A 15-year study of the grazing wildlife in Kenya’s famed Masai Mara reserve has revealed a startling drop in the reserve’s giraffe, warthog, impala, hartebeest, topi and waterbuck populations.
The study, published in the May issue of the British Journal of Zoology, is based on researchers’ analysis of data gathered from monthly monitoring of seven ungulate (or hoofed) species between 1989 and 2003. It was carried out by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which is based in Kenya, and funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The Guardian reports:
Their sample counts were backed by government population estimates that showed actual losses as high as 95% for giraffes, 80% for warthogs and 76% for hartebeest for the period dating back to 1979. …
Read more. . . (Los Angeles Times)
ILRI Clippings 