In a first, Kenya set to launch wildlife census

Authorities in Kenya are deploying planes, helicopters, boats, 4x4 trucks, camera traps, satellite collars and much more to kickstart its first-ever national census of wildlife.

This new census will cover Kenya’s 58 national parks, reserves, private and community conservancies. It will cost the country £1.6m (250m shillings) and will be completed by the end of July 2021.

It will involve a count of all marine and terrestrial mammals, endangered primates and important birds such as ostriches and kori bustards, among a few others.

This census aims at establishing a count of the wildlife in the country which will then help set a wildlife status and distribution to inform policy direction. It will also help recommend modern strategies on efficient and effective wildlife conservation and management in the country.

The census will help monitor the distribution and the number of threatened and nearly extinct species of wildlife, and will further help in shaping policies to protect these species from poaching.

Key wildlife landscaped in Kenya has, in recent years, experienced challenges related to land tenure and use and other climate-related factors.

"It is therefore important to undertake this national survey to establish baseline data on wildlife population status and distribution for future use, to understand wildlife population trends and shifts in their distribution. We also need to know if any given area has the carrying capacity for particular animals, and the effects climate change and increase in human population have on wildlife conservation," Kenya’s tourism and wildlife cabinet secretary, Najib Balala, said.