Kenya wildlife Service (KWS) officers from Mashuru sub-county in Kajiado had a rough time Wednesday afternoon trying to free a towering female giraffe which had been trapped in a fence.
The animal was among a tower of giraffes roaming the Mashuru Eselenkei area in search of pasture in the wake of the ongoing drought. The animals were trying to enter private land when the female giraffe’s legs were trapped by the chain-link fence.
The animal was severely injured and it took the KWS officers three hours to free it as it groaned in pain.
The Amboseli wildlife circuit has the highest concentration of giraffes along the Kenya-Tanzania border, totalling to 2,062 according to KWS data.
No meat for locals
As KWS officers moved in earnest to save the animal, dozens of locals stood by hoping to be allowed to slaughter and feast on the animal, saying the high cost of living had denied them the luxury of meat.
“We want the officers to allow us to slaughter the animal for a sumptuous meal. We can hardly afford meat nowadays. Life is hard,” said John Montet.
Locals blame the ongoing drought for the stray wild animals roaming the villages and competing with domestic animals for the little available fodder. They claim that incidents of wild animals dying while in search of pasture have increased.
They want the KWS officers to contain the wild animals in the parks and private sanctuaries to avert human-wildlife conflict.
“Wild animals are patronising our private lands in search of pasture. We have seen animals destroying fences and boreholes. Marauding jumbos, giraffes and zebras are roaming freely in our farms,” said Mr Saitoti Supeiyio.
Most parts of Kajiado are experiencing drought due to dry weather. Mashuru, Kajiado South and Kajiado Central sub-counties are the worst hit by human-wildlife conflicts due to proximity to Amboseli Tsavo and Chyulu Hills national parks. BY DAILY NATION