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Kenya
Wildlife
Service
www.kws.org
 While
in Kenya on
their second
lengthy
business trip
and tour in 12
months, our
editors visited
the Kenya
Wildlife
Service
management at
their
attractive
facilities in
Nairobi. As a
result, we will
be featuring
KWS prominently
in coming
editions of
Africa Travel
Magazine and
this and other
Worldscene web
sites. For the
moment, we
introduce our
readers to KWS
with news
releases and an
excerpt from
the
organization's
excellent web
site:
"That
Kenya is a
"land of
contrasts" is
not a
traveller's
guide
cliché.
The country
straddles the
equator, in the
South East is
the Indian
Ocean, and to
the west is
lake Victoria -
the second
largest fresh
water lake in
the world. The
vegetation
varies from the
dense tropical
forests, the
mangrove
forests along
the coast, to
the shruberry
of the arid
desert lands,
to the thick
mountainous
forests and
alpine
vegetation
along the
slopes of the
snowcapped
Mount Kenya.
Kenya's
landscape is
most
fascinating and
diverse. And it
boasts some of
the richest and
diverse variety
of game in the
Parks and
Reserves. Kenya
Wildlife
Service (KWS)
is charged with
the protection
and
conservation of
the country's
biodiversity as
presented by
its fauna and
flora. KWS's
role is as
diverse as the
country itself.
" Photo (right)
Hon. Minister
Morris Dzoro
watering newly
planted tree
(story
below).
Re-afforesting
Ngong Forest
The
Minister waters
a
tree
By
Obed
Mule,
Parks
and
Reserves
The
degradation of
Ngong forest
through illegal
removal of
forest products
and
over-grazing
has resulted to
enormous loss
of biological
diversity and
its value as
wildlife
habitat, the
Minister for
Tourism and
Wildlife Hon.
Morris Dzoro
has
said.
He
was speaking on
the occasion of
a tree planting
ceremony at
Ngong Hills
forest
emphasizing
that the level
of security for
the visitors
has also
dropped in the
recent past
thus
threatening the
forest in terms
of tourism and
catchment
values.The
minister said
that the
effects of
forest
degradation are
seen through
changes in
weather
patterns such
as low erratic
rainfall and
even
frost.
 "Rivers
and springs are
shrinking with
some of the
tributaries
drying up
completely. A
recent study on
sustainability
of water
resources in
the Ngong
catchment
facilitated by
KWS indicated
that the total
catchment
production has
declined by
49.5% over a
period of 12
years and this
is a matter of
grave concern
to all of us.
The recent
power rationing
witnessed in
the recent past
is still fresh
in our
minds".
Hon.
Dzoro said the
importance of
water catchment
areas is vital
because it's
the foundation
of agricultural
development.
The Minister
appealed to all
Kenyans in
areas where
rainfall
conditions
allow to plant
more trees not
only for
environmental
conservation
but also for
the provision
of the many
tree-related
products.
The
function marked
the progress in
the
collaborative
efforts between
Kenya Wildlife
Service, the
Forest
Department,
Twiga Chemicals
Ltd. and
thelocal
community
living adjacent
to Ngong Hills
Forest Reserve.
In attendance
were KWS
Director, Chief
Conservator of
Forests, the
Chairman and
Managing
Director Twiga
Chemicals, DO
Ngong, DC
Kajiado, Senior
Government
Officials and
Local Leaders.
Attending
the function
also were
delegates of UK
and British
High
commission, the
Senior Warden
for Lake Nakuru
National Park
Mr. Joseph
Warutere, KWS
officials and
the Kenya
Police.
E-mail:
communications@kws.org
Darwin
Scheme fights
for Black
Rhinoceros
"Our
mission is, "To
work with
others to
sustainably
conserve,
protect and
manage Kenya's
invaluable
bio-diversity
for the benefit
of the people
of Kenya and as
a world
heritage".
by
Obed
Mule
The
5-year Black
Rhino
Management
Strategy for
Kenya has given
highest
priority to
biological
management,
including
training and
capacity-building
for monitoring,
data analysis
and reporting.
Assessing black
rhino habitat
quality is also
necessary to
manage existing
sanctuaries,
and develop new
areas for
viable
populations.
Snaring and
firearm
poaching in
National Parks
and Rhino
Sanctuaries is
still a great
threat.
Inspecting
the Darwin
Initiative
Project that
comprise of the
Zoological
Society of
London (ZSL),
IUCN, African
Conservation
Specialist
Group and the
Kenya Wildlife
Service, the
Minister for
Environment and
Agri-environment
in the UK Hon.
Elliot Morley
noted the
impacts of the
project in
relation to KWS
management
strategies.
"This
partnership we
believe is a
great success
and great
tribute to
everybody who
has been
involved, the
people in the
fieldwork, data
collection,
training and of
course the way
the information
has been taken
by Kenya
Wildlife
Service in
relation to its
management-
well done and
we congratulate
that".
Today,
over 85% of the
estimated 500
remaining
eastern black
rhinos are
found in Kenya.
The Zoological
Society of
London has
worked closely
with KWS to
conserve black
rhinos since
1993, and is
currently
leading the
Darwin
Project.
Speaking
at the same
function in
Lake Nakuru
National Park,
which is one of
the leading
rhino
sanctuaries in
the country,
the head of
Rhino Programme
in KWS, Mr.
Martin Mulama,
disclosed that
there are
strategies in
place to ensure
that the
population of
black rhinos is
growing
steadily.
"The
Ministry of
Environment and
Agri-environment
in the UK funds
the Darwin
Initiative
Project in Lake
Nakuru National
Park and other
rhino reserves
through data
collection,
analysis and
eventually how
that data is
used for
instance in
managerial
actions like
translocation.
For us to do
translocation
we need to know
how many
animals we are
moving, which
sex and age
categories,"
said
Mulama.
Hon.
Elliot
reinstated that
" Darwin Scheme
is a kind of
scheme set up
to support
partnerships,
capacity
building,
improving
access to
resources and
training, and
strengthening
research and
monitoring
capacity, with
Zoological
Society of
London, Kenya
Wildlife
Service and
also the local
people".
"We
shall be
pleased when
going to have
our annual
Darwin
Initiative
lecture which I
attend, to say
I have been
able to see the
scheme and how
it is of great
success". He
summarised.
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