This archive report was first published on 10 May 2021.
Monday, May 10, 2021, marked a concerning day for wildlife conservationists at Nairobi National Park and neighboring private wildlife sanctuaries. An invasive weed, known as Parthenium hysterophorus or 'famine weed' to locals, is rapidly spreading in the park and its environs.
The flowering plant, which grows to between 0.5m and 1.5m tall, was declared as noxious in 2010 in Kenya. Friends of Nairobi National Park have teamed up to uproot the weed, which is capable of producing hundreds of thousands of seeds, making it spread fast.
According to Caroline Kibii, an environment scientist and researcher, the tedious weed uprooting process is better than chemical and biological control in dealing with the weed. "The best method to control parthenium is to pull it out while it is still young (before it flowers to suppress the pollen grains). This should involve pulling it out with the roots," she said.
Enviro Wild Initiative in collaboration with African Sustainability Network (ASNET) has embarked on uprooting the plant in Silole private sanctuary, neighboring the national park in Ong'ata Rongai, Kajiado County. The sanctuary has 600 acres hosting different species.
