Master of Science in Wildlife Health and Management at University of Nairobi

Philosophy

• The programme is geared towards excellence of knowledge in wildlife science, health and management in view of Kenya being a country rich in wildlife resource and diverse nature, which is evident in variety of wild animals. The programme will train graduate students who will be experts in this management, utilization, and conservation.                                             

Rationale

• There is need for this programme to produce graduates who would be able appropriately mitigate the escalating conflict between wildlife and human activities as human population increases and the diminishing land space become more and more fragmented.
• This conflict might result in injury and loss of life in both human, domestic animals and wildlife.
• Wildlife habitat encroachment by humans risks the spread of zoonotic diseases. All these point to the necessity of the programme. The skills for wildlife and nature research are paramount to management and conservation of wildlife and their natural habitat. These skills can only be acquired through postgraduate training in this programme.
• The programme is directed towards the vision and mission of the University of Nairobi on commitment to scholarly excellence, creation, preservation, integration, transmission and utilization of knowledge.

The objectives of the programme are to:

• Produce personnel capable of managing wildlife health and conservation.
• Develop research and teaching capacity in wildlife health, conservation, and management.
• Produce graduates capable of developing and applying principles, theories, practices, and models in management, conservation, health, human dimensions, ecology, economics monitoring and sustainable exploitation of wildlife resources.
• Promote specialized problem-solving skills required in research and/or innovation in wildlife health, conservation, and management.
• Prepare graduates who are competent in planning, developing, formulating and implementing wildlife health, conservation and management programmes, policies and laws.
• Produce personnel who can mobilize communities to sustainably manage wildlife resources.