Author: John Mwacharo

Urban reptile diversity is surprisingly unknown. We often overlook reptiles in favour of more attractive animals like birds and mammals. These scaly creatures, however, play a crucial role in many of our ecosystems. Unfortunately, they are among the less studied groups of animals due to negative publicity and limited funding to facilitate the studies.

Kenya Herpetofauna Working Group (KHWG), a committee of Nature Kenya, is promoting the conservation of reptiles and amphibians in Kenya. One of its activities involves documenting the diversity of both amphibians and reptiles in Nairobi. Habitat loss and degradation, persecution, pollution and incidental killings are some of the threats reptiles face in most urban areas in Kenya.

While some species face serious threats, others seem to be faring quite well in Nairobi. One example is the Marsh Terrapin or African Helmeted Turtle (Pelomedusa subrufa). This terrapin occurs in wetlands in Kenya and much of sub-Saharan Africa. It reproduces by laying eggs, and the sex of young ones is determined by temperature. It can grow up to 30 cm in length and live for 30-50 years in the wild. To survive drought periods, it is capable of burrowing into the ground for years.

Despite many challenges, the terrapin is doing surprisingly well in Nairobi due to a combination of factors. These include the construction of dams that have created new habitats for the turtles and the fact that they are no longer hunted for food like before. Increased infrastructural development in the city poses a new threat to the terrapin’s habitats, as lately observed.

Recently, concerned residents reported witnessing a wetland filling incident near the Nairobi Eastern Bypass adjacent to Infinity Industrial Park. The Kenya Herpetofauna Working Group members visited the site to assess the impact of the activity on the wetland’s inhabitants. The team discovered that not just one but many wetlands in the area were under reclamation. Trucks were filling the wetlands with gravel to reclaim land for construction with little regard for the existing flora and fauna.

Quick intervention by KHWG saved 16 terrapins from one of the wetlands undergoing reclamation for a housing project. The group notified one of the contractors of their rescue mission and was granted permission to relocate the terrapins to ponds at the National Museum of Kenya and City Park. The rescue and relocation of the 16 turtles in Nairobi is good news for urban biodiversity conservation. There is, however, a need to subject all major construction projects in the city to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

What can you do as a citizen to help?

As a citizen, you can help in the following ways:

• Report any cases of wetland reclamation for construction to the Kenya Herpetofauna Working Group or other relevant authorities. < khwginfo@gmail.com> Tel: +254729978212 0r +254710318140
• Volunteer with the Kenya Herpetofauna Working Group to help with community outreach.
• Advocate for the conservation of urban biodiversity and their habitats.

 The Kenya Herpetofauna Working Group is also working to raise awareness about the importance of reptiles in the city. We hope our efforts will help raise awareness about these often-overlooked animals and their significance in our ecosystem. We also hope that people will be more willing to protect these animals and their habitats.

Spanning over Tana River and Lamu Counties, about 182 kilometres north of the coastal city of Mombasa, the Tana River Delta is Kenya’s largest delta, and the second largest in East Africa. The Delta is a rich mosaic of palm savannah, seasonally flooded grasslands, swamps, riverine forest fragments, lakes, woodlands, mangroves, dunes and beaches. Designated as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), the Tana River Delta is also a wetland of international importance (Ramsar Site), a Global Biodiversity Hotspot and a proposed World Heritage Site.

The Delta supports immense biodiversity of global significance. Recent surveys have recorded more than 336 bird speciesand over 320 species of plants. The Delta is home to two endemic and Critically Endangered primates: the Tana River Mangabey and the Tana River Red Colobus. It hosts a remarkable collection of fish, herpetofauna and invertebrate species. Over 250,000 people practising crop farming, livestock rearing and fishing depend on the Delta for theirlivelihoods due to its varied, extensive and productive habitats.

Despite its wealth in biodiversity, the Delta faces many threats. Over-exploitation of natural resources, poor land use practices, unregulated human settlement and unsustainable large-scale agricultural development have led to the destruction and loss of some of the Delta’s critical habitats. Climate change also poses a challenge to the Tana River Delta’s ability to support livelihoods and provide ecosystem services.

Nature Kenya is working with local communities and other stakeholders to conserve the Tana River Delta.  In 2011, Nature Kenya led a collaborative effort by various stakeholders in the development of a Tana River Delta Land Use Plan (LUP) that was guided by a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The process was concluded in 2015. The LandUse Plan has since been approved and adopted as a policy by the Lamu County government.

The Land Use Plan is now in its implementation phase. Nature Kenya has also been promoting the Indigenous andCommunity Conservation Areas (ICCAs) approach. Community Conservation Areas are biodiversity-rich areas partially or largely managed by local communities.

In the semi-arid landscape of Kajiado County, about 95km south of Nairobi, lies Kwenia: a place of ‘massive cliffs and intimidating valleys‘. Besides their alluring scenery and hiking appeal, the cliffs of Kwenia play a crucial role in keeping one of Africa’s most threatened birds alive. The Critically Endangered Rüppell’s Vultures breed in these cliffs.

“These cliffs are important to vultures and other birds of prey,” says Jackson William from Kilonito, who is familiar with the cliffs and appreciates their role in vulture conservation.

William is one of the two community members Nature Kenya is engaging to enhance vulture conservation efforts in the Kwenia Important Bird Area (IBA). These community members, referred to as vulture volunteers, assist in collecting information on vulture sightings, breeding and nesting and wildlife poisoning.

“Working closely with communities at key vulture sites like Kwenia, one of the nesting sites for Rüppell’s Vultures, is critical to our conservation work. The communities are better placed to relay first-hand information on vultures given that they live there,” says Paul Gacheru, the Nature Kenya Species and Sites manager. Data gathered from vulture volunteers is used to inform future conservation actions, adds Gacheru.

In July, William and the other Kwenia community members were taken through a four-day exercise to induct them into site monitoring activities that was organized by Nature Kenya. During the four days, this team traveled through Kwenia IBA and identified eight potential places for future monitoring. These were Empalulu, Igulukotk Naiboro, Kwenia, Kilonito, Inaudat, Paranae and Singerine cliffs. Rüppell’s and Egyptian vultures and other birds of prey, including Martial and Verreaux’s eagles, were sighted in some areas.

Vulture were observed perched and flying above three cliffs: Empalulu, Kwenia and Kilonito. Kwenia Cliff had the highest number of Rüppell’s Vultures recorded. Little vulture activity was observed in Paranae and Igulukotk Naiboro cliffs, though they exhibited potential for roosting and breeding for Rüppell’s Vultures.

William’s knowledge of the Kwenia terrain came in handy in directing the team to potential vulture nesting and roosting sites. Jackson also took time to explain the importance of conserving vultures and the threats facing them to Maasai herders that the team encountered along the way.

“It is important to educate the community about vultures, especially here in Kwenia where they breed. This area is a good habitat for vultures. I am happy to be part of the positive change Nature Kenya is bringing to this area to save these special birds,” says William.

Nature Kenya is engaging 65 vulture volunteers in Kwenia, Amboseli, Mosiro and Maasai Mara landscapes in Kajiado and Narok counties. The vulture volunteers have been trained and equipped with binoculars and smartphones to gather vulture-related information. These individuals also conduct anti-wildlife poisoning awareness creation activities at their sites. Poisoning of carnivores after an attack on livestock has been singled out as the main cause of vulture deaths in Kenya, with six out of eight species found here facing extinction.

Last month, Nature Kenya, in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden, conducted a ‘bioblitz’ biodiversity survey at the Swedish Ambassador’s residence in Gigiri, Nairobi. A bioblitz is an event that focuses on finding, identifying and documenting as many species as possible in a specific area within a short period of time.

A team of experts from Nature Kenya, National Museums of Kenya and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) engaged 43 Kenyan and Swedish students to find, identify and document birds, insects, plants, reptiles and amphibians at the residence. Among the day’s highlights were the discovery of an African Fish Eagle nest and crayfish within the compound.

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are sites of global biodiversity conservation importance identified using internationally agreed, objective, quantitative and scientifically defensible criteria adopted in 2016. These sites significantly contribute to the survival of global biodiversity.  

KBAs include terrestrial, fresh water and marine water habitats, ranging from rainforests to reefs, mountains to marshes, deserts to grasslands and the deepest ocean floors. KBAs are crucial tools for guiding decisions on conservation and sustainable management as they ensure that efforts are focused on places likely to have the greatest conservation impact. 

Governments may use KBA data during planning for development projects to avoid damaging ecologically-sensitive areas. The KBA designation promotes site-based conservation efforts and seeks to ensures that nature’s most fragile habitats are given precedence.

Globally, more than 16,356 KBAs have been identified, with 43 percent occurring in protected and conserved areas. Nature Kenya and partners have identified 67 KBAs in Kenya, so far based on Important Bird Areas (IBAs). Thirty of these KBAs are protected (gazetted forests, national parks and reserves). The remaining 37 lack formal protection. A fraction of these sites is under private ownership and community management. 

Identification and designation of IBAs relied entirely on bird data. The 2016 shift of focus from IBAs to KBAs broadened the scope to include other taxonomic groups in identifying sites deemed important to biodiversity.   

All IBAs are KBAs, but some KBAs are not IBAs (i.e. they are significant for the conservation of other taxa, but not birds). Nonetheless, the IBA network has proved to be a good approximation to the overall network of KBAs, as it includes the bulk of other target species and the most significant sites.

Birds have unique characteristics that make them an easy target taxonomic group. Birds are common, occur in most of the habitats in Kenya, are diverse and easy to identify compared to other taxonomic groups. They are relatively large, conspicuous, easy to observe, appealing and well-studied. IBAs therefore offer an excellent starting point for immediate conservation action, as the addition of other sites to complete the KBA network progresses with data made available. 

KBAs need to be prioritesed for nature to continue to thrive. Appropriate identification, correct documentation, effective management, sufficient resourcing and adequate safeguarding of KBAs present the best option of preventing biodiversity loss and extinction of species. Realization of the KBA dream, however, requires a combined effort. 

We call upon taxon experts from government and non-governmental organizations, individuals, groups, societies and volunteers from all walks of life to support the KBA initiative in whichever way possible. Do you know a site with viable populations of unique and threatened species? Please send detailed information to CPO2@naturekenya.org and we will work together to see if it qualifies as a new KBA.