Allow migration: The standard gauge railway Tsavo bridge columns near the Tsavo National Park animal migration route on May 1. The spaces between the columns will enable wild animals, especially elephants with migration routes, to move freely.
Allow migration: The standard gauge railway Tsavo bridge columns near the Tsavo National Park animal migration route on May 1. The spaces between the columns will enable wild animals, especially elephants with migration routes, to move freely.
CASES of human-elephant conflicts have increased in Taita Taveta county since the construction of the standard gauge railway began, a Kenya Wildlife Service official has said.
The conflict has resulted from the project interfering with elephant migration routes, said Stephen Kuserem, the KWS officer in charge of community.
He spoke on Saturday during Jamhuri Day celebrations at Mwatate Primary School.
“Elephants are getting confused every time they encounter heaps of soil erected along their migration routes in the ongoing SGR project. In the process, the stranded elephants are causing problems by destroying crops and even endangering people’s lives,” Kuserem said.
He said elephants are intelligent animals and cannot easily abandon their traditional migration routes.
Kuserem said human-elephant conflicts are on the rise where the railway line has blocked the traditional migration routes from Tsavo East and West.
He said Ndara, Bachuma and Ndii are most affected.
KWS is driving back a herd of 200 elephants in Maktau to Tsavo West National Park.
“We are trying hard to move back the elephants to the protected area so they don’t cause destruction in Maktau,” he said.
Kuserem said despite many problems, including insufficient vehicles and personnel to patrol the national park, KWS has managed to contain the human-wildlife conflicts.
Leaders present during the celebrations deplored that KWS had been overwhelmed by the elephants, which are destroying crops.
Mwatate MP Andrew Mwadime accused KWS of allowing illegal livestock to occupy the Tsavo National Park, forcing the elephants to move to the villages.
“The human-elephant conflicts have been worsened by the huge herds of livestock grazing in Tsavo West National park. The livestock are competing with elephants for water and pasture,” he said.
Mwatate MCA Arresmus Mwarabu said the elephants have destroyed many farms.
“We were happy that we have received good rains this season but our hopes of a good harvest have been shuttered by the elephants’ invasion,” he said.
—