•KWS said the translocation programme aims to relocate wildlife to safer environments conducive to their natural behaviors
• Some 76 Thomson gazelles, 146 common zebras, 362 impalas, 17 water bucks, and 10 wildebeests have been moved from Naivasha to Laikipia.
Image: George Murage
The Kenya Wildlife Service has waded into the controversy surrounding the translocation of wildlife from Naivasha in Nakuru to Laikipia.
KWS said the move was initiated following requests from ranch owners.
On Tuesday, a section of conservancy owners in Naivasha accused KWS of working behind their backs and transferring the wild animals to various conservancies in Laikipia.
According to one of the landowners, Ronaldo Retief, the ongoing exercise is marred with controversy, confusion and misinformation.
He said majority of the wild animals were located on game ranches owned by landowners who for years fed and watered them.
“We are deeply perturbed by the ongoing translocation of a particular set of wild animals from Naivasha to Laikipia, as KWS has kept us in the dark,” Retief said.
He said they wrote to the agency over the exercise but had not received any reply, raising more questions as more animals were transferred.
Retief said the recent transfers of giraffes were shrouded in mystery, with KWS officers using the names of senior government officers to threaten those opposed to the exercise.
The translocation exercise targeted zebras, impalas, waterbucks and gazelles.
KWS said the ranch owners sought KWS’s expertise in managing human-wildlife conflicts and addressing the emerging wildlife challenges.
“As a government institution entrusted with wildlife management and conservation, KWS operates within the framework of Kenyan laws and regulations. The translocations in Naivasha were necessitated due to the escalating conflicts between humans and wildlife, driven by issues such as land fragmentation, encroachment into wildlife habitats and shifting land use patterns,” it said.
The agency said the translocation programme aims to relocate wildlife to safer environments conducive to their natural behaviors, while also taking into account the concerns of the local community and landowners.
The service said it is committed to transparent and consultative process, ensuring all translocation activities are carried out with full consent of land owners and stakeholders.
“Notable examples include requests from specific farms such as Olmorogi/Morendat farm, Marula Conservancy, Evergreen Avocados Farm, Kijabe Farm and Sopa Lodge.”
Last year, Kenya Nut Company, in a letter addressed to the service, requested for the translocation of wildlife from Olmorogi and Morendat farm.
Evergreen Avocados made a similar request to KWS February 22 seeking to de populate the Thomson gazelles by half (from 200 to 100).
The avocado farm, which recently acquired 500 hectares of land in Ndabibi for the establishment of avocado farm, asked KWS to provide the farm with female giraffes saying they have male ones.
KWS said the ongoing exercise has resulted in the successful translocation of various wildlife species totaling 76 Thomson gazelles, 146 common zebras, 362 impalas, 17 water bucks and 10 wildebeest from Naivasha to Laikipia.
“The service invites constructive engagement from all stakeholders to further enhance the management and conservation of Kenya’s rich wildlife heritage.”