Communities in the neighbourhood of Boulargi Giraffe conservancy on Monday received food donation to mitigate poaching due to shortages associated with drought and Covid-19.
The donation to 150 families in the outskirts of Garissa town came from Community Wildlife Fund.
County assembly leader of Majority Mohamed Gabow, who is the area MCA, said the food rations will reduce the suffering.
The donation included maize flour, rice, sugar, salt and tea leaves. Soap was also donated.
Gabow said the beneficiaries have for years co-existed with the over 1,000 rare giraffes and regretted that some of the animals have recently been trapped for for meat.
“We are concerned as leaders that cases of game hunting for meat has been on the increase. It all boils down to economic hard times occasioned by Covi-19 and drought,” Gabow said.
He thanked the Community Wildlife Fund for the donation and promised to push the county assembly for more donations.
He said the drought had forced the community to resort to game meat, "something unheard of in yesteryears".
The majority leader said that the conservancy scouts and some members of the public had arrested some people with game meat.
He urged the benefactor to continue supporting the giraffe conservancy.
- mwaniki fm
