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. 

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Category: Poachers, Snares | Date: Jun 19 2008 | By: William

Rangers from Ngiro-are and poacher, with dried hippo meat.

Rangers from Ngiro-are outpost reported on the 19th that they had collected 35 snares in just one morning patrol at Kasarani. They found a topis caught in one of the snares, with the wire caught around it’s neck. That evening they laid an ambush at Endonyo Olpaek in the hope that poachers would come back to the area, which they did, and they managed to arrest one poacher, but nine managed to escape arrest. These poachers had succeeded in killing a hippo with spears. Yesterday rangers from Ngiro Are reported that they had collected a further 10 snares along the border.

Ranger Kosencha with wire snare.

With the migration coming we will see a rise in the number of snares being used and really need your support to help fund both day and night patrols. We cannot do this without you.

Please, make a donation, or help us by telling all those who you think may be interested in supporting us at this time.

Thank you.

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Category: Hippos, Poachers | Date: Jun 18 2008 | By: Kimojino

Rangers Nelson, Bett & Kimanjoi with dried hippo meat.

Last Sunday rangers from Serena Station were patrolling the border area with Serengeti when they received a radio call that a man had been spotted in the bushes on the Narok side of Mara River.

Immediately they were sent to the area and joined Ngiro-are and Mara Bridge Patrol Teams, as well as members of the GSU who had spotted the man and radioed our men. The area was searched and rangers quickly found scraps of paper recently discarded as well as some pieces of string.

Evidence of human activity inside the park.

Unfortunately the poachers were nowhere to be found. We searched all the surrounding thickets and along the lugga, but it was difficult to see where they had gone. Rangers did however find a poachers camp with dried hippo meat hanging in a tree.

Hippo meat hanging in a tree.

On Monday, rangers patrolling the Serengeti side near Mara Bridge came across another
poachers camp near Sand River, which had been deserted about 10 days earlier. It was very close to where the poachers camp was found on Sunday, as well as the man that the GSU had spotted. Rangers were able to tell that the poachers had been able to kill two hippos and had left with all of the meat.

It was agreed that although outside the Mara Triangle, this area is now a key area to check for poaching and should be patrolled regularly.

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Category: Hyenas, Poachers, Wildebeest, Zebras | Date: Jun 03 2008 | By: Kimojino

The zebras are still coming across the Mara River in large numbers from the Musiara Plains in the North. With them there are a few wildebeest, and slowly but surely the Triangle is starting to fill with animals. Yesterday we managed to capture a video of an early morning crossing, which you can watch by clicking here watch by clicking here. You will see that the crocodiles have been eating so well these past few days that they are becoming too lazy in their attempts to capture the crossing animals.

Zebras crossing the Mara River.

As I mentioned in my last post, poachers are also preparing for the big day when the wildebeest will be arriving in their thousands, coming Northwards from Serengeti. We can be sure that poachers have spent the last few months acquiring new arsenals of wire snares, which are indiscriminate in who they choose to catch.

Zebras in the Savannah Grasslands.

On Sunday at around 4pm, one spotted hyaena was found near Olpunyata at the central plains of the Mara Triangle. He had a serious wound around his neck inflicted by a wire snare which was still cutting deep into his flesh. He was feasting with other hyaenas on the carcass of a zebra, which had been injured by crocodiles when crossing the Mara River and then finally killed by the hyaenas. As the hyaena with the snare around his neck was feeding on this zebra we could see food spilling out from the open wound of his oesophagus. It was so sad to see.

Hyaena with snare around neck.

Three days ago, Rangers from Kokatende Rangers Post seized 107 wire snares on a single patrol in the Northern Serengeti, along the wildebeest migration route. This is now the beginning of a long battle that we rangers must fight, and will continue until next year in February when the wildebeest and other herbivores will once again leave the Mara Triangle.

Zebras massing at the river’s edge.

I am pleased to be able to give you all an update on Ranger Leyian’s progress, who was shot when chasing rustlers. He came back from Nairobi on the 31st and immediately went to his home to recuperate. Doctors said that if it had taken just one more hour for him to reach the hospital then he probably would not have made it, but thankfully now he is expected to make a full recovery. We thank God for his survival and we are planning to visit him at home.

William tells me that their will be a full donation report for the month of May shortly, and I thank all of you for continuing to support the Mara in this crisis. We truly hope that these are the last weeks of this crisis and that the tourists will soon return.

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Category: Poachers | Date: May 01 2008 | By: Kimojino

At 3am Wednesday morning, rangers from Ngiro-are Outpost saw torches east of their post along the border, which was an obvious sign that poachers were hunting Thomson Gazelles.

The approach to the hunting area was difficult since it was very far and a vehicle must be used. Driving without lights on is not an easy tusk, because of the tall grass but it the was only option for these Rangers to make any formidable success. They left their base and drove slowly towards the poachers’ route, where on their way they met accidentally with another group of poachers who were heading back to the villages, carrying heavy loads of killed gazelles. Immediately a chase ensued and the Rangers managed to arrest one poacher but the rest disappeared into the dark.

Rangers at Ngiro-are

According to information from the arrested poacher, this group was nine and they had killed nine gazelles which were all collected by the Rangers. He further informed them of another different group of poachers which were still out hunting. This prompted the Rangers to design an ambush in a strategic location at the bottom of the escarpment, where they knew the poachers would pass and so arrests could be made. It was also a place where the poachers would arrive by dawn, and be more easily seen.

For sure the plan worked, and by 6.30am poachers were heard talking half a kilometre away and were heading straight towards the ambush. As they got closer, one of the dogs got the Rangers’ scent and barked, but before they realised the ambush Rangers charged and immediately caught two of the men. The rest of the Rangers kept the chase and later managed to arrest another three men, making a total of five arrested as well as recovering another 28 killed gazelles, bringing the total to 37 in just one night.

These poachers were aged between 17 and 35 years, hunting with more than 10 dogs, trained to catch the gazelles and also to run away when their owners do. One of the poachers arrested said that they wanted to take advantage of the incident on Monday when our ranger was shot, thinking that our men would be too scared to patrol.

That morning saw our men make an incredible success in arresting six poachers. They were all handed to the Tanzanian park authorities who took them to Tarime police station for prosecution. The gazelles were also taken as exhibits.

The months we are in now it is so difficult for the Conservancy to finance it’s crucial activities due to lack of funds. It is already the middle of the off season with very few tourist coming, which means no money. Despite all these problems, we are very thankful for your support and donations which we have received so far and has seen us through to this point.

Our appeals for help are as before, because things are becoming more and more difficult, and if support is not availed we risk loosing this precious park and it’s beautiful animals.

Thomson Gazelles and ostriches, taken today.

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