This week Wildlife conservationists in Kenya are aghast after a Kenyan agricultural company KiliAvo Fresh Ltd said it would be building nurseries near the Amboseli National Park. The Amboseli Park sits on Kenya’s border with Tanzania and frequently see’s visits from wildlife lovers. These tourists mainly visit the park to get a glimpse of the majestic elephant roaming beneath Mount Kilimanjaro. But it seems their visits will come to a halt as the planting of avocados by KiliAvo sets to restrict the movement of some 2,000 elephants. The agricultural company’s plans to grow the fruit will also limit the movement of two dozen other wildlife species plus cows owned by local Maasai people.
KiliAvo Fresh Ltd seeks to meet Avocado demand.
KiliAvo Fresh Ltd decided to build the new nurseries as the Avacado fruit has gained popularity worldwide due to its high nutritional value. But the company’s plans to build the farms near Amboseli Park will include the use of electric fences. This decision will result in the blockage of the crucial Kimana Wildlife Corridor. The pathway is the only existing one in which elephants can move between Amboseli, the Tsavo, and Chyulu Hills parks. If the nurseries get built, they will strangle one of the region’s most beloved and vital safari parks.
KiliAvo has argued that the farm is actually 17 km (11 miles) away from the Amboseli National Park in an area designated for farming. Additionally, they state they obtained the farming land legally. Later on, in mid-2020, the company received approval from the government to begin building nurseries after presenting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The company has so far employed 300 residents to work on the farm. Moreover, KiliAvo has provided the locals with training and technology. Also, the company has improved freshwater facilities and helped to renovate schools.
Wildlife restriction will cause great harm.
The KiliAvo farm owners believe that if their project blocks elephants, then the animals will seek alternative routes. But experts concerning the matter argue that their plans will result in massive human-wildlife conflict. Experts also say that as much as Kenya has the ideal conditions to grow avocados, the export revenues stand at only 33%. This constitutes around 14 billion Kenyan shillings (about $127 million) in 2020 alone. Compared to the tourism sector, the growth rate and demand for avocados are not as impressive. Last year alone, the tourism sector raked in more than $1.6 billion in revenue for the Kenyan economy.
Because of this, wildlife conservationists have said that trapping the wild animal in one place will prove to be very devastating. The confinement will lead to a decline in the elephant population. The drop will then harm a national heritage and also prejudice the tourism trade, so many people depend on. In the end, the sight of elephants grazing beneath Mount Kilimanjaro could be lost forever.
But as building the nurseries continued this year, the National Environment Management Agency ordered work halted. The Agency told KiliAvo that it wanted to revoke the company’s EIA. KiliAvo has since challenged the Agency’s decision in Kenya’s environmental tribunal, where the case is still pending.
More:
