• A probe to establish the cause of the fires has been launched.
• Birds, rodents, snakes and other invertebrates critical in balancing the ecosystem have been killed.
Image: /AWF.
The mysterious bushfires that ravaged the Tsavo Conservation Area in recent months caused more harm than good to the biodiversity, ecologists have said.
They say the fires may have killed animals, birds, rodents and invertebrates - all of which are important to the ecosystem.
The raging fires destroyed more than 800 square kilometres of the conservation area. Herdsmen, honey harvesters and charcoal dealers have been blamed. A probe to establish the cause of the fires has been launched.
Africa Wildlife Foundation Tsavo Mkomanzi landscape manager Maurice Nyaligu told the Star that bushfires not only kill animals but also degrade the environment.
“The fires have a serious impact on rodents and snakes which are useful to the ecosystem,” Nyaligu said.
The ecologist said without snakes, rodents can easily spread diseases to people living near Tsavo.
He said as fire spreads animals move to secure territories, where they can interact with people.
Carnivores too move closer to the people, causing conflict.
Africa Wildlife Foundation senior ecologist Kenneth Kimitei said fire destabilises the ecosystem.
He said for example, dik diks normally move in pairs, a male and a female, and if one of them is burned, the remaining one will die as a result of stress as it will not get another partner.
Kimitei said the fire must also have killed birds and other invertebrates in the soil. He said the invertebrates are key in soil aeration as well as in recycling nutrients. Kimitei said rehabilitating such landscapes is a hard task.
Kimitei said altering the ecological functions of an ecosystem will come with dire consequences such as impacts on rainfall and climatic patterns.
He, however, noted that fire can also be good when used systematically. “It can be used to control ticks in ranches. It can also be used to remove unpalatable biomass,” Kimitei said.
He said once the unpalatable biomass has been cleared, fresh ones will sprout only if there is enough rain.
Kenya Wildlife Service Tsavo Conservation senior assistant director Robert Njue said they have partnered with some organisations to put up a fire station in Tsavo East. He said it is an expensive affair to put out a fire.
Njue said over 400 people are needed especially if the wind is fuelling it.
“If we get resources, a fire station will be ready by early next year,” he said.
Njue said they are working to quantify the damage caused by the fires.
He said the KWS has put a lot of measures to ensure that illegal herders do not gain access into the park.
“We suspect some of the fires might have been caused by herders as a result of our pressure,” he said.
Covering over 21,000 square kilometres, the Tsavo conservation is the largest protected complex in Kenya, and covers over four per cent of the entire country’s land mass.
It consists Tsavo East, West, Chyulu Hills and South Kitui reserve, which is under the county government.
Edited by A.N