According to a news report by Ghana News, the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) and Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) have signed a 5-year partnership to use geospatial technologies to reinforce conservancy efforts for the critically endangered Mountain Bongo antelopes from extinction and its habitat, Mount Kenya.

The collaboration will leverage space technology for real-time monitoring, community engagement, and sustainable land management. The KSA will demonstrate the use of space technology in animal and habitat conservation. The conservation initiative will also involve the participation of the local community around Mount Kenya.

According to Brigadier-Colonel Hillary Kipkosgey, Acting DG of Kenya Space Agency, “This partnership signifies a commitment between KSA and MKWC to collaborate in using space technologies in managing and conserving our wildlife as part of our national heritage and a natural resource that serves as a great tourist attraction to our country.”

The Mountain Bongo is a critically endangered antelope species found only in the alpine forests of Kenya. With less than 60 of these antelopes remaining in the wild and on the verge of extinction, the Mountain Bongo now persists in such small numbers that they are unlikely to survive long-term without assistance, according to the Wilder Institute.

Thus, the MKWC aims to conserve the Mountain Bongo by maintaining sustainable captive breeding herds for reintroduction into the wild, promoting species research and providing education opportunities for future generations on the value of conserving wildlife and their habitats.

Under the partnership, the KSA and the MKWC will be assessing land use changes, deforestation, and soil degradation, providing crucial data for shaping sustainable land management strategies. This will also help develop skills, expertise, competence, experience, and ecological monitoring techniques to aid in ecosystem protection.