"There seems to be political strings attached to banana and orange politics," one Kenya Wildlife Service official told AFP on condition of anonymity, referring to the ballot symbols for "yes" and "no" that voters will choose from in the plebiscite.
Government officials have denied any political motive and members of the Maasai community around Amboseli, who have fought for years for access to the reserve and its income, said the move was long overdue.
"The handover was morally right," said Maasai elder Ben Ole Koisaba, deriding as "nonsense" allegations of a political payoff but conceding the timing of the move was questionable.
"It was long overdue — the park sits on the heart of the Maasailand," he told AFP. "But the timing was apparently wrong."
Created as a game reserve in 1906, Amboseli — home to Africa's most docile elephant population, which roam the plains against the stunning backdrop of snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro — was once before turned over to local administrators.
But that 1948 decision was rescinded in 1974 when it was declared a national park and put under the authority of the Kenya Wildlife Service after years of mismanagement and corruption nearly destroyed the ecosystem.
Name: African Elephant (
Loxodonta africana)
Primary Classification: Proboscidea (Elephants)
Location: Africa.
Habitat: Wide range, including desert, scrub, savanna and high rainforest.
Diet: Bark, fruit, grass and leaves.
Size: Up to 16 ft in length, 13 ft in height, and 11 tons in weight.
Description: Gray, sparsely haired skin; large ears, which aid in temperature regulation; long, forward-curving ivory tusks, used for fighting, digging and eating; long, muscular trunk with two finger-like projections at the tip.
Cool Facts: It is the largest land mammal on Earth. It takes care of weak and injured pack members and grieves over dead companions. It has a particular fascination with the tusks and bones of dead elephants.
Conservation Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Poaching
What Can I Do?: Visit
Save the Elephants, the
African Wildlife Foundation, and the
Living With Elephants Foundation for information on how you can help endangered elephants.
