Strong measures have been put in place to save wildlife from the effects of drought that has ravaged the country for nearly two years, killing hundreds of wild animals.

Wildlife Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya says the measures include water trucking, buying hay for the animals and construction of small ponds and dams to preserve water for the animals.

Museiya added that more still needs to be done to save wild animals and humans as another dry spell is expected, starting this December to March.

Museiyia PS was speaking while on a familiarisation tour of the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) in Naivasha on Tuesday. The institute is a key wildlife and tourism training institution.

Early last month, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) reported that it had lost 205 elephants, 512 wildebeests, 381 common zebras, 51 buffalos, 49 Gravy’s zebras and 12 giraffes in the past nine months to the ravaging drought.

Parts of the country have experienced four consecutive lean seasons in the past two years that have severely affected people, livestock and wildlife. Worst-affected ecosystems are home to the most-visited national parks, reserves and conservancies.

The PS said the training institute is in dire need of Sh3.5 billion to refurbish its dilapidated infrastructure. Consequently, Museiya appealed to the government and development partners to assist.

The PS reiterated the importance of wildlife in promoting socio-economic development nationally, regionally and globally, but regretted that the sector was facing numerous challenges, ranging from the impacts of climate change, decreasing land for conservation, human-wildlife conflicts and inadequate financial resources for conservation.

The institute’s chief executive officer, Dr Patrick Omondi, said they were strategising to be the sole custodian of data on wildlife in the country through research.

“We want to have one mega database in this institute for the wildlife sector in this country instead of having such data scattered in various places,” he said.

Wildlife is a key component in the tourism sector in the country, which is the second greatest foreign exchange earner after agriculture, contributing over Sh540 billion to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021.