African Woman and Child Feature Service

Most people living near to the Tana River associate crocodiles with death. The reptiles have been known to attack those fetching water along the river and along the Seven Folks Dam.

This year alone, Mbeere South residents have held four demonstrations along the Embu-Mwingi highway due to an increase of crocodile related deaths.

However, this will soon change as farmers realise that with the unpredictable weather patterns, crocodiles could be a source of income.

Last week, Kenya Wildlife Services officials toured wildlife enterprise farms in the Mt Kenya region creating awareness on crocodile farming that could offer a lifeline as an alternative to traditional crops agriculture.

Paul Opiyo, senior warden in charge of wildlife utilisation in the mountain conservation area says most people do not know the benefits of crocodile farming.

He says that it will soon be a source of livelihood to thousands of residents and urges people to venture into the trade.

Speaking to farmers at Galaxy Crocodile Farm in Kirinyaga County, Jane Gitau, area warden in charge, says that wildlife has been portrayed as dangerous for too long yet that is not the case.

“Residents need to look at crocodiles as an opportunity to generate some income and the positives of crocodile hunting surpass the negatives,” explains Gitau.

KWS gives permits to farmers wishing to venture into the trade and has called on local farmers to try it out.

The Galaxy Crocodile Farm Company Limited is owned by a Korean and is the largest farm of its kind in the Mt. Kenya region.

Another warden, Julius Cheptei, says that the reptiles do not have a hard rule on maintenance and that they can survive harsh conditions.

This makes their farming favourable, especially at this time when weather patterns are unpredictable.

“Wildlife farming has the potential to enhance poor farmers’ livelihoods,” says Cheptei.

According to Washington Otip, a crocodile attendant at the farm, farmers collect the eggs from the Tana River before taking them to the hatcheries.

The farmers must be licensed by the KWS, and the wardens say that egg collection in itself would offer employment to hundreds of idle youth.

KWS is also encouraging residents to establish private game sanctuaries to help reduce wildlife poaching and conserve endangered species.

KWS deputy director in charge of wildlife and community conservation, Joachim Kagiri, says there is a need to create a balance between the environment, people and development economics.

According to the assistant director of the mountain conservation area, Robert Njue, communities living close to the forest could thus reduce human and wildlife conflicts.

More than 500 farmers in the country are currently operating wildlife farms as a source of income and food.

Among the game reared are snakes, crocodiles, tortoises, chameleons, lizards, butterflies, spiders and beetles.

Some of these animals are dangerous, so one needs training on their handling. Kagiri noted that peoples’ daily activities have a great impact on the environment and that each person has a role to play. Individual undertakings accumulate to community doings.

“As residents, you should not wait for the Government to take care of your environment because you are the ones to feel the pinch in case of degradation,” he observed.

The KWS is creating awareness about environmental protection within rural communities in an effort to build an informed citizenry on forest matters.

“We are building capacities of the people in rural areas because they are the ones that greatly determine how the national environmental outlook appears,” explains Kagiri.

He says that the challenge lies in trying to balance peoples’ needs with current inadequate resources while ensuring that the resources do not diminish.

KWS has been implementing the Mt. Kenya East Pilot Project for Resource Management in the protected areas of Mt. Kenya National Park, Mt. Kenya National Reserve with the communities of Nyeri North, Mathira East, Kirinyaga Central, Embu, Meru South, Maara, Imenti North and South, Meru Central and Buuri districts.

According to a mid-term review for the project released in August last year, this will be achieved through promoting effective use of natural resources, improving access to water and introducing sustainable farming and water management practices. The project has so far reached an estimated 105,000 community members out of the targeted 800,000.

This story was originally published in the Reject Online issue 44 - Download the Reject Online to read other stories