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| Zebras are seen in Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary |
Taita Taveta county is known for its beautiful landscapes; the rolling hills, lush forests and wildlife.
It is the home of World War I battlefields around Voi, Mwaktau, Salaita Hill and Taveta town. Kenya was a battlefront for the British and German soldiers from Tanzania.
Apart from this rich history and heritage, the forests in Taita Hills are host three bird species endemic to the region.
Taita White Eye, Taita Thrush and Taita Apalis, which are considered critically endangered, call this region their home.
Over the years, Taita Hills forests have been undergoing massive degradation and more than 90 per cent of the indigenous forests have been cleared for agriculture and forest plantations, putting at risk the survival of the Taita endemics – birds, amphibians and insects found only in the Taita Hills.
As a result, the Taita Hills forests have been designated as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).
The Taita Apalis is a tiny bird only found in Taita Hills—nowhere else—and together with the Taita Thrush and Taita White Eye, they are at risk of extinction.
The Taita Apalis population has drastically dropped from around 300 pairs to 200 pairs between 2001 and 2017, according to researchers.
Currently, the Taita Apalis is only found in four small forest patches in Ngangao, Vuria, Yale and Mghange areas.
David Korir, an ornithologist working with the Wildlife Research and Training Institute, says the numbers of these birds have been threatened by drought, habitat loss and predation.
“The Taita Apalis are less than 500 birds. They are only found in at least three areas within Taita: Ngangao forest, Vuria Hills and Iyale,” Korir said in an interview with the Star.
The Taita White Eye is a small, sharp-billed warbler-like bird with an olive-green back, a yellow throat and undertail, and the ridiculously broad white spectacles around the eyes.
Unlike the Taita Apalis, the White Eeye is found in at least eight areas of Taita Hills: Ngangao, Vuria, Yale, Mbololo, Chawia, Wesu and Diwenyi, Korir said.
The Taita Thrush is a forest-dependent endemic bird confined to four forests in the Taita Hills: Mbololo, Chawia, Yale and Ngangao.
Conservationists are using these endemic birds as the flagship species to champion the conservation of the Taita Hills forests.
“The biggest threat for these birds has been the habitat loss, especially due to climate change and cutting down of trees in areas that are not protected,” Korir said.
“These birds like indigenous trees and have their nests built at low heights, which means that they also face danger of predation from human beings and other animals.”
Taita Taveta county has been challenged to market and promote these three birds as tourist attraction packages.
County director of Tourism Brian Lewela said they are working round the clock to preserve these birds and market them to tourists.
“We have scouts in the protected forests, like Ngangao, who normally assist or act as guides to take the bird watchers to those areas. They don’t allow anybody to get in there without their permission and the forest rangers,” Lewela said.
“This is a security measure to ensure that no strangers get into the forest to hunt the birds or do anything with the birds.”
The birds are so unique in that they move from Ngangao to Yale and a forest in Sagala and then back to their home.
“We would like to package our culture, our heritage, forests, wildlife and birds. Once we package these very well, coupled with the unique scenic areas in Taita Taveta, we can enhance tourism, both domestic and international,” he said.
Tourism executive Gertrude Shuwe said from promoting game reserves, Taita Taveta now has an opportunity to market the birds.
“We have invited an expert bird watcher to come to Taita Taveta to explore these birds and help us package them for tourism promotion,” Shuwe said.
In 2018, Nature Kenya started a programme in Taita Taveta to facilitate the development of management plans for Vuria and Chawia forests.
The programme was to protect the natural habitats of threatened species like Taita Apalis, which is key to their survival.
Nature Kenya piloted a habitat restoration project in the two areas in Taita Hills, which sought to convert a portion of exotic plantations back to natural forests.
Over 15,000 indigenous trees were planted across forests.
Additionally, a privately owned forest plot of about six hectares was leased at Msidunyi. This small forest was expected to provide habitat for six per cent of the world’s Taita Apalis population.
Funding for the lease was secured from the World Land Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the African Bird Club.
As a way of carrying the conservation message forward, Nature Kenya worked closely with the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya to conduct an awareness campaign highlighting the importance of conserving the Taita Apalis.
The campaign sought to sensitize communities about this threatened bird species via schools near Msidunyi, Vuria, Chawia, Ngangau and Iyale forests.
BY CHARLES MGHENYI