Rare Kenyan Antelope Suffers From Poaching

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31841, 20 November 1968, Page 5

Rare Kenyan Antelope Suffers From Poaching

(N.Z.P..4.-Reuter) NAIROBI. ' Kenya's rare and beautiful antelope the Bongo, has virtually • disappeared from its j former stronghold in the Cherangani, a wild range of hills northeast of Kitale, Northwest Kenya. This is because of depredations by poachers, two Oxford University zoologists report. Poaching of game ini Kenya's national parks and game reserves has been! dwindling in recent years in the face ot an anti-poaching campaign, but is still a menace. Herds of the striped antelope in other protected areas such as Mount Kenya and the Aberdares are still strong ajid the species is in no danger of dying out. The two zoologists, Mr

(Richard Wrangham and Mr (Mark Stanley-Price, came to East Africa to investigate the bongo's habits. They were; [accompanied by Mr David; l Chatham, who is studying! biology at Cambridge Techni(cal College. They spent eight weeks in concealed hides in the bush,! and by following tracks they located a single group of 15 breeding animals. | They believe this is the; only remaining herd in the hills. A The zoologists regard the alarming reduction of the ibongo in the Cheranganis as: ' a tragedy and fear that a rescue operation may already i be too late. i The two zoologists said /that poachers undoubtedly ’; watched them as they searched 1 and were waiting to move in for the kill In 1963, another rare > species of antelope, the I hunter, threatened with /extinction in the arid zone > near Tana- river, were airlifted to the safety of a ’ national game park. '

| Several dozens of them were carried on board Royal (Navy helicopters to the Tsavo National Park, 160 miles from (Nairobi, and released there. The bongo are living outside the part of the. Cheranganis scheduled as a forest reserve but the local forest staff is too small to stop the depredations. The zoologists believe the only answer is for the Kenya governments game depart-] ; ment to install a fuller permanent staff. They also report that elephants which used to abound in the Cheranganis have largely moved out of the area, where the natural forests are being eroded by an influx of African settlers and their 1 goats and other domestic 1 animals. However, the giant forest ; hog, which should also be a ' target for poachers, is still i plentiful in the region.’ ' , The zoologists collected • several tjnall animal's during 1 their visit, including a rare (type of golden mole. [