BRIEF
ON SNARING STATUS WITHIN NAIVASHA
Overview
Naivasha and its environs have big populations
of both wildlife and human. Virtually almost all wildlife is in private land
except state owned Hells Gate and Longonot National Parks without forgetting
Game Farm which is under KWSTI. There are three water bodies within which are fresh
water Lake Naivasha and two non-fresh water Lakes Oloiden and Crater Lake. Lake
Naivasha has been emptying /overflowing into Lake Oloiden changing its
salinity. Animals can move all over the area either on land or water. There is
a lot of farming activities both commercial and peasant. Among the farming
activities on large scale are floriculture, livestock ranching and tourism.
Small scale farming activities include peasantry and herding. Huge human
population and ever growing farming activities has encroached into wildlife
habitat leading to increased human wildlife conflict.
Snaring
Trends
The most snared animal is common zebra.
Others which form the list but on lower degree are buffalos, impalas, Masai
giraffes, hippos, elands, waterbucks, warthogs, Thompson gazelles and Wildebeest.
Animal behavior and anatomy plus economy factor has been linked to the snaring
menace in Naivasha
The commonly used snaring tool is wedge
wire. Also on minor use are plain wires, nylon ropes/strings, rubber bands and
dug outs. These wires are sourced within the area. The wedge wire is easily
available considering its use in greenhouse construction. It is also available
in shops in Naivasha town. Plain wire is also easily available since most of
the farms are fenced using it. It is also available in hardware shops within
town. Rubber bands are commonly used in flower farming business as
binding/holding/parking tool. It has been encountered but it has been thought
to be accidental.
Wedge wire is preferred because of its
strength as it is braided and does not break easily. It is favored for zebras
and buffalos. Though a times plain wires are also found on these animals it is
assumed that they are not generally meant for them. Plain wires are common and
successful in small animals.
Dug outs have been used to trap hippos and
zebras.
Possible
contributing factors to Snaring within Naivasha
1. The high interaction of human
beings and wildlife. People live in close vicinity of wildlife
2. The high population of human
beings and wildlife. Both are contributed by constant bleeding on a fixed
resource-land which is rather diminishing.
3. As farming activities increase
there is rural to urban migration to cater for human resource demand.
4. Increased constructions as the
population must be housed, more cultivating lands and geothermal wells are
opened up leading to increased pressure on land with eventual encroachment to
wildlife habitat. Migration /movement corridors/pathways are impinged into.
This increases human-wildlife conflict.
5. Natural factors. Snaring has been noted to
escalate during dry spells as animal move to look for fodder/pastures in the
surrounding farms. Also increased volumes of surrounding lakes have led to
reduced dry habitat for terrestrial animals as water overflow on land.
6. Economy factor. Ranch owners allege
that wildlife animals’ populations have grown to levels beyond their land
carrying capacity. This has led to stiff fodder competition between their
cattle and wildlife and are inconstant push for wildlife populations to be
managed by government the best way there is. Best examples are Sanctuary Farm,
Soysambu conservancy, K.A.R.I-Naivasha and Aquila Farm. These have been snaring
hot spots for over the last two years. Managements of these farms are bitter about
wildlife populations to a point where they don’t care about what is happening
especially about snaring. To them snaring seem to lower populations thus
boosting their economy. They wish it
could be there heavily and regularly as personally witnessed some say. It is
within same locations where some intelligence point to a commercial network of
game meat business. Some have even yielded to positive arrests, successful
convictions and sentences. Lack of sustainable employment among large
population also results to engagement with wildlife thus increased snaring.
7. Existence of commercial game
meat business network. Unconfirmed Intelligence gathered point to a well-organized
network with poachers on the ground, a transport team and selling
points/outlets. A zebra carcass can go for at least 20,000/= and a buffalo for
80,000/=. This entices the poacher to engage at any level, at any farm using
any means possible to get carcasses. These activities can be strategic like end/beginning/middle
of the months or sporadic. Initially they could debone but of late they are
carrying boned meat.
Approaches
used to intervene
1. Gather necessary information
through desnaring/treatment interventions and share it with relevant organs.
This has constantly been shared with Investigation team- Naivasha KWS Station,
Warden Naivasha Station, Fisheries Naivasha Station, Hells Gate National Park,
Lake Nakuru National Park
2. Collaborate with other Non-governmental
agencies that help in desnaring exercise, spotting animals in need and gathering
relevant information on animal welfare. Such include Born Free Foundation and
ANWA that visit Naivasha area regularly for the same.
3. Create awareness as we carry out
our veterinary interventions to the community around Naivasha on welfare of
animals, dangers of game meat consumption, New Wildlife Act- its punitive
measures and need to disseminate information on any animal welfare matter.
Some of the
evidence that commercial business on game meat is real
NUMERICAL AND GRAPHIC PRESENTATION OF CASES ATTENDED
A). No. of cases attended per
species
Species
|
No. of Species attended to;
|
||
March
|
April
|
May
|
|
Zebra
|
7
|
11
|
30
|
Lion
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
Buffalo
|
0
|
2
|
13
|
Masai Giraffe
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
Serval Cat
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Eland
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Waterbuck
|
19
|
3
|
3
|
Black Rhino
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Python
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Leopard
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Hippo
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Impala
|
24
|
4
|
0
|
Bat Eared Fox
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Somali Ostrich
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Cheetah
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Zedonk
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Leopard Tortoise
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Ground Gray Squirrel
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
Colombus Monkey
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
Species affected in the last three Months
B). No. of Cases Attended Per Locations
Locations
|
No. of Cases Attended in;
|
||
March
|
April
|
May
|
|
Marula Estates
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
Sanctuary Farm
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
Hippo point
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Sopa Lodge
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Mundui Estates
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
Oserian
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
Kedong Ranch
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
Game Farm
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
Lentolia
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
Kamuta Farm
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Hindu Farm
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Aquila Farm
|
0
|
3
|
14
|
Hells Gate
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
Brigadier Boinet F.
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
Green Park
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
Nini Farm
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
KWSTI
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Kongoni G.V
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
Annex
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
Crater Lake
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
Soy Sambu W.C
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Aberdare Resort
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Lake Nakuru N.P
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
Upper KARI
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Kihoto
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Finlay Flower F.
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Eburu M
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Sero
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Kongoni Police S.
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Kanji
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Kinja
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
GoldSmith F.
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Crescent Island
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Malewa Bay
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
C). Types of Cases Attended to
Case Types
|
March
|
April
|
May
|
Snares
|
2
|
5
|
19
|
Electrocution
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
Fractures
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
Tumor
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
Lameness
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
Postmortem
|
1
|
3
|
7
|
Human/Wildlife Conflict
|
1
|
1
|
8
|
Capture & Translocation
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
Traumatic Wounds/Injuries
|
0
|
5
|
6
|
Helminthosis
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
Health Inspection
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Gastroimpaction
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Leathergy
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Abscess
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Scours
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Note: There has been a shift of snaring activities from eastern side of Lake
Naivasha to western side for the last three months after the latter remained
dry and dusty resulting to increased conflict.
Point to ponder
This is a
repetitive scenario in some of the noted hot spots. Repetitive in sence that it
happens during the dry spell. It is a reality case noted on 6/6/2014 at
KARI-Naivasha. The same case has been noted at Sanctuary Farm and adjascent
Crescent Island. Exacebating factors being high wildlife and cattle
populations, dry weather, heavy land pressure, Lake swelling, disgrantled
management among others.
Something need to
be done to counter the scenario.
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