Category: Great Migration, Lodges & Camps | Date: Jul 12 2008 | By: William

Wildebeest today on the move toward Milima Tatu

I went round most of the lodges and camps who are in or use the Mara Triangle yesterday delivering the posters for the Most Responsible Guide 2008 Award. There were some very nice camps indeed which would have looked lovely with guests in them.

In response to the comments left on the previous post, tourism is not as high as we had hoped for July. The industry is forecasting 50% for the months of July and August, although some of the camps I visited yesterday were completely empty. Forecast for the rest of the year after August, is back down to 20%.

It is true that there are many lodges and camps in the Masai Mara with over 4,000 beds, however the Masai Mara reserve falls under two county councils; Narok and Trans-Mara. The Mara Triangle is in Trans-Mara and is managed independently from the Narok side, and is dependent on the beds (guests) in lodges and camps in the Mara Triangle, or who use the Mara Triangle.

Wildebeest massing today.

So out of 4,000 beds in the Masai Mara, only 186 of these beds are inside the Triangle: 150 beds at Serena and 36 at Little Governors. We also collect revenue from four more lodges outside of the reserve who use the Triangle for their game drive: Olonana (24 beds), Mpata Safari Club (40 beds), Mara Siria (12 beds) and Kilima (20 beds).

This means that the Mara Conservancy collects park gate fees from those who sleep in a grand total of 282 beds. Which is not much compared to the Narok side; 850 beds inside the reserve (at the last count) and about 3,000 outside. This does mean less revenue for us, but it is what keeps the Mara Triangle so unique and beautiful - even when the tourists were here there were many parts of the Triangle which you could have all to yourself.

Before the crisis hit in January we could manage on 282 beds. There are of course those who came into the Triangle and weren’t staying at the lodges, and the average revenue collection (before the crisis) for the Mara Triangle was US $3 million a year, with the Conservancy share being 36% of that, at about US $1.2 million - we are a not-for-profit organisation, and so all of this went into park operations.

With so many empty beds at the moment things aren’t looking so good for the Conservancy, and neither will it anytime soon. Please, if you are able, think about setting up a monthly donation for the Triangle. We would truly appreciate it as it will help us in the long term.

Thank you.

Share This

12 responses so far

Category: An Urgent Appeal, Snares | Date: Jul 09 2008 | By: William

Ngiro are Rangers with some of the collected snares

In the last two days, rangers from Ngiro-are and Serena patrol posts have collected 70 snares. Yesterday they found thirteen wildebeest caught in the snares - ten were already dead but they were able to free three.

We are still doing what we can to get the message out that the Mara needs the support of those from around the world. We have the Spanish newspaper El Mundo here at the moment and then later on this afternoon CNN are arriving and will be here until Friday.

We would also like to thank Bonnie who owns the Karen Blixen Coffee House in Nairobi who is going to put on a fundraiser in September for the Mara, as well as Gaurav who is organising a fundraising football match in Nairobi, and then later in the Masai Mara. I’ll put more news up on both events closer to the time.

Ngiro-are Rangers removing snare yesterday. 

We would also like to thank all those who have set up monthly donations to the Mara Triangle. As you know, we thought this crisis would be short term but it looks now like it’ll be several months until tourists return so we need to raise as much as we can.

Please, if you can, set up a monthly donation and ask your friends to do the same.

We need to keep up the fight.

Wildebeest dead in a snare.

Update: Rangers were out on night patrol last night and caught one poacher.

Share This

11 responses so far

Category: Cattle Compensation, Maasai Community | Date: Jul 08 2008 | By: William

Yesterday there was a meeting held at Oloololo between the local community and the Conservancy. Sarisa our Administrator was present and reports on the meeting:

Community Members at Oloololo

There were two meetings, the first involving a meeting with the local women, and then a second which was with the men only.

The meeting was opened in attendence with the community and the CEO of Mara Conservancy, the Warden of Oloololo, the Sergeant of Community and the Administrator.

The women lead the meeting , and first gave thanks:

1. They wanted to thank and show their appreciation of the work of the CEO in conjunction with Dr Cheryl with the issue of the cultural bomas.
2. They also appreciated the good working relationship between the Conservancy and the Community.
3. They also appreciated our assistance and us allowing them to collect water from Oloololo Gate.

They then made the following requests:

1. To be given the chance to sell curios and souvenirs at Oloololo Gate.
2. To be helped in the marketing of their items.
3. A request was made to continue with the collection of water from Oloololo, especially now during this dry period.
4. They also wanted the Conservancy to support them in approaching the lodges and camps in and around the Triangle, to see if they could sell their curios and souvenirs in the camp/lodge shops.

The CEO made the following replies:

1. He agreed for William to meet and help the women in terms of marketing and also the building of a website for the Cultural Villages.
2. He also agree that whenever possible, for example when the Conservancy vehicle goes to the community to collect milk for the eland, that it will also carry jerry cans of water for the community.
3. Pertaining the use of Oloololo Gate to sell souvenirs, the CEO said that instead the Conservancy will help the community to better promote the Cultural Village Visit to visitors of the Mara Triangle.
4. The CEO agreed that the Conservancy would help the community approach lodges and camps to sell their curios.

The women were then given transport back to the manyattas and then began the meeting with the men.

Chief Kipas stands to talk. 

It was a very long meeting, with almost 20 men. The men started the meeting and began by thanking the Conservancy:

1. They thanked the Conservancy for the improved security of the area, mostly on curbing Cattle Rustling along the escarpment.
2. They also thanked the conservancy for the close collaboration we’ve had with the community.
3. On cattle compensation they really recognise that it was the Conservancy that first came up with the idea after seeing that it was a real problem. They wanted to express how much they understood the situation after the meetings held with Kimojino and William, and would continue to support us through these difficult times.
4. They also recognised the employment of the community scouts within their areas, and the importance of their radios in terms of communication, in particular with poaching and cattle rustling.

The men then made the following requests:

1. They requested for cattle to graze along the bottom of the escarpment, inside the park, and use the streams available at the bottom of the escarpment. There are no water points up on the escarpment, especially now in the dry season.
2. They requested for payment of the outstanding balances for the cattle compensation scheme which still exist when the scheme was stopped in January.
3. They requested an additional community scout to help Charlie 1 (Tarakwa based at Partakila) because there is a large area between charlie 1 and charlie 2, and so no communication (radio).
4. They also requested a review of prices for cattle compensation - they say that the price of cattle is going up and so they asked that the amount compensated also goes up.
5. They also mention that since we are working in collaboration with the community they request that a holding cell is set up at Oloololo for community members that break park rules (eg. cattle grazing inside the park). They also said that they agreed to the Conservancy’s request to form a committee for the Community to work with the Conservancy.  They also requested that they consult their fellow community members and come up with a standard fine for defaulters of the park laws, and that they all agree on a fine which will be paid by the defaulter and then he can be releaed from the cell.

Answers given by the CEO:

1. The CEO thanked the community for listening to them when they were informed that the compensation scheme was no longer able to continue due to the collapse in tourism during the month of January.
2. The CEO also recognised the importance of the community and was thankful for the close collaboration, and indeed the committee as one of the ways of working with the community - having people who link the community and the conservancy.
3. He also agreed on the request for an extra community scout to be deployed with a radio to help Charlie 1 and Charlie 2. He asked for three men to be suggested by the community for this position, and then the conservancy would decide on one of the candidates.
4. The CEO told the community that unless the county council change the rules, he could not let livestock graze inside the park. The Mara Conservancy is managing the area on behalf of the council as a custodian to implement the rules set by them, we do not have the authority to change park rules.
5. The CEO also informed the community that there will be a seminar of selected community members who will be taken to pilot areas in Amboseli and Laikipia, to see other cattle compensation schemes in place and to learn how to construct better protected bomas. The responses were well received by the community.
6. The CEO also informed them that as soon as funds are available the cattle compensation scheme will recommence. Pertaining the prices, it will be agreed on when the scheme is able to recommence, but he insisted that prices should be according to the local market.

Share This

4 responses so far

Category: Great Migration | Date: Jul 07 2008 | By: William

Click here for eye feast.

Share This

4 responses so far

Category: Poachers, Snares | Date: Jul 07 2008 | By: William

Kortom tells me that another poacher was caught yesterday by our rangers at Kokakuria in Serengeti. Rangers found two new snares, made the arrest, and then found a further five - collecting seven snares in total. The man was also carrying a sword and a spear.

Please consider making a monthly donation to the Conservancy so that our work can continue for the rest of the year.

Share This

3 responses so far