Kenya on Friday launched the first-ever National Wildlife Census, conducted on land and sea wildlife, as part of the efforts made towards the preservation and protection of wildlife in Kenya.
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said, “We will undertake aerial total census in wildlife ecosystems; Tsavo, Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Laikipia-Samburu, Meru, Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, Turkana, Marine animals, and fresh-water birds within the Coast & Major Rivers – funded by the Kenyan Government.”
Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife stated that the objectives of the Wildlife Census are to: “determine Kenya’s wildlife population and distribution; determine Kenya’s wildlife population trends over time.
Identify threats to wildlife conservation and management in Kenya’s landscapes and suggest strategies for effective wildlife conservation & management across Kenya’s landscapes.
The official launch of the National Wildlife Census 2021 took place at the Shimba Hills National Reserve, in Kwale County. It was done by the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service & Wildlife Research & Training Institute.