Prominence of flora and fauna preservation

Why is wild life important? Below are some of the benefits of wildlife conservation in Kenya.

Wild life does not only refer to the undomesticated animal species but also all organisms that grow or live wild in an area. They can be found in all ecosystems such as forests, deserts, woodlands, plains, grasslands or even in the developed urban areas. They have several significant contributions to the human life including;

Provision of medicine

Protecting wildlife includes taking care of their habitat including vegetation and trees and plants are the main source of medical production sustaining the pharmaceutical industry. Although plants are the main source of medication, animals such as lobsters and cobra play a vital role in producing medications for curing conditions such as antifungal and leprosy respectively. Also, compounds extracted from amphibians such as frogs are used to treat memory loss, depression, strokes and seizures. Traditional medical systems relied on herbs and species but also the modern medicine derived medicine such as morphine and aspirin from wild plants.

Economic development

Kenya depends on tourism and hence without wildlife the economy of the country may suffer significantly. Wildlife and natural habitats such as forests, mountains and water bodies attract people from all over the world. This is because many people tend to choose places with much wild life as their destinations. Many of Kenya’s national park and reserves are popular tourist destinations hence generating revenue for the government of Kenya. Tourism also provides employment opportunities in the retail, hospitality and transport sector. Some animals also provide products such as skin which are used as raw materials in the industries to manufacture goods such as leather. All these contribute to the economic development of the country.

Provision of nutrients

Protecting wild life and natural habitats strengthens food security as everything we eat comes from either plants or animals originally before they are processed in industries. It also ensures sufficient and reliable natural resources for supporting the agricultural industry hence food security. Also, animals such as fish serve as critical food source for many people since they provide proteins and minerals vital for our health. Consuming meat from wild life may also help to cut down on the carbon foot print of food production hence benefiting both humans and the environment.

Cultural significance

Plants and animals have impacts on food, religion and beliefs, for example in Maasai roasted meat are prepared using uncommon ingredients in most of the indigenous communities in order to maintain the custom of the community. Plants such as sage are used in religious ceremonies in some of the communities. Animals such as elephant and cows are also used as sacred symbols in religions such as Hinduism. Although the impact of wild life on culture is underrated, wildlife protection is important to keep some of the traditions and cultures alive.

Balanced eco – system 

All living things are interconnected hence the ecosystem may be negatively affected if one of the species if threatened with extinction. The plants play an important role of balancing carbon dioxide and oxygen in the environment. Distraction of wild life and natural habitat may also lead to drought due to destroyed water supply. Human activities such as deforestation may also affect the environment negatively.

To sum up, wild life is the most important natural resource in Kenya and in order to benefit from it we have to protect and fight for it.

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