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Kenya Wildlife Services
The Kenya Wildlife Service maintains Kenya’s wildlife and administers the national parks- over 10 million acres of the world’s greatest wildlife. The main source of income is the fees paid to enter the parks. These are used to maintain roads, protect animals from poachers, help neighboring communities that have wildlife on their land, conservation research and manage the parks.
Out of respect to and for wildlife in areas not under the KWS, it is only common sense to apply the same rules.
Respect the privacy of the wildlife- this is their habitat.
Beware of the animals- they are wild and can be dangerous.
Don’t feed the animals- it upsets their diet and leads to human dependence.
Keep quiet- noise disturbs the wildlife and antagonizes your fellow visitors.
Stay in your vehicle- at all times, except at designated picnic sites.
Keep below the maximum speed limit (40kph / 25mph).
Never drive off road- this severely damages the habitat.
When viewing wildlife, keep a minimum distance of 20m and pull to the side of the road to allow others to pass.
Leave no litter and never light fires or discard burning objects such as cigarette butts.
Respect the cultural heritage of Kenya- never take pictures of the local people or their habitat without asking their permission. Respect the cultural traditions of Kenya and always dress with decorum.
Stay over or leave before dusk- visitors must vacate parks and reserves by 7pm-6am unless they are staying in lodge accommodation or camping overnight. Night game driving is not allowed.
Recommended Do’s and Don’ts at the Coast
- Do not damage or remove coral. It is a living organism that takes many years to form and is host to many rare and endangered species.
- Do not remove shells, star fish or any other flora or fauna. Removal seriously disrupts the eco-system and is illegal. The areas outside the parks and reefs are threatened by excessive shell collection. Empty shells are home to hermit crabs and some fish.
- Do not by shells and other marine products as souvenirs as this encourages further plundering of the reefs and beaches. This is illegal.
- Do not discard litter into the water; it is environmental unfriendly and illegal. Marine turtles can confuse clear plastic waste with jelly fish and will die if they eat it.
- Hand feeding fish is discouraged. Certain species are dangerous and it disrupts traditional feeding patterns
- Hook and line fishing is allowed in the marine reserves- never in marine parks. Spear guns are not permitted.
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