I know the park is 117 sq kms, but is there a larger area that animals can roam freely as an extension of official parkland? Is there a corridor to other more vast wild areas?

For example, the recent grass burning has brought in more gazelles. Where were they when they weren't in the park? Just wondering.

atravelynn:

To the south of the park is the Athi-Kapiti Plains and Kitengela Migration and dispersal area. However, of late these corridors and dispersal areas have been largely filled in by human settlement (see
http://www.africanconservation.org/dcforum/DCForumID24/19.html), not leaving much area for the wildlife to migrate.

In addition to the above problem for wildlife is added the fact that there are now 20,000 cattle in the park!
KWS doesn't have the funds or man power to chase them out.

Unless or until the Kenyan government can decide that their wildlife is worth saving, and sets a firm land use policy, wildlife will be undergoing even more problems in the future.

Thank you and I wish the news you shared was better.

I too wish it were better news. It seems the severe drop in tourism following the clashes and now the bad economy world-wide has effected more things than we realize. With the huge drop in tourists paying full rate park fees, KWS (as well as many other wildlife organizations) have suffered terribly.

If any of you have favorite Kenyan wildlife organizations, I would encourage everyone who can to make a donation to your favorite group no matter the amount. The wildlife needs all the help it can get.

Corridors are one of the biggest problems.
This week end I was speaking with one of the bosses of FAO on this issue. A project that I started with FAO on the corridors around Ambo. TZ and Tsavo... all has come to a stand still after 3 years. How sad.

Nico:

African Wildlife Foundation is still trying to purchase land in the Kimana area to form the Kitenden Corridor in an attempt to create a corridor for elephants. See http://www.awf.org/content/solution/detail/3705.