This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is facing a daunting task in Ndere Island National Park, Kisumu, as rising waters in Lake Victoria threaten the existence of the protected tourist site.
Already, part of the island, home to several breeds of wildlife, including rare Sitatunga antelopes, water bucks, baboons, monkeys, impalas, zebras, warthogs, hippos, and crocodiles, is submerged.
With the rising water levels, KWS may be forced to seek alternative homes for some of the wild animals, sparking concerns about human-wildlife conflict.
According to records from KWS, the number of cases of human-wildlife conflict has increased to 300 in the past three months, with an average of 100 complaints per month from people bitten by snakes or attacked by hippos and crocodiles.
Experts at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) have linked the swelling of the waters to climate change, with Christopher Aura, a scientist, stating that several rivers are also draining into the lake, contributing to the rising waters.
As KWS ponders the next move, the community living next to the island has presented a petition seeking compensation over frequent attacks by wild animals and urging KWS to put up a ring fence around the park to prevent the animals from escaping.
