Animals are pests for some

1992/04/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia
• Ekologia

Kenyan geneticist animals along with the United States, Denmark and several African states have developed a program to preserve the genetic diversity of free-living animals in Kenya. This program is born to address a series of attitudes towards free animals. According to these attitudes, while for some loose animals they are economic farms, for others they are pests.

Rashid Aman and Pieter Kat, geneticists of Kenyan museums, want to make a compilation of the characteristics and customs of animals. A few years ago the first steps were taken on this path. The first sample was taken from a healed wounded elephant. Since then Aman and Kate have collected samples from other elephants, wild dogs, leopards and mares.

70% of wild animals in Kenya inhabit private lands. According to a plan drawn up by the Government, the aim is to promote livestock and for this reason numerous authorizations for the slaughter of wild animals are being given. The meat of these animals can be put on sale.

These actions will mean a change in the migrations of animals and consequently in customs. Animals can be left unprotected, both in the face of man and disease.