KWS successfully drives back 3 stray elephants to Mara Naboisho Conservancy
KWS successfully drives back 3 stray elephants to Mara Naboisho Conservancy
Michael Majanga, TV47
August 6, 2024
See link
https://www.tv47.digital/kws-successfully-drives-back-3-stray-elephants-to-mara-naboisho-conservancy-66143/
for photo.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has successfully and safely guided
elephants that had strayed into Nkoilale community area in Narok County.
In collaboration with the Mara Elephant Project (MEP), the Service employed
the services of advanced drone technology to safely guide the elephants
back to Naboisho Conservancy.
“Elephants play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance, and every
effort helps in their conservation!” the KWS says. “Our collaboration
underscores the importance of partnerships in tackling wildlife challenges
and promoting human-wildlife coexistence.”
To report any wildlife incidences, KWS is urging members of the public to
call “our 24-hour toll free number 0800 597 000 or WhatsApp 0726 610509 for
immediate intervention.”
Elephant Conservation Efforts
KWS has, this year, stepped up its efforts to tap into collaborative
opportunities with different stakeholders, in boosting its conservation and
managing capacity, especially for elephants.
In May this year, KWS received a vehicle fleet donation worth over 400,000
US Dollars from the Shiraz and Leili Wildlife Foundation.
This substantial contribution is set to enhance KWS’s Vet and Capture
Unit’s capabilities, given that the unit plays a crucial role in the
capture and relocation of wild animals within different wildlife occupied
areas both within and outside the Service’s jurisdiction.
The vehicles would be utilized by KWS Vet and Capture Unit, particularly in
capture, relocation, reintroduction, and restocking of animals in less
populated areas, as acknowledged by KWS Director General Dr. Erastus Kanga.
Human-Wildlife Conservation
In March this year, KWS also marked a significant milestone in its
conservation efforts when it launched the National Human-Wildlife
Coexistence (HWC) Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2033.
The action plan seeks to further boost KWS’s efforts of achieving a
harmonical coexistence of humans and wildlife in the country.
The strategy entails five components aimed at fostering sustainable
wildlife conservation while effectively mitigating human-wildlife
conflicts: Land and Space Management, Innovative Mitigation Strategies,
Capacity Enhancement, Institutional Reforms, and Wildlife Economy and
Compensation.
Even with the elaborate strategy and action plan, KWS insists that its
success is dependent on collaborative efforts from all the stakeholders in
the sector, as well as innovative approaches.