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Following footprints and finding poachers.

Category: Poachers, Sponsor a Ranger | Date: Apr 09 2008 | By: Kimojino

This morning I went out on my routine patrol, and when I was driving along the track taking me to the border I noticed some footprints in the dirt. I stopped the car, alighted, and checked closely to discover the footprints of five different men.

I called back to the main station at Serena, and reported the same to the patrol team. They came straight away and I showed them the footprints.

Rangers coming back from today's patrol

Rangers coming back from today’s patrol.

They started tracking the footprints at 9am, and followed the trail for 13, 14 kilometres over the border into Serengeti. At around 1pm, the rangers found dried hippo meat hidden in a drainage line. They immediately searched the surrounding area and fortunately managed to find and arrest three of the poachers. They were unable to find the location of the other two poachers.

The three poachers

The three poachers, and the dried hippo meat.

The poachers had come in from Tanzania, through the Mara Triangle to the Narok side, and had camped there for no less than seven good days. They had killed a hippo, dried the meat, and were today heading back to their village.

This brings the total number of poachers arrested this month of April to five. Well done to the Serena and Ngiro-are patrol teams!

Ngiro-are and Serena Patrol Teams

Ngiro-are and Serena Patrol Teams.

I would also like to thank all of those who have contributed through this blog, and to those individuals and organisations who have sponsored a ranger; it is your support that has kept our men motivated during this time of uncertainty.

A successful day.

A successful day. More photos at flickr.

Please, if you can, help put out the word that we urgently need to find sponsorship for 34 more of our rangers.

Asante sana.

12 Responses to “Following footprints and finding poachers.”

Paul, on 10 Apr 2008

For 13, 14 km?! Wow. You guys are amazing!

Well done Joseph for spotting the footprints, and well done to all the rangers for catching the poachers.

We won’t let your work stop.

Catherine, on 10 Apr 2008

Hello Joseph

I just read about the plight of the Mara Conservancy, and felt inclined to visit your website to find out more about it. I must say that I am extremely impressed by all of your efforts to keep going. You and the rangers deserve awards.

I have made a donation and hope that this can help in some way.

All the best

Catherine

Fiona, on 10 Apr 2008

Joseph, thanks for continuing to update us on the poachers and the rangers’ efforts even though there’s a financial crisis re paying them.

I just read the Reuter’s article. I was very glad to see Will’s comment in there because it really did bring home the potential for disaster for the Mara.

I wasn’t so happy with the references to political instability and people getting killed so close to the park but in fairness, they need to write a well rounded feature and it’s fantastic that they covered this at all.

I’m still going ahead with my travel plans. If people wait till the dust settles before spending their money on visiting the park, I have a feeling they’ll regret it.

Dipesh Pabari, on 10 Apr 2008

Reuters has also opened up an interesting debate. Do post comments:
http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2008/04/10/kenya-crisis-hits-mara-game-reserve-hard-3/

Will, on 10 Apr 2008

Thank you Dipesh for the links.

And thank you to all the new visitors who have helped with a donation. Your support is greatly needed right now.

It hasn’t stopped raining here in the Mara all day which means I haven’t been out much. And Kimojino has gone to Kisi to the opticians. He’s pretty certain that all this laptop work is ruining his eye sight and he may never be able to spot a cheetah again if he continues.

I’m hoping that he just needs reading glasses.

sauwah, on 10 Apr 2008

Kimojino might be right about laptop because my eyes too get so tired from being on the computer ( over an hour ). Maybe he should spend less time; but with more frequency to make up the loss time.

i think computer is worse for our eyes than a big t.v. if we spend over a long period of time staring into the bright screen.

kimojino, on 11 Apr 2008

Thank you all for your comments.We are at the moment working very hard against the rainy weather here at the mara. So far we`re making some incredible success. Our teams are now sleepless most of the nights for both cattle rustlers and poachers.

Dipesh - I had read the Reuter’s article, and as soon as it appears in the local dailies, i`ll pass the same to the villagers.

Fiona - the political situation in any given country is a recipe to the press people and Kenya`s situation now is not an exception. Many of us are down in prayer, seeking God`s mercy over our country. Our understanding to the current stalemate is that it is a very small issue which the two principles should just settle in order for the country to move forward.

My plea to those who planned for the coming season is, “do not cancel”, just come and experience the beauty of the Mara Triangle and wildebeest migration.

I was so surprised about my eyes, had to visit Kisii town and seek advise from an Optician. After being examined, my eyesight was said to be perfect but I needed to pay for reading glasses. I can work now with no problems.

Joy, on 14 Apr 2008

Thanks for the updates! Now that the cabinet has been named…I hope this means things will start going in the right direction…. Keep up the fight!

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[…] Ranger Daniel Tunai with poachers last week. […]

Bille, on 26 Jun 2008

I was reading the stories of all the poachers arrests and they disgusted me, poachers are very crule. I don’t see why they have to endanger their lives and take the lives of cute animals. I hope that the forest officials are able to catch, or at least limit all of the poachers and there attacks.
Sincerely,Bille,6th grade

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