Maasai Mara Wildlife Reserve on a Downswing
The Maasai Mara Sanctuary is Going Through a Difficult Phase
Maasai Mara wildlife reserve located north of Mara-Serengeti ecosystem in East Africa is a legend. It is a magnificent reserve, 1,500-square kilometer in extent and is one of the worlds’ most visited wildlife sanctuaries. It is famous for its exceptional wildlife population and an annual migration of nearly two million wildebeest, zebra and other wildlife across the Serengeti and Mara plains. It indeed is a cornucopia of wildlife and a delight for the nature lovers.
Decline in Fortunes
The rosy picture of Masai Mara is undergoing a sea change, a change for the worse. This decline in the fortunes of the famed Masai Mara is causing heartburn among the conservationists worldwide. A recent study by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has come up with some shocking news about Masai Mara wildlife Reserve. Numbers of giraffe, warthog, impala, topi and hartebeest has plummeted by 50% or more between 1979 and 2002. This slump was greater in the case of warthog and hartebeest. The study is published in the British Journal of Zoology.
According to Joseph Ogutu, the lead author of the study, urgent and decisive action is needed to save the reserve from disaster. The decline observed by researchers have been backed the aerial count of wildlife undertaken between 1979 and 2002, by the Kenyan government Department of Resource Surveys and Remote Sensing.
Human Disturbances in Wildlife Habitat
Human settlements on lands adjacent to the reserve and consequent disturbances are the main reasons attributed for the decline in wildlife. The unbridled growth of settlements has led to unhealthy competition between wildlife and domestic animals. Denizens of the wild are forced to compete with domestic animals for forage. This has brought a decline in the prey base of the park.
The loss of prey base is already having a negative impact on lions, cheetahs, and other predators. Increased poaching, and more intensive grazing by Maasai pastoralists have contributed to the decline. To add to the woes more and more people in the ranchlands are allowing their livestock to graze in the reserve.The carnivores, which depend on the preybase, are the first casualties. Retaliatory killings of wildlife that damage crops are on the rise. A very disturbing picture is emerging.
Changing Lifestyle of Nomads
Traditionally, most Maasai were semi-nomadic herders who had no problem co-existing with the wildlife in the region. The traditional livestock livelihoods of the Maasai, who do not consume wild animals, actually helped maintain the abundance of grazing wild animals. It was akin to a symbiotic relationship. But over the last few decades, many Maasai have abandoned their traditional lifestyle and opted for permanent settlements. Conservationists say this switch to relatively sedentary lifestyles can be attributed to decades of policy neglect by administration. Other pastoral communities in the neighborhood are resorting to poaching also.
It is Not Too Late for a Fresh Beginning
According to ILRI director general Carlos Sere, even though dark clouds are seen everywhere, things can still be turned around. He says with the help of Maasai and the significant tourism revenue that the Mara wildlife generates, it should be possible to invest in evidence-based approaches that can protect this region's iconic pastoral peoples as well as its wildlife populations. Conservationists all over the globe are eagerly waiting to see the outcome.
References
International Livestock Research Institute
Giraffe
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