Kenya, Tanzania plan to conduct wildlife census

Kenya and Tanzania will conduct a joint cross-border count of rhinos and other large mammals in the shared Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.

The census is one of the resolutions reached by a joint meeting of tourism players from the two countries at the Mara Serena Safari Lodge.

The meeting dubbed ‘the Greater Serengeti Society Platform’ was chaired by chairperson of Tourism and Natural Resources Management Committee of the Council of Governors Samuel Tunai.

The forum deliberated on the successes in conservation of the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem, as well as existing challenges and the interventions needed.

The workshop facilitated by the European Union was attended by senior managers and directors from Tanzania National Parks, Kenya Wildlife Services, and Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority.

Others are Narok County, Maasai Mara game reserve warden, Frankfurt Zoological Society, Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, Grumeti & Friedkin and the Maasai Mara Wildlife Associations.

Mr Tunai, who is also Narok governor, said a committee has been formed during the meeting to prepare for the cross-border census involving Kenya Wildlife Service, Narok county government rangers, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Wildlife Division of Tanzania and Tanzania National Parks and NGOs.

The aerial census will seek to establish the wildlife population, trends and distribution as well as foster cross-border collaboration on wildlife monitoring and management between the two East African countries.

“The information that will be gathered from the census will establish how many Rhinos are there, the data will be used for planning and preparing the management for possible wildlife security and human-wildlife conflict eventualities in the ecosystem,” said Mr Tunai.