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The oldest national park in Kenya is “under immense pressure,” Dr. Patrick Omondi, the director of biodiversity, research, and planning at the Kenya Wildlife Service, told The Guardian. As Peter Muiruri reported, because of “dwindling wildlife and visitor numbers, and increasing industry and human settlements on all sides,” the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) has made a 10-year plan to build fences in the south end of the Nairobi National Park.
Why This Matters: This plan has ignited a new battle between the government and conservation groups. Many conservation groups claim that the government is not paying attention to the needs of communities in the surrounding areas. Indeed, as many of these community members have argued, these fences would “separate [the] community from the animals within the Nairobi ecosystem.” In the words of William Ole Kompe, a Maasai elder, said, “There will be no fencing on our side…We have lived together with wild animals forever. Why separate us now?”
The Decline of the Park: The park was created in 1946, when Kenya was under British colonial rule. According to The Guardian, this 45-square mile park is the “only sanctuary in the world where wild animals roam freely next to a bustling metropolis.” However, in recent years, the park’s condition has deteriorated. Some species there have declined over 70% in the past 40 years, and the wildebeest migration has “collapsed.”
As Reuters explained, “the park has been fenced in on three sides as the city mushroomed around it.”
Looking Forward: What will happen if this proposal does get put into action? Many have already suggested their commitment to protesting the measures. William Ole Kompe promised “If [fencing] happens, I will lead a street demonstration to oppose the move.” Others have raised further problems with the plan. For instance, as Nkamunu Patita, a coordinator at the Wildlife Foundation who was born and raised in the surrounding areas, has said “If the river is fenced in, the community will be unable to make use of the water, while fencing it out means the water will not be accessible to animals within the park.” As Patita emphasizes, there must be more consultations, studies, and community discussions before this plan is put into place.
by Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer A new study may reveal the mystery behind violently exploding craters in the Siberian tundra. Last year, a 17th massive permafrost crater cracked open in the Russian arctic; the first was spotted in 2013, leaving scientists searching for a reason as to why it had appeared. The craters, the most recent 100 […]
by Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer How much does a city weigh? You can’t put San Francisco on a scale, but new research from the US Geological Service estimates that the number is 1.6 trillion kilograms, about the same as 250,000,000 elephants. This isn’t just a clever math problem, though: all that weight is causing […]
by Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer The state of Indiana is home to 80 pits of coal ash, the toxic byproduct of burning coal, more than any other state in the country. These pits are not lined, allowing the ash to contaminate groundwater and rivers across the state. As the Indianapolis Star reports, power companies […]
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