The Kenya Wildlife Service is working towards curbing human-wildlife conflict.

KWS director Julius Kipng’etich said over 490 rangers graduating in August will be dispatched in various stations around the country.

Speaking after an annual conference meeting with KWS wardens and scientists at a Nanyuki hotel yesterday, Kipnge’tich said KWS was training community scouts at their Manyani Station to assist the rangers and wardens in the management and conservation of wildlife.

He said KWS has also erected 1,300km of electric fences around forests to reduce cases of human-wildlife conflict.

“We know in some instances the wildlife have destroyed crops or caused human injury and that is why we are putting more resources in erecting electric fences and recruiting more rangers” he said.

The director, who was accompanied by KWS board of Trustees chairman and former Finance minister David Mwiraria, Laikipia East DC Julius Mathenge and local mayor Isaac Mathenge said as a way of giving back to the community, KWS staff members had established ways of reaching the less fortunate in the society by giving donations to them.

The rangers donated more than Sh60,000 and assorted food, various items, beddings and learning materials to Nanyuki Children’s Home before carrying out a cleaning exercise in Nanyuki town.

They also donated food to people living with HIV/Aids in the town.

Kipng’etich said wildlife conservation was experiencing challenges due to climatical conditions like global warming and population increase.

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