Category: Conservation

Viewing wildlife and buying wildlife souvenirs are particularly popular amongst tourists coming to Africa. It is very important to know whether or not that trinket you bought will be acceptable to your airline. Many of them now subscribe to United for Wildlife in an effort to combat the illegal wildlife trade. Transport Taskforce member organizations of United for Wildlife a declaration at Buckingham Palace on the 15th of March. It declares a strong committing to actively reducing the illegal wildlife trafficking. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is one of the signatories.

Many species have been poached to near extinction. Illegal wildlife trade, not only restricted to endangered species, is currently the valued at between $5-20 billion per year, making it the fourth most lucrative global crime after drugs, humans and arms.
The highly linked global transport and logistics system has made illegal trade in wildlife a great deal easier. Poaching is not just a crime against wildlife. More than 1,000 rangers have been killed in the last ten years, which is two per week, every week.

One of the spinoffs of this situation is that many airlines are refusing to transport many wildlife products. The initial focus is on the trafficking of high-risk protected animals. certain big cats, pangolins, and ivory products, on high-risk routes. East Africa is a very hot area because many products originate from- or transit through Kenya, Tanzania and neighbors.

Kenya joins over 40 countries that have made plastic bags illegal, in a positive effort to reduce the impact on our environment. However, there may be implications for our guests traveling to this region, as the use, manufacture and importation of all plastic bags is now illegal in Kenya.

The ban applies to:

• Carrier bags with handles & with or without gussets.
• Flat bags without handles & without gussets.

Please take note that if you are traveling to Nairobi, plastic bags that match the above description, including duty free bags, will be confiscated at the airport. There is however a bigger risk that if anyone is caught using these plastic bags the fine is Ksh. 4,000,000 approximately US$38,000 or prison sentences of up to four years.

It is our opinion that with immediate effect we advise our guests and our own teams to refrain from using all forms of ‘disposable’ plastic carrying bags in both main luggage and hand luggage, to avoid inconveniences and possibly prosecution.

Kenya has joined other East African countries that include Rwanda and Ethiopia in banning plastic bags. Many conservationists and tour operators have applauded Kenya’s move towards reducing waste in its official ban of plastic bags.

Poaching continues to pose a major challenge to wildlife conservation, especially in the conservation of target species – Elephants and Rhinos. Reported cases of poaching in the country remain at a high since November 2012.

In the latest reported incident, authorities have intercepted a container at Mombasa port with ivory weighing 2 tonnes and valued at Kshs 100 million. The illegal consignment which was disguised as decoration stones originated from Tanzania and was destined for Indonesia. Separately, a family of 12 elephants was killed and their tasks carted away by poachers on Saturday 5^th January, in Bisadi area, Tsavo East National Park. A team of KWS Rangers are pursuing the poachers.

On the same day, thousands of miles away in the Far East, Hong Kong authorities intercepted 779 pieces of ivory weighing 1.3 tonnes and valued at $1.4m at the Hong Kong port. The container in which the illegal ivory was transported originated from Kenya; and was falsely declared as containing architectural materials. An x ray of the container led the customs officials to discover the ivory which was hidden in sacks and placed beneath stones.

The Far East stands out as smugglers’ choice destination for sale of illegal ivory and animal trophies, due to a large illegal market supported by huge demand for ivory and high fetching prices.

In October 2012, Hong Kong authorities intercepted 2 containers of illegal ivory weighing a total of 4 tonnes and valued at $3.4m. The containers originated from Kenya and Tanzania.

There have been concerns over the rise in poaching since November 2012, when a significant increase in reported incidents was observed. This rise was attributed by KWS in part, to heightened operations against poaching thus bringing the problem into focus. Among the increased measures by KWS in the fight against poaching include involving local communities in the fight; and increased staff efficiency through acquisition of appropriate tools such as aircrafts, vehicles and firearms.

Additionally, KWS commissioned last August the construction of a wildlife forensic and genetics laboratory at the organization head quarters in Nairobi. Among other functions, when completed, the laboratory will strengthen investigations through provision of evidence in the prosecution of cases of wildlife related crimes such as poaching; tracking genetic status of declining wildlife & determining special gene pools that require special protection. The facility is set to be the only one of its kind in East and Central Africa.