Giraffe numbers in Kenya's Masai Mara down 95%
The main reason for the population decrease was the rapid expansion of human settlements on the land next to the reserve. The area was traditionally used by wild animals for seasonal grazing but is increasingly being turned over to livestock and crop production. Full Story »
Posted by Kaizar Campwala
I suspect this is another case where the volatile political situation has impacted the economy, and therefore impacted the environment. Tourism is probably down dramatically since the situation in Nairobi erupted and, with no tourist dollars, there is lower motivation to preserve the wild animals tourists pay to see--especially when there is money to be made from the limited resources humans and animals share. It's a tragic situation that we can only hope may still be reversed when tourism picks up again.