Meru National Park set to benefit from ‘The Great African Ungulate Translocation’:
Meru National Park has started receiving several species of hooved mammals totaling around 2000 animals.
The translocation exercise aims to revitalize the wildlife of the expansive Meru National Park and will also benefit the greater Meru Conservation Area that covers approximately 5000km2 and includes Kora National Park (Home of George Adamson before his death), Mwingi and Bisanadi National Reserves.
The translocation has been funded by Meru Conservation Area Development Project whose main objective was to restore the biodiversity potential of the Meru Conservation Area that was decimated through poaching in the late 1980’s.
The massive translocation of different ungulate species, began at the end of July 2007, will see the KWS Veterinary Department capturing wildlife from Naivasha, Lake Nakuru National Park and Laikipia.
The translocation has been funded by Meru Conservation Area Development Project whose main objective was to restore the biodiversity potential of the Meru Conservation Area that was decimated through poaching in the late 1980’s.
The massive translocation of different ungulate species, began at the end of July 2007, will see the KWS Veterinary Department capturing wildlife from Naivasha, Lake Nakuru National Park and Laikipia.
Species as the endangered Grevy Zebra, Common Zebra, Impala, Kongoni and Beisa Oryx are targeted for what is thought to be the largest translocation of African Ungulates.
According to Mr Kenn Esau, the Meru Conservation Area Project Coordinator, ‘Our vision for the ungulate translocation was based on the fact that numerous studies conducted in the MCA indicated the need to revamp the dwindling herbivore population due to the skewed predator-prey-dynamics.’
‘In order to maintain and restore the biodiversity in the MCA, translocations were identified as a methodology that would assist to re-establish viable species populations that historically ranged the area and to re-enforce existing populations of conspecifics in order to enhance their long-term survival,’ Mr. Esau observes.
Since the KWS started the process of re-storing biodiversity in the park, there have been six earlier translocations to the protected area since 2001 as depicted in the table.
Mass capture
In this methodology, family groups of animals capture by driving them into a funnel shaped capture site and then loaded into crates and hauled to release sites. This system can only be used for small game and is commonly used in South Africa.
Currently the MCA project has successfully translocated a total of 504 common zebras, 412 impalas, 128 reedbucks and 20 Grevy zebras, all of which were translocated in Phase 1 of the operation. In addition to this the MCA is now an established Black and White Rhino sanctuary with a total of 56 animals i.e. 20 black and 36 white rhino that were translocated in phase II and III respectively.
During this last phase of great ungulate translocation activity KWS intends to translocate at least 50 Kongoni (Hartebeest), 1000 Zebras, 1426 impalas and 50 Beisa Oryx.
This unique ungulate translocation is expected to specifically address the issue of the endangered grevy Zebra population in the park that comprised of only females, thus low breeding numbers.
The MCA project that has been funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), and the International Fund for animal Welfare (IFAW) to the tune of Ksh 1.3 billion and Ksh 100 million respectively, has also received additional funding from the Government of Kenya.
In this methodology, family groups of animals capture by driving them into a funnel shaped capture site and then loaded into crates and hauled to release sites. This system can only be used for small game and is commonly used in South Africa.
Currently the MCA project has successfully translocated a total of 504 common zebras, 412 impalas, 128 reedbucks and 20 Grevy zebras, all of which were translocated in Phase 1 of the operation. In addition to this the MCA is now an established Black and White Rhino sanctuary with a total of 56 animals i.e. 20 black and 36 white rhino that were translocated in phase II and III respectively.
During this last phase of great ungulate translocation activity KWS intends to translocate at least 50 Kongoni (Hartebeest), 1000 Zebras, 1426 impalas and 50 Beisa Oryx.
This unique ungulate translocation is expected to specifically address the issue of the endangered grevy Zebra population in the park that comprised of only females, thus low breeding numbers.
The MCA project that has been funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), and the International Fund for animal Welfare (IFAW) to the tune of Ksh 1.3 billion and Ksh 100 million respectively, has also received additional funding from the Government of Kenya.