The newly branded Meru National Park is set to receive about several species of ungulates totaling to about 2000 animals.

The translocation exercise which aims at revamping wildlife species in the expansive Meru National Park will also benefits the greater Meru Conservation Area that covers approximately 5000km² i.e. Meru and Kora National Parks, Mwingi and Bisanadi National Reserves.

The translocation activity that will cost approximately Ksh. 8.8 million (Euro 90,000) is one of the main components of the French funded Meru Conservation Area Development Project (MCA) whose main objective was to restore the biodiversity potential of the Meru Conservation Area that was decimated through poaching in the late 1980’s.

The massive translocation of different ungulate species, that began on July 26th, 2007 and which is expected to run for a month, will see KWS Veterinary Department capturing wildlife from Naivasha, Lake Nakuru National Park and Laikipia.

Such species as the endangered Grevy Zebra, Common Zebra, Impala, Kongoni and Beisa Oryx are targeted for what is considered the great African Ungulate translocation.

According to Kenn Esau, the Meru Conservation Area Project Coordinator, “Our vision in pushing forth the ungulate translocation agenda is based on the fact that numerous studies conducted in the MCA indicate the need to revamping the dwindling herbivore population due to the skewed predator-prey-dynamics.”

“Inorder to maintain and restore the biodiversity in the MCA, translocations were identified as a methodology that would assist to re-establish viable species populations that historically ranged the area and to re-enforce existing populations of conspecifics in order to enhance their long-term survival,” Mr. Esau observes.

So far since the KWS started the process of re-storing biodiversity in the park, there have been at least six translocations to the protected area since 2001 as depicted in the table below.

The Meru Conservation Area Development Project has conducted the translocation activities in phases with the last phase currently being undertaken. The last three phases of translocation included; the Mass capture of ungulates that was done where at least 4500 animals from various area’s including Laikipia ranches and Lewa Conservancy were translocated using the mass capture site methodology.

In this methodology family groups of animals are captured by driving them into a funnel shaped capture site and then loaded into crates and hauled to release sites. This system can only be used for small game and is commonly used in South Africa.

Currently the MCA project has successfully translocated a total of 504 common zebras, 412 impalas, 128 reedbucks and 20 Grevy zebras all of which were translocated in Phase 1 of the Mass operation. In addition to this the MCA is now an established Black and White Rhino sanctuary with a total of 56 animals i.e. 20 black and 36 white rhino that were translocated in phase II and III respectively.

During this last phase of great ungulate translocation activity KWS intends to translocate at least 50 Kongoni (Hartebeest), 1000 Zebras, 1426 impalas and 50 Beisa Oryx.

This unique ungulate translocation is expected to specifically address the issue of the endangered grevy Zebra population in the park that is comprised of only females, thus low breeding numbers.

The MCA project that has been funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), and the International Fund for animal Welfare (IFAW) to the tune of Ksh 1.3 billion and Ksh 100 million respectively, has also received additional funding from the Government of Kenya.