NAIROBI ― An environmental disaster is unfolding in Isiolo county, in northeastern Kenya, following a recent wildfire outbreak that devastated large swaths of the region, according to experts who are calling for urgent measures to address the consequences of the tragedy. The area hosts thousands of animal and plant species, including critically endangered white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum). On Jan. 21, hundreds of elephants were seen fleeing toward Marti Plateau, at the border with Samburu county to the south, to escape the fire, according to eyewitnesses. “It is an ecological disaster of epic proportions,” says Mali ole Kaunga, a local conservation group member in Isiolo. “An entire ecosystem was wiped out in a matter of days,” Kaunga tells Mongabay, adding, “But we are still to come to terms with the real impact of this tragedy.” Hundreds of elephants were seen fleeing toward Marti Plateau, at the border with Samburu county to the south, to escape the fire, according to eyewitnesses. Elephant in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Image by Ray in Manila via Flickr ( CC BY 2.0). According to John Wambua, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) senior assistant director, eastern conservation area, the big animals may have escaped the fire, with thousands of crawling animals and birds not spared. “We do not have the complete inventory yet, but thousands of crawling animals such as snakes, rodents and some rare bird species and indigenous plants were lost in the fire,” Wambua tells Mongabay. “Most were burnt to ashes and we may not even account…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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