Severe Animal Losses at Kenya’s Most Popular Park

Masai Mara reserve is known for its spectacular populations of wild animals such as lions, wildebeest, impala, leopards, zebras, elephants, spotted hyenas and many others.

But a recent scientific study has documented significant declines in six hoofed species throughout the 1530 sq. km reserve. In the last 15 years these drop-offs have occurred in the giraffe, hartebeest, impala, warthog, topi (pictured above) and waterbuck populations.

Monthly sample counts have indicated losses of 95% of giraffes, 80% of warthogs, 76% of hartebeest, and 67% of impala. Previous studies showed similar declines for wildebeast, gazelles and zebras. The lead author of the International Livestock Research Institute’s study, Joseph Ogutu stated, “The situation we documented paints a bleak picture and requires urgent and decisive action if we want to save this treasure from disaster.”

Human Impact

The pressing wildlife situation has been traced by the researchers to increasing human populations along the borders of the reserve. The Masai locals have been using wildlife grazing territory for their own food production. Also some people continue to illegally hunt wild animals within the park for food.

Over the last several decades many of them have shifted from living semi-nomadically to gathering in larger fixed communities. These larger communities of people have been illegally using the reserve to graze their livestock, thereby eliminating space and food for the wild animals. This practice has occurred mainly because the Masai have not had economic choices and often live in poverty. In their traditional economy, they existed more in harmony with the park and its wild inhabitants.

Working Together

Some Masai are working with safari tour companies and the researchers to try to strike a better balance between wildlife and their own livestock. Scientists there know they can’t protect the declining wild animals without the cooperation of the Masai. Without the animals they will not receive revenues from safari tours. So they have incentives to maintain a viable animal population, but their own behavior has been too frequently damaging.

Public education and an innotative land leasing program may help steer the situation towards a better future. The leasing program encourages families living with livestock on open land not to sell, develop, or fence it. Having the land remain open and not flooded with livestock, ensures the wild animals will not die out completely. The Masai actually own the reserve and manage it, because it has not been made into a national park. At some point it might also help to have Masai Mara recognized officially as a national park, so that at a government policy level its functioning receives more national consideration and support.

Image Credit: Snakeeyes