Cattle may pose little threat to iconic wildlife in Kenya park.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences challenges the belief that cattle grazing in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve harms wildlife. Researchers found that areas where cattle had grazed had similar numbers of large herbivores and vegetation as areas without cattle. However, some experts disagree, arguing that cattle grazing contributes to declining wildlife numbers in the reserve. The Maasai community, who depend on livestock for their livelihood, also believe that cattle play a critical role in maintaining vegetation balance and preventing human-wildlife conflict. The authors of the study recommend revisiting the restrictions on grazing livestock in the reserve, but acknowledge that higher intensity grazing could have negative effects. [Extracted from the article]