Strong winds and high temperatures in the Tsavo region could hamper he wildlife census at the national park, pilots have said. “We are flying over a large area with only one remote fuel filling station. A pilot has to come back for a refill at the starting point before proceeding,” pilot Neville Sheldrick said on Wednesday. He is with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. High temperatures can damage a plane’s internal components. Hot air also makes it harder for a plane to get off the ground. Each pilot will cover a bloc of 20x30km per day. The census started on Wednesday and will end on Friday next week. Elephants, buffalos, giraffes and other animals will be counted. and giraffes. KWS spokesman Paul Gathitu said the government and donors have set aside Sh20 million for the census. Donors include USaid, Save the Elephants, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Tthe savo Trust and the World Wide Fund for Nature. Gathitu said the census will provide vital information to policy makers and park managers. The information will enable the government come up with plans for wildlife monitoring and management,” he said. Gathitu said wildlife security has become a major problem, hurting conservation efforts. KWS senior assistant director Erastus Kanga said the census will cover the Tsavo Conservation Area and Mkomazi National Park in Tanzania. Kanga said encroachment on wildlife protected areas and destruction of habitats are among the security threats to conservation and management. “The wildlife population has spontaneously grown, but the problem is they are being pushed out of their habitat because of human activities,” he said.