The National Museums of Kenya and the Mammal Committee of Nature Kenya have partnered with Spotteron Citizen Science to develop and launch a mobile app that assists in the tracking and logging of mammals in the country.
The Mammal Atlas Kenya, or Makenya, app allows users to to record GPS co-ordinates of an area where they have spotted a particular mammal and to share pictures of the animal seen. The data collected is then used to gain insight into the distribution of the over 390 mammal species found in Kenya, according to Private Safaris.
“There are many mammal species in Kenya and the distribution of some of them is not known. This app will help experts consolidate shared information into a single database for an informed distribution map,” said Head of the Mammalogy section of the National Museums of Kenya, Simon Musila.
The app is currently available to download free on the Google Play store, the Apple App Store, and on the Spotteron website. It can be used in any location where there is a stable network connection, including in any of Kenya’s national parks, game reserves and forests.
