NAIROBI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has so far disbursed 2.8 billion shillings (21.6 million U.S. dollars) as monetary compensation to victims of human-wildlife conflict, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), a state agency mandated with protecting wildlife, said on Wednesday.

In a statement released in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, the wildlife agency said human-wildlife conflict remains one of the most pressing conservation and community welfare challenges in Kenya today.

"We are spearheading a landmark compensation exercise aimed at easing the burden on families that have borne the brunt of this prolonged crisis," it added.

Some of the notable cases of human-wildlife conflict nationwide have resulted in deaths, severe injuries to victims, and destruction of crops and houses, prompting retaliatory attacks from communities, the KWS said.

Giant land mammals, including elephants, rhinos and buffaloes, are responsible for the majority of human-wildlife conflict incidents, while carnivores such as lions and leopards are linked to rising cases of livestock predation, according to the agency.

Kenya has enacted a legal framework to facilitate compensation to victims of human-wildlife conflict, with families of deceased victims receiving 38,675 dollars. Permanent disability arising from an attack by wildlife attracts compensation of 23,205 dollars, while crop loss, livestock predation and property destruction are compensated at market rates, the KWS said.

Some of the drivers of human-wildlife conflict include climatic stresses such as drought and water scarcity, as well as encroachment on wildlife corridors linked to rapid urbanization and habitat degradation.

Kenya has domesticated global and regional legal instruments to minimize conflict between communities and wildlife, the KWS said, adding that strategic interventions such as fencing of wildlife sanctuaries, early warning systems, and community involvement have been key to containing the threat. ■