Category: Lodges & Camps | Date: Jun 30 2008 | By: Kimojino

We would like to commend the management of Kichwa Tembo for taking the initiative to work more closely with the Mara Conservancy. For the last week I have been taken out guides from Kichwa Tembo. So far I have had four groups of guides and trainee guides who have accompanied me on an anti-animal harassment patrol and also a tour of the Triangle.

Guides from Kichwa Tembo

It has been a very good experience, with both the guides and myself thoroughly enjoying the time spent together. They learned and understood why we stop guides from harassing animals and also why it is important to not offroad around the Mara Triangle. Also, they were very happy because I took them all around the park, and showed them parts of the Triangle that they have never before explored, and which they can now in turn show to their guests all of the beautiful places that are here.

Zebras and Buffaloes at the Salt Lick

They also learned that there are so many animals and other tourist attractions in every part of the Mara Triangle.

I appreciated their coming on the patrols, and I believe that there cooperation will benefit both sides enormously in the future.

I also encourage other camps and lodges to partake in this experience.

Joseph Kimojino with guides from Kichwa Tembo

Thank you to Kichwa Tembo!

7 responses so far

Category: Wildebeest | Date: Jun 30 2008 | By: William

For some reason our web chap in Nairobi isn’t updating the Mara Conservancy website with the monthly reports from the man in charge; the Boss.

He’s very big on transparency and within the report you will find all the news that has happened over the month; including wildlife, staff, tourism and, revenue and accounts. To see what exactly, click here for May’s Report.

It’s the type of stuff that most organisations try to hide, but instead the Conservancy have been sending the report out each month to all lodges and camps in around the Mara Triangle, including KATO (Kenya Association of Tour Operators), and other Organisations and NGOs who are involved with the work of the Conservancy, as well as putting it up on our website.

Although this hasn’t been happening of late, and I’m not able to post Word files into this here blog, and so instead we can send them to you by email. Just put your email address in the box on the right hand side, which has been suitably titled: Receive our Chief Executive’s Monthly Report.

Now for some reason the widget doesn’t work properly but it does give me a copy of your email address behind the scenes, to which I can send you the report.

UPDATE - The plugin has completely stopped working now and it will no longer store email addresses. Leave a comment below and I’ll instead send it to your email address which will be stored behind the scenes with your comment.

Just one more thing. Latest estimate is that the wildebeests will be arriving within the next two or three days. Actually, a ranger from Mara Bridge has just told me maybe today. Be ready for lots of brilliant photos from Kimojino, and probably video too.

A lot of interesting comments on Friday’s post - I’ll let you know when the BBC get back to me. 

4 responses so far

Category: In the News, Maasai Community | Date: Jun 27 2008 | By: William

After being in Nairobi and listening to the BBC piece on animal poisonings in Kenya I must say that I’m more than disappointed on the way that the story was reported.

First, let me say, that there is not one false fact within the piece, however there is a combination of stories that when woven together create a false impression of the local Maasai and their involvement of the poisoning of lions here in the Mara Triangle.

The overall story presented by the BBC was that pastoralists in Kenya are using carbofuran to poison wildlife in Kenya, and within that story the Mara Triangle is used for ‘human interest’ as lions were poisoned here recently, and because they were also able to talk to pastoralists who live along the Northern border of the park.

Yet the two are entirely unrelated. We have absolutely no evidence that incriminates or even suggests that local people were responsible for the poisoning of the lions.

There is a single disclaimer in the BBC piece which says that the use of poison in the Mara Triangle was through ‘accidental misuse of the poison’, but this does not make it clear that it was not the Maasai. I spoke to Adam Mynott on the phone yesterday and he argued that at the end of the piece they did interview a chap up on the escarpment who made it clear that he would not use poison to kill a lion, and so removing from the story any accusation towards the local population of the Mara:

On the edge of the Maasai Mara a young herdsman, Ndigwa, said he lost many cows every year to lions and leopards, but he said he would never resort to poison to take revenge on the predators.

Others do not hesitate.

Quoted from BBC website.

I tend to disagree with Adam. Who is implied by this vague ‘others’? There is a big difference in other Maasai of the same village, or just other pastoralists in Kenya.

The article is not inaccurate in its facts, but it is padded with generalities that associate local pastoralists of the Mara and the lion poisonings in the Mara Triangle. Especially when the piece is introduced as “Why are lions and leopards being deliberately poisoned in Kenya? From the Masai Mara game reserve, Adam Mynott reports..” 

It would take a discerning viewer or listener to disassociate the two stories from the tiny disclaimer that the poisoning was because of ‘accidental misuse.’ Here is the reaction by one of the commenters over at the Stop Wildlife Poisoning Blog:

“The report also included footage of lions close to death due to ingestion of this chemical, it was utterly sickening. It also interviewed a Masai farmer, but he obviously denied ever using or knowing of such a thing as Carbofuran. I’m disgusted, I truly am.” (emphasis mine)

I am worried about how this will affect the relationship between the Mara Conservancy and the local Maasai, who have not only been hospitable and open with all of the journalists who have visited the Triangle, but they have also been mostly patient throughout this crisis and, despite there not currently being a cattle compensation scheme in place, no predators have been killed in their area.

The story is about the poisoning of wildlife in Kenya as a whole and refers to many incidences of poisoning, and it is likely that in most of these other cases poison was used deliberately by pastoralists to kill animals. However, what do those people who live next to the park have to do with this apart from the fact that they are also pastoralists? Pastoralists who have suffered the problems associated with living among predators, and yet have worked with the Conservancy to protect these animals.

Ben Ramet, who is part of the Mara Triangle Maasai Village Association, and is from the village where the BBC did the interview, is currently in the UK and saw the pieces when they aired. He was surprised and dismayed to see fellow villagers included in such a story, especially as, dependent also on tourism, it has always been in their best interests to protect the wildlife.

The guys up on the escarpment have absolutely nothing to do with this story, and have been used by the BBC to give their story that bit of ‘extra colour’, the human interest to the piece.

Unfortunately the BBC are not the only ones, today I received a forwarded email from National Geographic who are currently fundraising to help pay for a cattle compensation scheme in Amboselli:

Just a few weeks ago, at least four lions in Kenya’s famed Maasai Mara National Reserve died after ingesting a powerful insecticide.  The Maasai are increasingly using poisons to kill the lions and it has become one of the greatest threats to their survival.

Nancy E. Rehman, Vice President, Development, National Geographic.

Although both sentences on their own are not untruths, placed together like this the impression is unquestionable.

I know it’s not a good story, and I know it doesn’t help with fundraising efforts, but I’m pleased to report that the Maasai are NOT poisoning lions in the Mara Triangle.

28 responses so far

Category: Donations | Date: Jun 23 2008 | By: William

At the end of May I went back to the UK to visit family and also picked up the donated cameras that had made their way to my home from all corners of the world.

In total I brought six cameras back with me to the Mara Triangle, and was able to assign them to the Serena Patrol Team, Mara Bridge Patrol Team, Ngiro-Are Patrol Team, Oloololo Community Work Team, Cheetah III (Anti-animal harassment vehicle) and also our Road Team.

Testing out the donated cameras.

Mara Conservancy Road Team (taken with their camera).

Cheetah I (Kimojino) and Cheetah II (Wilson Naitoi) already have digital cameras, and I know that many of you have been browsing Kimojino’s photos over on Flickr. Not only are these photos a beautiful reminder to all of us on how important it is to protect the wildlife here, but they also perform an important task in helping to conserve wildlife within the Mara Triangle.

Rangers with confiscated items taken from poachers (taken by Mara Bridge Patrol Team).

The cameras help with photographic evidence of poachers and their activities, as well as allowing rangers to take photos of injured animals which can then be sent to KWS vets so that they can assess how urgently treatment is needed.

Giraffe with wound on hind leg. (Taken by Cheetah III)

Cameras also help enormously with the work of our Anti-Animal Harassment Teams to capture tour drivers when they are breaking park rules, and now makes it very difficult for drivers to deny that they were in the wrong.

Photographs also help both rangers and the local community for evidence of cattle killed by predators, which will help when we recommence the cattle compensation scheme when tourist revenue returns.

Ranger next to a goat killed by a leopard. (Taken by Oloololo Patrol Team)

Photographs are an incredibly important part of our rangers’ work and we are very grateful to all of you who donated. Thank you to Jackie, Sarah, Jennifer, Kasia, Mike and Jonathan for the cameras. I also know that there a couple more cameras that will make it to us within the next couple of months but if anyone has any others going spare, let me know as there is always the need for more.

Rangers from Ngiro-are Outpost out on night patrol.

Another great thing with these extra cameras at the Mara Triangle is that you will now see a lot more of the work being done by the rangers.  And a lot more of the wildlife too; like this brand new zebra just moments after it entered the world.

Brand new Zebra. (Taken by Cheetah II)

Not the clearest of pictures, but a miracle all the same.

Thank you everyone.

7 responses so far

Category: Poachers, Snares | Date: Jun 21 2008 | By: Kimojino

Rangers leave this morning on patrol.

Last night GSU Personnel on the Narok side of the Mara, went down to the river to bathe and spotted two men a short distance away disappear into some bushes. Immediately they radioed our rangers who went over to meet with the GSU, but by now the sun had already set and so it was decided that we would send out a joint patrol early this morning to try and catch the poachers.

Rangers from Serena Station left at 5am to join with Mara Bridge rangers and also the GSU. Together they started the patrol, and found the footprints of the poachers. They followed these prints until they found the men further along.

The two poachers with snares and supplies. 

When we found them they had their food already cooked and were on their way to set up a more permanent camp. We learnt that when they were spotted yesterday they had just arrived, after travelling all day from Tanzania, and so we are pleased to say that no animals had been killed.

Rangers coming back from patrol. 

6 responses so far