Kenya Wildlife Service rangers in Tana River County have intercepted at least 20 corpses of dik dik and 15 of impala in Komorjila village, Tana North sub county in Tana River in an operation to stop wildlife poaching and sale of wild meat in the county.
According to county warden Bakari George, the service got a tip off from informers of the illegal operation in the area, and mounted an operation where three suspects escaped leaving behind a motorbike, the illegal meat from dik diks, impalas, guinea fowls, and assorted weapons.
“Today, around 8am, we got intelligence from our informants that there was illegal poaching in some area. We dispatched a team to lay ambush so that we could find the suspects killing our wildlife. At the time our officers reached the area, they found a motorbike loaded with the illegal meat, but three suspects managed to escape,” George said.
“They left behind a motorbike, two machetes, two slashers, 21 carcasses of dikdik, 20 heads of dikdik, 12 carcasses of impala, and meat of three guinea fowls. We have been investigating the area for a long time because Tana River County is one of the known counties involved in consumption of wildlife animals,” he added.
At the same time, the county warden warned the area residents against consuming wildlife meat, noting that it is not only against the law but it could also endanger their lives and livestock through transmission of diseases.
George called for stronger collaborations between the communities and the service in protecting the wildlife and managing the human-wildlife coexistence in the county for the benefit of the country.
“We are calling on the residents of Tana River to stop killing our wildlife because they are part of our resources. Additionally, the wildlife has deadly diseases that could be transmitted to humans and to our livestock. Let us refuse and condemn consuming wildlife meat,” he said.
“Consuming wildlife meat is also illegal. If you are arrested, the law will follow its course. The law states that possession or transporting wildlife meat is an offense. Do not accept to buy wildlife meat because the law will catch up with you,” he added.
By Erick Kyalo
