Kimitei Keneth
- Project name: Long Term Monitoring Of The Translocated Hirola Population In Tsavo East National Park
- Project site: Tsavo East National Park, Kenya
- EDGE species: Hirola Beatragus hunteri
- Active: 2008 - 2009
Biography
Kimitei Keneth completed a Wildlife Management degree at Moi University in Kenya and, after graduating, he formed Pathfinder, a community-based organisation aimed at conserving natural resources at a grassroots level. Kimitei is currently an assistant research scientist with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) working at the Tsavo Research Station in southern Kenya.
In his capacity as an EDGE Fellow, Kimitei monitored the translocated hirola population in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya.
EDGE Project
Kimitei aimed to establish a monitoring programme for a small population of hirola that were released into Tsavo East National Park, Kenya in 1963. This included:
- Ground and aerial searches to identify and record the various hirola groups to monitor their survival and condition. Factors such as location, vegetation type and cover, group age and sex structures, activities, and associated species were also recorded
- Establishing absolute/estimated population size (from individual identification), habitat needs, distribution, animal population performance indicators (e.g. percentage of calves in the population, cow/calf ratios, calving intervals, group size), the recruitment rate to the Tsavo population and the age and sex structure of the Tsavo population
- Creation of a site-specific management plan for the Tsavo hirola, and contribution towards a national Kenyan conservation strategy for the species