Threats facing the King of the Jungle
The statistics on the few remaining lions in Kenya and the rate at which they are dying together with the threats facing lions got me shocked. I have a feeling that if something is not done urgently then the future generations will be denied a chance to have an encounter with these and also to benefit from the resources just as we are benefitting from them at the moment. So it is upon us, as the present generation to make all possible efforts to make sure that the lions are well conserved and to help increase their population.
It is said that a lion is worth more than USD 1 million a year therefore it is clear to many how much the country stands to lose in terms of tourism earnings. Lions are among the ’big five’ which have attracted tourists to our country. Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner to Kenya. If lions in Kenya become instinct then the number of tourists visiting the country will drop as they will opt for other destinations and this will present a big loss to the country.
The need for environmental education is important especially in communities that suffer from lion-human conflicts on ways to co-exist with lions. These community members need to understand the benefit of these animals not only to the country as a whole but also to them as a community. They should be made aware that killing of wildlife does more harm than good.
Pastoral communities have been known to poisoning lions using chemicals such as Furadan. There have been calls to have such chemicals completely banned in Kenya. As much as farmers use these chemicals on their plants as pesticides, sometimes they have been known to use it to kill lions as a way of retaliation when they attack their livestock.
Funds that are earned through tourism should trickle down to the community level in a devolved way so that the local people can benefit in terms of development from the tourism fruits. They need to be able to see firsthand the benefits of tourism to them as a community and the country. As a result, this will make these communities especially the pastoralists to appreciate more the value of these wild animals and hence they would feel more encouraged to help in their conservation.
The lion tracking system also known as lion collaring which is being done by the Kenya Wildlife Service is a good move and has been praised by various quarters. This is being done by the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) whereby a device is attached to the lion and it is used to monitor their movements. This will minimise cases of lions straying into human settlement areas therefore helping to deal with human-wildlife conflicts.
Recently Kenyans joined the world in the Global March for Elephants Rhinos and Lions in a quest to agitate for justice for wildlife. We all need to unite and save our wildlife including lions so that we don’t lose our heritage.
It is said that a lion is worth more than USD 1 million a year therefore it is clear to many how much the country stands to lose in terms of tourism earnings. Lions are among the ’big five’ which have attracted tourists to our country. Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner to Kenya. If lions in Kenya become instinct then the number of tourists visiting the country will drop as they will opt for other destinations and this will present a big loss to the country.
The need for environmental education is important especially in communities that suffer from lion-human conflicts on ways to co-exist with lions. These community members need to understand the benefit of these animals not only to the country as a whole but also to them as a community. They should be made aware that killing of wildlife does more harm than good.
Pastoral communities have been known to poisoning lions using chemicals such as Furadan. There have been calls to have such chemicals completely banned in Kenya. As much as farmers use these chemicals on their plants as pesticides, sometimes they have been known to use it to kill lions as a way of retaliation when they attack their livestock.
Funds that are earned through tourism should trickle down to the community level in a devolved way so that the local people can benefit in terms of development from the tourism fruits. They need to be able to see firsthand the benefits of tourism to them as a community and the country. As a result, this will make these communities especially the pastoralists to appreciate more the value of these wild animals and hence they would feel more encouraged to help in their conservation.
The lion tracking system also known as lion collaring which is being done by the Kenya Wildlife Service is a good move and has been praised by various quarters. This is being done by the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) whereby a device is attached to the lion and it is used to monitor their movements. This will minimise cases of lions straying into human settlement areas therefore helping to deal with human-wildlife conflicts.
Recently Kenyans joined the world in the Global March for Elephants Rhinos and Lions in a quest to agitate for justice for wildlife. We all need to unite and save our wildlife including lions so that we don’t lose our heritage.
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