Kahumbu’s Fight To Save Wildlife

“Those who protect and save other animals lead the way in protecting and saving humanity and earth.” — Unknown

Maasi Mara- a region where wildlife flourishes. Forest pigs, bushbuck, black-and-white colobus monkeys, leopards, and cape buffalos find refuge there, along with the elephants that come to graze when the plains become dry. There lies the Naimina Enkiyio, a very sacred bunch of old-growth cedar. The last of its kind, aka the Forest of the Lost Child. About twenty-five thousand Maasai live in homes scattered through the lower valleys, where the people would spend their everyday lives.

The problem: Kahumbu explains, “The problem is that Kenya is losing its wilderness, and conservation is not something Black Kenyans do—it’s a white thing.” After this spectacle, they realized that Kenya needed more help than it currently had. Lions, cheetahs, giraffes, hyenas, and wild dogs are all endangered. Many species are endangered, and extinction is a big threat. This wilderness is deteriorating due to the increase in human population and climate change. Kenyans are doing so little about this, and meanwhile, outside forces have begun to decrease the amount of hunting and killings of these animals.

The solution: Kenya banned its hunting in 1977, yet that hadn’t changed much. Moreover, it has just caused animals to be overpopulated making it harder for the country. Recently, some of the indigenous communities, which own a lot of the country’s undeveloped land, have made leasehold agreements with other conservation groups and private safari companies. These certain arrangements have helped protect an estimated sixty-five per cent of Kenya’s wildlife, while aiding pastoralist groups like the Maasai. Many reserves and wildlife services were opened or improved like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Kenya Wildlife Service, etc.