The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has launched a major wildlife translocation exercise from Kedong Ranch in Naivasha amid fears that uncontrolled land subdivision is destroying a key migration corridor.
The operation, conducted in partnership with The Safari Collection, follows high-level stakeholder meetings after concerns over the rapid parcelling and sale of the ranch.
Kedong Ranch lies between Mt. Longonot National Park and Hell’s Gate National Park, stretching toward Suswa and Kajiado County.
For decades, it has served as a lifeline for wildlife moving between the two parks.
But the once open plains are fast disappearing as land is being subdivided into parcels as small as an eighth of an acre and as large as 100 acres.
Fences, houses, and other infrastructure now crisscross the area, blocking migration routes and cutting off wildlife from water sources such as Lake Naivasha.
Species most affected include Thomson’s gazelles, Grant’s gazelles, elands, impalas, hartebeests, and wildebeests.
Many now face isolation in fragmented patches, raising fears of starvation, inbreeding, and possible local extinction.
A rapid assessment conducted on August 30, 2024, confirmed that Kedong Ranch remains an important dispersal zone connecting Mt. Longonot and Hell’s Gate. But extensive fencing and development have already rendered large sections inaccessible to animals.
Officials say the move will not only secure the survival of the herbivores but also support predator populations such as lions.
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation, with support from The Safari Collection, is also fitting giraffes with GPS collars to track their movement and define critical habitats that need protection in the future.
“Kedong Ranch has long been a lifeline for wildlife moving between Longonot and Hell’s Gate. Without intervention, we risk losing entire populations,” conservationists warned.
Gazelles released after translocation/Liz Muthoni/KWS
