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Elephants At Risk, Activist Warns KWS
The Nation (Nairobi)
November 2, 2004
Posted to the web November 2, 2004
Peter Lemeteki
Nairobi
An activist yesterday asked the Kenya Wildlife Service to control the killings of elephants.
Saying the animals could soon become extinct, the Samburu Wildlife Forum chairman, Mr James Lenges, said last month, more than 100 elephants were killed by poachers in different areas of the district.
Speaking to journalists at Maralal Town, Mr Lenges said more youths should be hired as game rangers to reign in poachers as the existing officers were not enough.
The small number of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel in the district has resulted to few area patrols hence no control of illegal hunting.
He said the few personnel are reluctant in curbing wildlife hunting.
The Forum chairman said that recently a stray lion killed more than 50 animals at Tamiyoi village and KWS failed to do anything when the incident was reported to them.
He called on the Government to employ more youth as rangers to save the tourism sector that earns the country a lot of foreign exchange.
He appealed to the district police chief to help KWS personnel track poachers, who have invaded Kirisia forest and at the same time disclosed that tourism earnings in the district have dropped by 50 percent, which, he attributed to illegal and uncontrolled game hunting.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200411020093.html
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