This archive report was first published on 11 July 2019.
July 11, 2019
Human-wildlife conflict in Taita-Taveta County has led to a surge in poaching and the illicit trade in game meat, with locals resorting to the activity to fend for their families.
For Davis Mwachia, a resident of Mwakitau village, the benefits of wildlife conservation are far from clear. His 20 goats and two donkeys fell prey to a marauding pride of lions from Tsavo West National Park, leaving him with significant losses.
“Why should we protect wild animals yet they only benefit the government?” Mwachia asked, expressing his frustration with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for failing to contain wildlife within the park.
According to Mwachia, poverty has driven many young men to poaching, with the trade in game meat being a common occurrence in Mbulia and Ghazi. Locals have resorted to poaching to fend for their families, with some even using snares, bows, and arrows to capture the animals.
John Mwadeghu, a local resident, has been poaching for the past four years to earn money for his children’s school fees. He uses a bright torch to illuminate and startle the animal before killing it using his arrows.
Human-wildlife conflict in the area has become more frequent, with some residents losing their lives and others suffering serious injuries due to attacks by the animals, mostly elephants.
Some ranchers have embraced conservation by turning their land into conservancies, but most residents are against the move, arguing that it would increase human-wildlife clashes.
Lodge manager Samuel Kyembeni of Kipalo Hills Lodge, a tourist lodge that hosts visitors to Tsavo West National Park, said they are working with locals to end the trade in game meat through awareness programmes.
“We empower them to stop the illegal trade. That is how we can eradicate this vice,” Kyembeni said.
