A raging fire destroyed thousands of acres of vegetation at the Tsavo West National Park, barely weeks after similar incident devastated the park posing a threat to iconic wildlife species like elephants, rhinos and giraffes.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said that three episodes of wildfires were reported in the Tsavo ecosystem while efforts to extinguish them had been intensified.
“Three sets of fire have been reported in Tsavo Conservation Area, the first one in the Taita ranches adjacent to Tsavo East National Park. This was put off before encroaching into the park,” said KWS in a statement issued in Nairobi.
It said that an emergency team had been mobilized to extinguish the second inferno razing the southern part of Tsavo West National Park.
According to KWS, the third fire that broke out in the morning at Chyulu National Park that is part of the greater Tsavo wildlife corridor was being fought by the emergency team.
The latest inferno at Tsavo National Park broke out barely one month after a wildfire razed some 4,000 acres of vegetation in May followed by another one in June that consumed over 180 acres inside the wildlife sanctuary.
A raging fire destroyed thousands of acres of vegetation at the Tsavo West National Park on Tuesday evening, barely weeks after similar incident devastated the park.
Following this incidence, however, the residents of Taita Taveta county especially those in Voi town and residing close to the Tsavo East National park have expressed worry that this might cause a rise to human-wildlife conflict since wild animals in the affected areas within the park may potentially be scared and may subsequently exit to safe grounds, perhaps towards the human settlement areas such as around Mabomani and Mwakingali Estates, which barely border the park.
