We cannot lose the Mara.
Category: An Urgent Appeal | Date: Apr 17 2008 | By: William
While the investigation into the deaths of the lions is ongoing, our other work in the Conservancy still continues. This morning Kimojino was out on patrol in the early morning to check on the health of other lions in the area while the rangers from Ngiro-are and Serena Stations were out on patrol in different parts of the Triangle, looking for poachers.
The work must go on to ensure there is as much protection as is financially possible for the wildlife in and around the Mara Triangle, and also too we must keep looking for funds so that salaries can be paid at the end of this month. This morning Steve, a journalist from the UK’s Independent newspaper arrived and we have spent the afternoon showing him the problems that we are facing. Kimojino and I took him up to the escarpment to meet with the villagers there and so they too could have a voice in how this crisis is affecting them.
Last week Reuters interviewed Mzee Olenaigero, translated by Ben Nechalla
Since the meetings two weeks ago, when we told the local Maasai that the Conservancy is still unable to compensate for cattle killed by lions and leopards, the atmosphere was a lot calmer. The men were more open to talk about how the situation has affected them: they told us how they have been selling their cows to make ends meet, but because everybody is in the same situation the market is flooded and the price for cattle has dropped to far less than they were getting before.
This is another major blow for the local people; a drastic drop in income from tourist visits, the halting of the cattle compensation scheme at a time when cattle deaths are high due to the movement of predators, and now a drop in the price of cattle.
Steve asked what would happen if it took longer for the tourists to come back, and we didn’t see them returning in June. An Mzee said that if they don’t come back, then they will run out of cattle. The people round here will turn to bush meat.
Please everyone, don’t be alarmed, but he did raise an important point - if food runs out then what will people eat?
The situation is continuing to deteriorate, and we here at the Conservancy have been lucky enough to raise funds to pay rangers at the end of each month since January, but unfortunately this may not be the case at the end of this month, and then what can we do?
We will have to start laying off rangers. All of the rangers are local, and nearly all are Maasai, and so the suffering in the local communities will deepen.
Rangers Oletimito Kora & John Leyian
It is deeply worrying how affected the area has become from post-election violence which was elsewhere in the country. As you all know, the Maasai Mara is a National Reserve, not a National Park, which means that it is held in trust for the people and managed by the local county councils. The Maasai have, by working hard to protect and preserve the wealth of wildlife to be found here, made this such an incredible place to visit for people from all around the world, and we cannot turn our backs on them now.
Ranger Daniel Tunai with poachers last week.
I’m sorry if this is a bit heavy, but it’s been a long two weeks and this is an incredibly worrying month. Please, I know many of you are regular readers who have already donated far beyond your means - thank you so much - but we really need your help to have our plea heard by as many people as possible, so tell as many people as you know; We cannot lose the Mara.
Lion cubs playing.
Further cutbacks with electricity rationing have been made, which means we now have less hours to be online and keep you updated. Please, if you don’t hear from us for a day or so, know that the work is still continuing and your support is still needed.
Also I know that you are keen to find out more about the dead lions, but investigations are still continuing and so we are unable to release any more information at this time.
Special thanks to Hideo Ogihara from Weeds Corporation for the above design, who will be selling these as stickers in Japan to raise money for the Mara Conservancy.
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16 Responses to “We cannot lose the Mara.”
Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL, on 17 Apr 2008
Thanks Will for this update. I have done as you suggested in your kind email to me. God bless our rangers, these people, and our precious wildlife. Please Lord, we ask you protect them all.
Dipesh Pabari, on 17 Apr 2008
Will, I hear you. We need a plan. Most of us who are involved with the Mara Triangle in helping to fundraise would probably have already donated, and sent the appeals out as far and wide as possible to our own networks. What can we do next? I am thinking this out loud based on my direct experience with Sukuma Kenya and fundraising for Kisumu post-elections and how after a certain point, funds slowed down drastically. Is there anything else that the rest of us can do or is there a pool of people or grants, etc that can have not been approached?
BTW, how is the Dormans initiative coming along. Perhaps this can be an area where we can all help with?
sheryl, washington dc, on 17 Apr 2008
Have y’all considered applying for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife grant? I don’t know very much about the program, but they do have an African grant program and some for various species conservation. Here’s the link to the International Grant program: http://www.fws.gov/international/grants/grants.html and to the African program: http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/Africa_program.html
I know the Lomami bloggers have a FWS grant so why not you?
s.
Will, on 18 Apr 2008
Thank you Theresa!
Hey Dipesh. Yes, I completely agree about getting the appeal out to new people and I hope that the visit of Steve from UK’s Independent will help with that - the article will be published tomorrow.
We also have another journalist arriving today, from the US, who is going to cover the story for online, press and radio. I’ll let you know more soon.
When these journalists are here we have very little time to be online, but I will try again on Sunday, once this journalist leaves, to again get in touch with more Kenyan businesses as well as tour operators around the world who operate in Kenya.
The Dormans packaging is almost complete and good to go, I’ll let you all know when Conservation Coffee will be on the shelves closer to the date.
I also need to rewrite a proposal, where there may be some chance of funds, however we’ve been told that the release of this money could take anywhere between 3 to 6 months.
I also need a day off!
kimojino, on 18 Apr 2008
Hey! everyone i`ve been monitoring all pride of lions around serena closely and so they are all healthy.No new cases seen.It is my prayer that this problem is over at least,while we wait the test results.
Theresa- Thank you for your prayers!!!
At the moment Will and I are very bussy with the journalists.
sheryl, washington dc, on 18 Apr 2008
Have y’all considered applying for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife grant? I don’t know very much about the program, but they do have an African grant program and some for various species conservation. Here’s the link to the International Grant program: http://www.fws.gov/international/grants/grants.html
sheryl, washington dc, on 18 Apr 2008
and to the African program: http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/Africa_program.html
I know the Lomami bloggers have a FWS grant so why not you?
s.
Dipesh Pabari, on 18 Apr 2008
Hi Sheryl,
I put one together for US FWS for the Mara and we submitted. I am sure Will will fill you in with the details. Thanks for looking out for this angle for funding and if you have any more suggestions, please let us know - any funding agencies are always useful to look into…
sheryl, washington dc, on 18 Apr 2008
Well, I don’t have a funding suggestion right now, but I did hear about a neat way to get more attention for the Mara. I was listening yesterday to the Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU, the local National Public Radio Affiliate. His guests were Michael Graham, Coordinator, Genocide Prevention Mapping Initiative, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Rebecca Moore, Manager, Google Earth Outreach and Mary Anne Hitt, Executive Director, Appalachian Voices. They are using Google Earth and an associate blogging function on their Web sites to draw more attention to their causes.
Look at the World Is Witness Web site at http://blogs.ushmm.org/worldiswitness . The featured story is filed from Kibumba, DRC and is about the outrageous rape and violence going on in North Kivu. That entire page is about the violence in Eastern DRC and even features Panzi Hospital in Bukavu.
There, at the top of the page, is a Google Earth map of the area and when you click the symbols a blog post opens in a new window.
You can listen to the NPR story from Kojo’s show here: http://wamu.org/programs/kn/08/04/17.php#19859 just scroll down to Mapping Out Activism.
s.
sheryl, washington dc, on 18 Apr 2008
Well, I don’t have a funding suggestion right now, but I did hear about a neat way to get more attention for the Mara. I was listening yesterday to the Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU, the local National Public Radio Affiliate. His guests were Michael Graham, Coordinator, Genocide Prevention Mapping Initiative, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Rebecca Moore, Manager, Google Earth Outreach and Mary Anne Hitt, Executive Director, Appalachian Voices. They are using Google Earth and an associate blogging function on their Web sites to draw more attention to their causes.
Look at the World Is Witness Web site at http://blogs.ushmm.org/worldiswitness . The featured story is filed from Kibumba, DRC and is about the outrageous rape and violence going on in North Kivu. That entire page is about the violence in Eastern DRC and even features Panzi Hospital in Bukavu.
There, at the top of the page, is a Google Earth map of the area and when you click the symbols a blog post opens in a new window.
sheryl, washington dc, on 18 Apr 2008
You can listen to the NPR story from Kojo’s show here: http://wamu.org/programs/kn/08/04/17.php#19859 just scroll down to Mapping Out Activism.
s.
Fiona, on 18 Apr 2008
Joseph, Thanks so much for the update on the other lions. It’s so nice to hear they’re ok.
I’ll keep doing my best to make people aware of what’s going on - I did take a step in the right direction today. I won’t go into detail, but if this person takes an interest, the Mara will be in good shape.
Fingers crossed!
Will, on 18 Apr 2008
The FWS is the proposal that needs to go through some changes before approval, so fingers crossed, but, like I said, it could take anywhere from 3 to 6 months so won’t help in the short term but worth doing anyway.
Sheryl, I will have a look at the link you provided on Sunday evening when I have some time. Thank you!
Steve tells me that his piece for the Independent should be out at the beginning of next week.
Right, I’m off to bed. Kimojino and I are taking Emily up to the escarpment tomorrow so probably won’t be online, but will be around on Sunday. Until then, thank you everyone.
Lisa, California, on 18 Apr 2008
Sheryl, Thanks for the great link. I know that if you google earth and go over, say for instance Darfur, they have lots of icons over villages that have been distroyed, etc. Similar to this, but there is no actual website linked to them. I think that is a terrific way to get the word out. Lisa
Pirjo,Finland, on 20 Apr 2008
Due to being very busy at work I haven’t been able to write that much on this blog, but I’m with you in spirit and will keep donating as much as I can.
Will, I will soon get back to you on the query you sent me regarding my recent donations and whether you have received them.
Will, on 21 Apr 2008
No problem Pirjo. I’m actually going away for a couple of days and will be back on Thursday, so forgive me if I don’t get back to you soonish.
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