advance
conservation and tourism.”
Strained
resources
Translocation
is crucial not only for local communities but also for elephants, according to
the KWS.
As
their numbers grow, competition for resources within the reserve intensifies,
leading to overgrazing and depletion of available food and water.
By
moving the elephants to Aberdare National Park, where there is more space and
resources, the initiative is expected to ease the pressure and ensure the
long-term health of the elephants and the environment.
In
addition to reducing conflict, the translocation is expected to yield other
important conservation benefits. “This operation will enhance genetic diversity
and strengthen vulnerable elephant populations,” Miano noted.
The
Aberdare National Park, which offers a larger, more suitable environment for
the elephants, is expected to play a key role in fostering the benefits.
The
relocated elephants are being closely monitored, some equipped with GPS collars
to track their movements for the next two years through the Earth Ranger
system, an advanced monitoring tool used by KWS.
Numbers
bouncing back
Mwea
National Reserve’s growing elephant population is a direct result of successful
conservation efforts that began after the devastating effects of poaching.
KWS
records show that in 1979-1989, Kenya’s elephant population plummeted from an
estimated 170,000 to 16,000 because of the rampant poaching for ivory in their
tusks.
Thanks
to sustained anti-poaching efforts and stronger wildlife protections, the
national wildlife census of 2021 recorded a promising recovery, with Kenya’s
elephant population rising to 36,280.
This
success, however, brings new challenges. As human populations grow and
settlements expand into former wildlife corridors, the space available for
large animals like elephants has shrunk.
Increasing
overlap between human settlements and elephant habitats has become a major
driver of conflict, a reality that Kenya is now addressing through innovative
measures like the translocation program.
The
operation, which aims to relocate 50 elephants, is expected to be completed in
the coming weeks.
For
many in the Mwea region, it marks the beginning of a more peaceful coexistence
with nature.
“It’s
not that we don’t love the elephants — we do. But when they destroy everything
you depend on, it becomes impossible to live together. We’re grateful for this
effort to move them,” said farmer Gichuru Irungu.
Image
Credit: © AA
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