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Jumbo Dies In Kenya's Massive Elephant Relocation
Nairobi (AFP) Sep 04, 2005 An elephant has died while it was being relocated from an overcrowded reserve in Kenya's coastal region to a more spacious park, Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) said on Sunday. The elephant, one of 400 jumbos due to be transferred from Shimba Hills National Reserve to a new home in Tsavo East National Park, about 140 kilometers (85 miles) away, died last week as a result of spear wounds that were discovered during the relocation process, KWS spokeswoman Connie Maina told AFP. "The elephant had spear wounds that must have been a result of poaching, but it did not die directly because of translocation," Maina told AFP by telephone. The 3.2-million-dollar government-funded move has been billed by KWS as "the single largest translocation of animals ever undertaken since Noah's Ark." Since June 25, when the exercise started, at least 45 elephants have been relocated. The aim is to save Shimba Hills, south of the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa, where the elephant population has soared in recent years causing deforestation, according to the agency. Increasing numbers of pachyderms have caused major damage to the rare flora in Shimba Hills and threaten its critical importance as a main water catchment area for the coast, according to KWS. Shimba Hills, 192 square kilometers (74 square miles) in size, is currently home to some 600 elephants but can accommodate at most 200, while Tsavo East covers about 13,747 square kilometers (5,307 square miles). Tsavo East experienced its biggest loss from the late 1970s to the early 1990s amid heightening poaching activities, but in the late 1990s the government took tougher action against poachers. In March this year, KWS said the elephant population in the country had jumped by about 10 percent in the past three years to stand at about 30,000 thanks to a severe clampdown on poaching. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Dirt, rocks and all the stuff we stand on firmly
Oysters: The Natural Way To Protect Our Shores
Baton Rouge LA (SPX) Aug 31, 2005A study published in the latest issue of Restoration Ecology finds that in coastal Louisiana, oyster reefs help to deter erosion. Oyster reefs are self-sustaining, and are additionally attractive because they use native materials, have the potential for long-term growth, and contribute to overall ecosystem stability and quality. |
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