Kenya: an African nation renowned for its wildlife. A population with an expected economic growth of 5% this year and a hotspot for safari-seeking tourists everywhere. But for how much longer?
I think it's fair to say that I fell in love with Kenya when I spent a month on expedition there two years ago. I'll happily sit for hours reminiscing on my trip, telling stories about the people I met and the unforgettable things I saw. Because of this I now subconsciously keep a lookout for any developments in the country. My latest find rather shocked me...
On the 7th July, BBC News released an article about Kenya's ever-expanding population and the effect this is having on its renowned wildlife. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18739371 Other articles have also been published recently, focusing on the diminshing numbers of Kenya's lions. As a nation of animal lovers, the UK should be concerned.
Reports of big cat killings have been rather shocking and disturbing to read. For anyone who has been lucky enough to go on safari, you'll know that the lion is one of the 'Big 5' that you hope to see. Now when I went to Kenya (here we go...) I wasn't lucky enough to see one. We spent hours at a national park one day hoping to catch a glimpse, but to no avail. We were disappointed. But so were the Kenyan guides on safari with us. The majority of people I met were immensely proud of the wildlife they share their land with, both admiring and respecting the big cats; aware of the danger they can pose but strong believers in being able to share the country rather than fight over it.
So what's actually happening?
As Nairobi is expanding, small towns have cropped up on its outskirts. This is land that was previously uninhabited by humans and prowling territory of the many species of wildlife that roam the country. Historically after the rainy season, lions leave national parks and follow herbivores into outlying areas like this, where they then disperse. With humans now occupying the land they find themselves trapped in unknown territory. Almost inevitably then, these lions will encounter livestock which wasn't there before; easy prey for them to hunt. Naturally with numerous livestock attacks, the villagers are getting angry.
Yes, you could make the argument that this is understandable. Villagers need to protect their livestock; it's usually their sole income so if they lose that, they lose everything.
But killing lions is actually illegal.
What should happen...and what's not...
If a villager or farmer spots a lion they should get in touch with a ranger from one of the national parks. But local Kenyan papers are reporting stories of villagers fighting back; calling the rangers but killing the lions before the officials arrive. Horrible images of blood-stained cubs have been released by the press, shocking animal lovers everywhere. USA Today reported in June that Maasai warriors will be arrested for spearing six lions to death. They were just 25 miles away from Nairobi's National Park. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-06-22/lion-killings-kenya/55763732/1
For the Maasai, killing lions is a cultural tradition that symbolises bravery; they cut off the tails and keep them as trophies of their achievement. But killing of a female is prohibited unless she posed a direct threat to livestock. In this case it was simply that the warriors grew tired of waiting for rangers. They killed two adult lionesses, two younger lions and two cubs.
Kenya's Tourism Federation states that the nation is an ideal spot for tourists with its 'abundant wildlife in their natural habitats' but with reports of only 20,000 lions left in Kenya and the human population ever expanding, I'm worried that soon they might need to reevaluate this statement.
I'm hoping to return to Kenya in the near future and I would love to be able to spot a lion in the wild. Yet in what looks to be another case of animals VS humans in the struggle over land, the future does not look promising for this big cat...