Two weeks ago, I was in the wider Tsavo ecosystem participating in a desnaring exercise. I wanted to see for myself the extent of bushmeat poaching in this bushmeat hotspot in Kenya and get first hand experience on ongoing Anti-poaching efforts. The Senior Warden in charge of Tsavo East had these to say on bushmeat poaching in one of the local daily.

Kenya: Bush Meat Poaching Hits Alarming Levels

The Nation (Nairobi)

26 March 2008
Posted to the web 25 March 2008

Pascal Mwandambo
Nairobi

Poaching for bush meat has reached unprecedented levels in the neighbourhood of Tsavo National Park, according to Tsavo East senior warden Julius Cheptei.

Mr Cheptei said the menace, which has been on the rise in recent years, could spell doom for small game.

The senior warden said yesterday that poaching for bush meat was a threat to local ranches.

“While very little poaching is going on inside the park, outside, especially at community ranches, the menace has increased tenfold and we are now calling on the ranch owners to cooperate with us to save the small game from extinction,” said Mr Cheptei.

The Kenya Wildlife Security officer said the poachers had become more sophisticated over the years and were using all sorts of tricks to outsmart the KWS security personnel.

“We have now intensified operations around the ranches in order to arrest the culprits,” Mr Cheptei said, adding that they had solicited for the support of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Taita-Taveta Wildlife Forum in dealing with the problem.

Iregi Mwenja

USFWS MENTOR Fellow on Bushmeat

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