Kenya signs wildlife deal

2005-11-10 11:05

Nairobi - Kenya and Thailand signed an agreement on Wednesday to enhance co-operation in the management of wildlife amid a row over a decision by Kenya to send hundreds of wild animals to a zoo in the Asian nation.

Kenyan Tourism and Wildlife Minister Morris Dzoro and Thai Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyut Tiyapairat signed a deal pledging "co-operation in the field of park and wildlife management" at a closed-door ceremony in Nairobi, according to a joint statement.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who arrived here on Tuesday for a three-day visit aimed at boosting trade, which was clouded by the wildlife export saga.

The deal, the details of which were not released, came as enraged conservationists renewed a call for Kenya to halt plans to send some 300 animals, including endangered species, to the soon-to-be-opened Mae Hia Safari Park in Thailand's northern Chiang Mai province.

In return for the animals, Kenya would receive expert elephant trainers and one million dollars to boost conservation in the country.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) led the charge of conservation agencies against the arrangement, which may have cemented the deal to export wildlife.

"(Wildlife) is our national heritage and our views, as conservationists, about such a deal have not been sought," IFAW's Elizabeth Wamba said.

IFAW also expressed concerns over the secrecy of the arrangement and would like to know what species are being exported and how many of each will be sent to Thailand.

"Our concern is the animal welfare aspect of this move (export) and in this case, the mortality of the wildlife during the capture, the transit and at the destination in Thailand," Wamba said.

But Kenya Wildlife Service spokesperson Connie Maina said she was not informed of the agreement.

Kibaki and Thaksin said they were committed to strengthening their relationship by expanding "the scope of their bilateral trade and co-operation in order to increase the volume and value of bilateral trade", the statement said.

- AFP