06/10/2026
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers have intercepted a large consignment of illegally hunted wildlife in Tana River County, intensifying efforts to curb poaching and the trade in wild meat.
The rangers recovered 21 dik-dik carcasses, 12 impala carcasses, 20 dik-dik heads and meat from three guinea fowls during an operation in Komorjila village, Tana North Sub-County, according to Bakari George, the KWS county warden.
Three suspects fled the scene after KWS rangers, acting on intelligence from local informants, arrived at the area. They abandoned a motorcycle believed to have been used to transport the meat, along with two machetes and two slashers.
“We dispatched a team to lay an ambush so that we could find the suspects killing our wildlife,” Mr. George said. “When our officers reached the area, they found a motorbike loaded with the illegal meat, but three suspects managed to escape.”
Mr. George said KWS had been monitoring the area for some time, describing Tana River as one of the counties where the consumption of wildlife meat remains a persistent concern.
He warned residents against buying or consuming illegally obtained wildlife meat, saying that possession and transportation of wildlife products are offenses under Kenyan law.
He also cautioned that consuming wildlife meat could expose people and livestock to diseases that can pass between animals and humans.
“We are calling on the residents of Tana River to stop killing our wildlife because they are part of our resources,” Mr. George said. “Let us refuse and condemn consuming wildlife meat.”
KWS called for greater cooperation between local communities and wildlife authorities to combat poaching, protect the county’s wildlife and promote coexistence between people and animals.
