Leaders in Taveta have lamented increased illegal grazing of livestock in the Tsavo National Park. According to councillor Chanzo Khamadi, the illegal grazers from North Eastern province had sneaked thousands of herds of cattle in the park and had overtaken all the watering points for the elephants thus leading to human wildlife conflict. "Elephants only come out of the park in search of pasture and water during the drought season," lamented Khamadi. He blamed the Kenya Wildlife Services for not taking stringent measures to curb grazing in the park.
Early this year, KWS director Julius Kipng’etich while addressing a leaders meeting in Mwatate, said lenient penalties on those arrested grazing in the park were to blame since the herders go to court and pay a paltry Sh500 as bond.
Wildlife conservationists have lamented that the illegal grazing was endangering the life of the wildlife since they could be infected with diseases. Kipng’etich said stringent penalties was the only solution to bar the illegal grazers from moving into the parks.
Tourists visiting the park have in many times lamented that they see more livestock than wildlife in the park amidst being charged hefty park entrance fees.
Some sources revealed that some unscrupulous KWS rangers were colluding with grazers who give them some fee to graze their animals in the park at night.
The news comes at a time when residents of Taveta are counting losses following increased invasion of their farms by hundreds of elephants from Tsavo West National Park.
More than 100 marauding elephants have invaded farms in areas of Mwakitau and Taveta where they destroyed acres of bananas, maize, peas ,pumpkins among other crops.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201105240136.html