Animals census: Why is Kenya counting ALL of its animals?
- Published
Kenya, in east Africa, is home to some of the world's most magnificent creatures.
But many of them, including lions, pangolin, giraffe, elephant and rhino are vulnerable or endangered.
So for the first time, all of them are being counted in the country's biggest ever animal census. Spotted - there's one!
The National Wildlife Census began on May 7 2021...
... and is covering both land and aquatic wildlife.
The big count was ordered by the government of Kenya, as part of the country's conservation efforts.
It is hoped that knowing what they have, will help them plan and budget for the future...
... and reveal areas that need more protection.
But with thousands of species to count, how are they going about it?
A lot of the census is being done from the air.
This rhino, having a rest on a bare patch of ground on the dry grassland in northern Kenya, was an easy spot...
... but not all creatures are so easy to find. So some of the census is being done on the ground too, with experts tracking animals on foot.
The census is being carried out by the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya Wildlife Service and the newly created Wildlife Research & Training Institute, who are busy analysing all the data being gathered in the field. But with so many creatures to count, it will be a while yet before the massive job is complete.