An ancient plant only found in Kenya was almost vanishing from the face of the earth.
Efforts to locate it in forests had all but failed until the four remaining individuals were found in Lamu in 2012.
The cactus-like Euphorbia tanaensis now appears prominently on the list of the 100 most endangered species on the planet.
The list is prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, an organisation that tracks the survival of the earth’s species.
But now efforts to save the plant from extinction appear to be bearing fruit.
Kenya Forestry Research Institute says they have 250 mature seedlings of the ancient plant, which they have successfully propagated over the last eight years.
“We now have the plant in our conservation areas. We want to work with indigenous trees to restore landscapes because they are best suited for the environment,” Kefri senior deputy director Dr Jane Njuguna said.
Speaking during the National Land Restoration Scaling Conference webinar organised by the World Agroforestry Centre, she said the plant is notoriously difficult to propagate because the biology of indigenous trees is not well known.
The meeting which was opened by Agriculture PS Hamadi Boga aimed at catalyzing a national movement for restoration in Kenya.
The critically endangered Euphorbia tanaensis is only found in Witu Forest, Lamu county, and is one of the rarest trees in the world.
It grows to nearly 30 metres and usually protrudes above the forest canopy.
Mining company Base Titanium also says it has propagated a few mature seedlings in its nursery in Kwale.
Repeated attempts to locate the tree in other forests have failed and there is no sign of regeneration or young seedlings near the mature trees.
Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau said Kenya Forest Service and Kefri are working together to restore 5.1 million hectares under the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative and achieve the 10 per cent tree cover on farms by 2025.
Kamau said KFS is currently working with communities to map out all degraded landscapes and forests.
“This will be achieved by strengthening policy for restoring degraded lands,” he said.
Icraf senior researcher Dennis Garrity said most communities in the highlands already have more than 10 per cent of their farms under trees.
“We discovered 70 per cent of Kenyan farmlands have more than 10 per cent tree cover. The greatest advances have been achieved in the highlands. We have great areas in the ASALs that have a long way to go,” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris