The Future of Kenya’s Wildlife Parks

Celebrating three decades of Pulse of the Planet, here’s a program from our archives.
Masai music
Music from the Masai people of Kenya. In Kenya, wildlife parks have made tourism the number one source of revenue. But that’s small comfort to rural farmers who live on the borders of game reserves. Herds of animals have been known to cross park boundaries and trample agricultural fields, destroying a year’s harvest overnight. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.

Leakey: Wildlife, at the moment is definitely a problem for the farming community. Many of our farmers are relatively poor and cannot afford to put game-proof fences around their individual holdings.

Richard Leakey is director of Kenya’s Wildlife Services, and when he looks into the future of Kenya’s National parks, he sees fences.

Leakey: I believe we’ve got to do the fencing for them and we should provide boundaries that are secure so that the wildlife stays within the national parks, in those areas where wildlife interests and agricultural interests are in direct competition. This is not to ring fence all over national parks, but it’s to provide secure boundaries where high-intensity agriculture and national park wildlife interests are interfacing with one another. This is going to require some two to three thousand kilometers of game-proof fence which is going to cost a lot of money. But if we don’t spend the money, the political fallout, continuing loss of crops and loss of livelihood will become a factor in the future of wildlife. I think we should find the money, and spend it, do it. Because if we don’t do it, the political climate for conservation is going to deteriorate. If we do do it, I think associated with revenue sharing in the rural areas, we will have a very positive attitude to wildlife protection for the future.

This archival program is part of our thirtieth anniversary celebration. If you want hear more, check out our podcast.

The Future of Kenya's Wildlife Parks

In memory of famed conservationist Richard Leakey... In a 1989 interview with Jim, Leakey predicts there will fences around wildlife parks.

Air Date:04/06/2022

Scientist:

Transcript:

The Future of Kenya's Wildlife Parks Celebrating three decades of Pulse of the Planet, here's a program from our archives. Masai music Music from the Masai people of Kenya. In Kenya, wildlife parks have made tourism the number one source of revenue. But that's small comfort to rural farmers who live on the borders of game reserves. Herds of animals have been known to cross park boundaries and trample agricultural fields, destroying a year's harvest overnight. I'm Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet. Leakey: Wildlife, at the moment is definitely a problem for the farming community. Many of our farmers are relatively poor and cannot afford to put game-proof fences around their individual holdings. Richard Leakey is director of Kenya's Wildlife Services, and when he looks into the future of Kenya's National parks, he sees fences. Leakey: I believe we've got to do the fencing for them and we should provide boundaries that are secure so that the wildlife stays within the national parks, in those areas where wildlife interests and agricultural interests are in direct competition. This is not to ring fence all over national parks, but it's to provide secure boundaries where high-intensity agriculture and national park wildlife interests are interfacing with one another. This is going to require some two to three thousand kilometers of game-proof fence which is going to cost a lot of money. But if we don't spend the money, the political fallout, continuing loss of crops and loss of livelihood will become a factor in the future of wildlife. I think we should find the money, and spend it, do it. Because if we don't do it, the political climate for conservation is going to deteriorate. If we do do it, I think associated with revenue sharing in the rural areas, we will have a very positive attitude to wildlife protection for the future. This archival program is part of our thirtieth anniversary celebration. If you want hear more, check out our podcast.