The government will in the next eight days finalise a three-month national wildlife census that began in May.
Unlike in the past where the census only zeroed in on a few animals like elephants, rhinos, giraffes and zebras, this year’s exercise seeks to establish the number of all species and where they specifically exist.
A team from the Ministry of Tourism is expected to wrap up the process by covering the coastal strip of Lamu and northern Kenya counties of Turkana and Marsabit.
Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) acting Director Patrick Omondi said the census data will be instrumental in ecosystem planning by the Kenya Wildlife Service.
“This is the first time we will have a baseline for all other species other than elephants and rhinos. We will know their numbers in space and time. This is important for ecosystem planning because you can only manage better what you know exactly,” Dr Omondi said.
He spoke on Monday at Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia North during an update event on the census progress by the research team.
“On the total aerial and ground count, we adopted a publication that was done in 1992 by scientists. The publication is used across Africa. On the marine count, we will adopt what the marine scientists have published and agreed upon,” he said.
Wildlife Principal Secretary Fred Sigor said data collected from the census will help in minimising the issues of human-wildlife conflict that have over the years been a grave threat to the survival of iconic species.
“The purpose of conducting this census is to enable us to get the exact number of each wildlife species and where they exist so we can plan and manage them accordingly. As a government, we must surmount this challenge by ensuring that humans and wildlife co-exist peacefully,” Prof Sigor said.
KWS Director General John Waweru said the data will greatly help in fighting poaching in the country.
“The census will assist us in managing the wildlife spaces through a streamlined management plan. We will be able to use the management plans in effectively guaranteeing security of animals in the spaces that they are,” Mr Waweru said.
The PS said research will be boosted further once the government finalises the process of making the institute a fully-fledged entity separate from KWS.
For the last eight years, wildlife research was a department under KWS.
Mid last year, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala appointed a board for WRTI and since then, the process of separating the two entities has been ongoing.
KWS Director General John Waweru said the data will greatly help in fighting poaching in the country.
“The census will assist us in managing the wildlife spaces through a streamlined management plan. We will be able to use the management plans in effectively guaranteeing security of animals in the spaces that they are,” Mr Waweru said.
He cautioned the researchers against releasing census data to the public before completion and official announcement by CS Balala.
