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ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS

MONTH: March 2008

Animal advocates work to bring peace to Kenya

 

NAIROBI -- "The situation in Kenya is calm, Youth for Conservation president Steve Itela told ANIMAL PEOPLE on January 28, 2008, "especially in areas where violence was high such as Kibera and Mathare, but tension continues with ethnic groups still fighting
in Nakuru, Naivasha, and Nyahururu. We are hopeful that violence will not spread to other areas. I have not heard gun shots for two weeks now."

The worst of the post-election mayhem was over, but the struggle for the Kenyan animal protection community was just beginning.

From trying to stay alive themselves, Kenyan animal advocates transitioned rapidly to trying to help keep lost, abandoned, injured, and frightened animals from suffering further as result of the national plunge into chaos after the disputed outcome of the December 27, 2007 voting.

"We have been busy in collaboration with the Department of Veterinary Services and the Kenya SPCA," reported African Network for Animal Welfare founder Josphat Ngonyo, "implementing emergency response to help animals in the clash-torn areas in the Rift Valley. If we can vaccinate the animals against rabies and neuter them to control their population, then the government will not bait and kill them using strychnine.

"If we can implement our proposal to control rabies and dog and cat population through anti-rabies vaccination and spay/ neuter in a pilot area of Nairobi and environs," Ngonyo continued, describing a project closer to home, "then the government will stop the baiting completely, and allow us to replicate this program in other parts of the country.

"We hope to go back to the violence affected areas to vaccinate against rabies and sterilize dogs and cats for six days beginning on March 4," Ngonyo added. "We are targeting eight camps for internally displaced persons. Each camp has an estimated 80 to 100 animals to sterilize. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we can raise the funds to do it. The government is offering to donate veterinarians."

The Africa Network for Animal Welfare, Kenya SPCA, and Department of Veterinary Services veterinarians Dr. David Korir and Dr. Florence Mukoma treated 160 dogs, 10 cats, and numerous donkeys, cows, sheep, and goats at five camps for internally displaced persons from February 21 through February 24.

"Large numbers of people in the camps wanted us to kill all the dogs, arguing that they were a burden due to the food shortage. We had to conduct humane education to make them understand that animals too have a right to life, and are important to human beings," Ngonyo recounted. "We tried unsuccessfully to save a donkey who had been knocked down by a car and suffered severe injuries.

"Many dogs and donkeys were abandoned after the skirmishes," Ngonyo said. "This has led to injuries both to the animals and humans.
Communities who were not evicted from their homes complained of stray dogs killing their sheep. This led to the mass killing of dogs in one area.

"Animal health services in the affected districts have been seriously hampered," Ngonyo continued. "Most of the personnel who deliver livestock health services and artificial insemination in the affected districts have been displaced," and all the stores selling animal care products were looted. Many were then burned down.

Cattle theft among rival tribes is both traditional and a frequent source of violence in some rural parts of Kenya. Ngonyo noted that the collapse of government security "has resulted in rampant livestock theft even in the displaced persons camps."

Also, Ngonyo observed an "upsurge of tick borne disease due to lack of access to dipping facilities," coupled with refugees lacking "financial resources to acquire acaricides or even access to stores with acaricides. There is an urgent need for internally displaced persons to be provided with drugs, vaccines and acaricides," Ngonyo emphasized. "Direct support to the farmers with food and drugs will greatly assist them to maintain their animals as they await resettlement."

Even before calm fully returned to Kenya, Youth for Conservation helped to mobilize a February 3 animal census at Nairobi National Park, and an elephant count at Tsavo National Park, reported MaryAnne Wambua, editor of the YfC newsletter Ngwesi.

"Despite the current political stalemate," Wambua told ANIMAL PEOPLE, "YfC is carrying out our mandate to ensure that our wildlife are preserved. During such times of crisis and uncertainty, biodiversity has taken a back seat in our nation's order of priorities, but with the youth rallying behind us, we will ensure that nothing is taken for granted."