'Ecological island': as Maasai herding lands shrink, so does space for Kenya's elephants

The collapse of ecotourism during the pandemic and moves to lease land to big farms threaten vital conservation corridorsKenyan elephants risk a slow extinction in a bleak, ever-shrinking "ecological island" in one of the country's most picturesque and photographed landscapes, according to a government report.The animals face a grim future as habitat loss is exacerbated by the pandemic's impact on tourism, which is pushing landowners to sell off areas for development, and a growing trend towards a sedentary lifestyle among the pastoralist Maasai people, says the new 10-year management plan. Continue reading...