Baraza

Category: Amazing facts | Date: Mar 24 2008 | By: admin

It is my last day in Washington DC and time to update you all. Here it all is in pictures.

Directors and friends met for two days and discussed WildlifeDirect progress at Stony Brook University in Long Island at the Turkana Basin Institute. We worked throughout lunch to get the business finished.

Easter Monday is not a holiday in DC though you’d never know from the festival atmosphere. This dog was decorated for Easter and brought out with the hundreds of spectators to see the elephants paraded through the streets.

Ten elephants and tens of horses, cars and circus performers paraded down the streets of the capital. The police were out in force, keeping the public from getting too close, and especially those pesky PETA people and others who are protesting the use of elephants in circuses.

The elephants dutifuly walked in single file, stopped when instructed, rolled their trunks on demand and the crowd got their photo opportunities on a lovely sunny but chilly day. I found this quote here and wish that everyone could read it

“The idea that it is funny to see wild animals coerced into acting like clumsy humans, or thrilling to see powerful beasts reduced to cringing cowards by a whipcracking trainer is primitive and medieval. It stems from the old idea that we are superior to other species and have the right to hold dominion over them.”

—Dr. Desmond Morris, anthropologist, animal behaviorist, author

Seeing elephants in Washington DC is so amazing, they look so calm, so graceful, …. one could easily forget the suffering that these animals have endured in their training. These particular elephants belong to the the famous, or should I say infamous Ringling Brothers. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Welfare Institute — have taken the Ringling Brothers to court arguing that circus life is inherently cruel to the elephants. The case has been going since 2000 and the result, if in favour of elephants will be a watershed for them.

As I watched in awe with the others on the street, little red packages were thrown at me by clowns and scantily clad circus girls ….. they were clowns noses. On the red nose was written ‘Ringling bro’s the greatest show in the world’ . I wondered what the elephants thought about their lives in chains entertaining people across America. Its more like the ‘greatest shame in the world”

The day ended as every day should, relaxed and in lovely company. I met up with some of our most avid readers on the gorilla blog and discovered to my great pleasure that their friendship was started on WildlifeDirect. Now I know even more about the power of community building on the internet. Thank you Lisa, Sheryl and Christine for a lovely evening.

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Category: WildlifeDirect news | Date: Mar 19 2008 | By: admin

The last few days have really had us all on our feet at WildlifeDirect. There have been a lot of atrocities committed against Kenya’s wildlife who unfortunately are being used as a scapegoat for a much deeper rooted problem in Kenya: land.

Last week we found out through one of our partner organisations, the Lion Guardians that three lions were tragically killed. Such inhumane acts are becoming more and more common and whilst they are often the result of retaliation due to Pastoralists losing their livestock to an opportunistic carnivore, there is really no justification for taking revenge on an animal that is only following its basic nature. Reuters were quick to pick up the story and once a media house like them picks it, it often travels far and wide across the globe.

When this came out, we quickly got word that up to 14 elephants had been speared since february this year and 4 had died all within the same Amboseli region. We spoke with world renowned elephant specialist, Dr. Cynthia Moss who post a guest blog on Dr. Richard Leakey’s WildlifeDirect blog. It was only a matter of time before the media turned their panoptical gaze to this blog as well and in less than 48 hours the story had appeared on several leading papers and National Geographic had put a story on these unfortunate incidences.

With all the debate about the reintroduction of culling of elephants in South Africa, Dr. Leakey, renowned for bringing an end to elephant poaching in Kenya over twenty years ago most certainly had a thing or two to say about the highly controversial issue. I think much to everyone’s suprise, he stated that whilst he felt culling to be a repugnant practice, he also felt South Africa had little choice given the current circumstances. Once again, yet anothermajor media house, BBC picked up on his blog and ran it in their Green Room and it also made front page of the BBC Africa news section. And before I had time to read the article, several comments were flying into my inbox from all sorts of different angles. People have strong opinions about lots of things and the beauty of the internet is that you can voice them and it doesn’t necessarily have to lead to a physical fight!

Day 3: I get a phone call from the German Press Agency asking if we have any more information on the arrest of the Provincial Director of South Kivu and Chief of World Heritage of Kahuzi Biega National Parc who has been charged with the murder of ten gorillas mid last year. I had in fact not heard about this but information was at my fingertips through skype, gtalk and emailing. Yes, it was true and this was a huge breakthrough against corruption in the ICCN which work to protect thewildlife and environment in one of the most complicated areas in the world, DR Congo. Soon the blogs were up and more journalists calling and asking for statements. What was critical was to get accurate information for the journalists to report. I love the internet! I spoke to my colleague whom I can barely reach on phone using skype and was able to provide the BBC with reliable information right from the ground. Not even an hour later, the news was out on their front page!

It’s 7pm in Nairobi where the rains are just beginning. I am fortunate enough to have a roof under my head and so much more, and blessed to have the ability to reach the world through an online social network that continuously helps to bring about change…so let’s hope we can bring justice and equality to all living creatures once and for all…

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Category: Lions | Date: Mar 13 2008 | By: admin

I am typing this in the car on the way home (I have a little gizmo that connects to my computer). I’ve never done this before (posting literally on the road)  but then rarely have I felt so compelled  – this is an emergency. We just heard from the lion guardians that lions are being speared in Amboseli – one of Kenya’s premier protected areas. But it’s not just lions, I have heard from good authority that it’s not just lions that are being targeted. Eleven elephants have also been speared to death and we’re trying to find out from Joyce Poole and the Amboseli Elephant Program if this is true.

This is not about human conflict, it’s not about hunger. It has that stinking whiff of rotten politics.

I’ve tried consulting with my colleagues at Kenya Wildlife Service, on the record they are not aware of any ‘reports’. Of course, you can be ‘ignorant’ of issues so long as there’s no typed report on your desk.

But off the record they have admitted that lions and elephants are being killed in Amboseli. They are worried, really worried and they talked about it at a big conference recently. The tourism crisis is cutting deep, it’s affecting everyone. Wildlife compensation schemes that depended on tourism have all but collapsed. Communities that are no longer benefiting, are retaliating. The government authorities held a meeting last week to talk about the serious situation facing lions.

It’s very serious. Kenya’s lion population has crashed from 10,000 in the 1970’s to fewer than 2,000 today. So, where is the response, where are the arrests, where are the convictions. Where is the justice? We are furious. What does it take to wake up the nation? Lions and elephants are probably the greatest tourist attraction to Kenya. Without them we have little hope of recovering the tourism numbers we once took for granted.

I just wish the authorities could be honest and transparent about what is happening, stop being afraid of the truth, and getting into the mindset that we, the public, the lovers of wildlife, the world at large, can help.

Ok..I have to stop now and send this post , we’re coming up to a police check!

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Category: Amazing facts, Mara Triangle | Date: Mar 04 2008 | By: admin

I am back at home, close to Nairobi. It’s going to be a late morning to work as my son is not well. I don’t mind the delay, my house in one of the most spectacular spots over looking the Great Rift Valley. My view is awesome, I get to birdwatch with a cup of tea in my hand or just spend hours gazing all the way into Tanzania across smokey mountains.

As lovely as it is here, I do feel a dull heaviness, I’m missing something deeply. The truth is that my heart is still in the Mara. I can’t believe how deeply I have fallen in love with that spectacular place, the people, the wilderness.

So here are my ten top secrets to why I love the Mara

1.The beauty is breathtaking. Can you imagine dressing like this every single day?

2.If you are not naturally beautiful, you can spend the entire day in the spa and blame the mud mask for your bad smell.

3. You can be fat, short, stubby, naked and still be proud… it’s not only about the big cats you know (anyone know who this friendly animal is?)

4. Adorable Asuka aka Mara vet– Her stories will make you laugh and cry, you can’t help but love her (she is the first field person that I have ever met who can get away with wearing cute outfits in the African bush).

5. I adore the small guys - don’t you wish you could just hug them?

6. Siesta’s over looking the world. The Masai live on the escarpment overlooking the Mara - it is a view to die for every morning.

7. Food….the buffet is to kill for. We saw five different predators on our first day!

8. No one minds your spots. One can get ridiculously close to these cheetahs who have world fame in the BBC’s Big Cat Diary

9. Tanning weather all year round. I thought this guy was sick and drew attention to Simon who had a good laugh at my ignorance.

10. You can reserve the worlds best viewing points. Leopards are so secretive that sightings are usually the no. 1 wish of every visitor. Seeing this spectacular chap at close range in full daylight was like dying and going to heaven. Leopards are so lazy that they just sit there ….actually, he slept through most of our encounter and looked up when we started the engine to leave….I snapped this shot just before he closed his eyes and curled up like a kitty, covering his face with a paw. Others were not so lucky. An american family we met had spent days looking for leopard and when they finally did spot one, the kids exclaimed with such excitement (naturally) that it terrified the leopard which took off before they could get a single photo. You can imagine their sweet but sour feelings….I felt a bit guilty showing them this photo.

I actually took all those photographs, recorded podcasts, and video plus so much more in three days. It felt like a dream….you know what it’s like when you first fall in love? Euphoric yes? You feel like you’re the only one feeling it….

Then I met an Austrian lady who so infatuated with the Mara that she leaves her home in England and lives for six months at a time at a lodge in the Masai Mara each year – and she has been doing this for years! There’s no competition, her love for the mara far exceeds mine. I feel pathetic, how can I compete with my three days? My last trip to Mara was 3 years ago! I feel like a little like a mistress - stealing a few moments with the Mara from time to time!

I have to remind myself that I was in the Mara Triangle for work not play, to learn more about the crisis that Kimojino is blogging about, and find new ways to help him and the Mara Conservancy secure the Mara Triangle for the longterm. It’s unthinkable that we could lose the Mara because of a collapse in tourism brought on by politics of a few egocentric individuals who would like to be called ‘leaders’. As Kenyans and global citizens, we all can help the Mara survive the crisis - I hope my pictures and podcasts convince you. Book your flight today … or make a donation on the Mara blog to secure this precious heritage for your next visit.

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Category: elephants | Date: Feb 05 2008 | By: admin

The largest living animals in the world, it’s not surprising that elephants inspire all sorts of large things….Jumbo jets, jumbo meals, jumbo size….. I suspect that Jumbo is a corruption of the world Jambo which actually means Hello in Kiswahili.

Google ‘elephant’ and you’ll find out about the election race in the United States, the trampling of Guinea in the gripping Africa cup of Nations (soccer) in which the Nigerian team, Elephants, have made it into the semi finals, and about the sad story of three elephants that were hit by a train in India yesterday. We all know and love Dumbo – the story was inspired by a real African elephant called Jumbo. When I was studying elephants I spent often talked with my counterparts in other parts of Africa and Asia. My main concern was the devastating effect of the ivory trade on elephants I worked hard to have the ban on ivory trade maintained.

We saved elephants from being killed for their teeth but it always amazed me that one of the most serious threats to elephants in India was the train. You’ll learn from Joyce Poole and Petter Granli on elephantvoices blog that elephants have incredible perceptions of sounds – not only do they communicate with vocalizations through their trunks but they also communicate through the ground and hear through their feet. One of the most exciting findings I thought was that elephants will stand on three legs to triangulate and determine which directions vibrations come from – and so determine where the rain is falling …. And where to move next. Or where their friends or enemies are … to avoid them. So what I don’t understand is why they can’t hear the train. One can’t help but love elephants –we know so much about them, they are intelligent, feeling, emotional, family oriented, caring and loving…. Most of the time.

But imagine this scenario – you live in a traditional African village. After a hard day of work in the fields, ploughing and weeding, you have your evening meal and retire after the sun has set. The first sound of rumblings would probably melt into your dreams but then you are suddenly awakened into a real life nightmare when you hear the sound of your granary being smashed – looking out side you might just see the dark shapes of elephants lumbering around, you scream, shout, throw things and the elephants trumpet, stampede, smash things. They leave ….your venture out cautiously with your only light, a paraffin lamp that casts a dull glow over the demolition of your destroyed granary, your crop in the field is gone, smashed as the herd fled through it. Some irate villagers chase after the fleeing herd sending smouldering lumps of elephant dung and lighted branches in their direction. This sometimes only angers them more and results in often fatal attacks. This is the conflict that we call ‘human-elephant conflict’ in Africa and Asia. It may not happen as often a cockroaches, weevils or even baboons get into our crops, and elephant losses may not cause as great in total compared to other commone pests, but when elephants do strike – well, one is absolutely helpless against these massive creatures. It’s a big problem – and one that’s hard to get used to or to tolerate. Some people say that elephants and humans can’t live together. I think we can – if we’re clever about it. Three things we can do

1. Fence ourselves in to keep elephants out - an electric fence in Africa is expensive, works well if its maintained, but if not monitored, can be converted into deadly snares ….
2. Use chilli peppers to make your crops distasteful to them! Another cool, I mean hot solution to keeping ele’s away – they hate the smell and taste of chillis –smouldering piles of chilli infused elephant dung piles produces a smoke that debilitates elephants super sniffing power.. read about it here and here. You can even buy chilli sauce to promote this .

3. Use bees – Ian Douglas-Hamilton and Fritz Volrath have shown how the sound of bees can keep elephants at bay – African bee stings on a sensitive elephant trunk – ouch! Elephants avoid swarming bees so bee hives can be used to keep elephants away from farms - everyone is raving about this innovation… having experienced the wrath of African bees, I wouldn’t have African bees near my house in case they went for me instead of the elephants, instead I’d use a simulated bee sound. I wonder if someone could invent a wind chime or musical instrument that produces the buzz of bees so that it’s cheap and completely sustainable?

The post election crisis in Kenya has directly affected efforts to protect elephants – there just isn’t any money being generated by tourism for the payment of antipoaching and enforcement activities, as well as community support for managing human elephant conflict. I’m scared that we will soon see reports that elephants are being killed, snared, hunted with guns, poison arrows and other barbaric killing tools. If communities are facing greater threats from elephants due to the absence of wildlife conflict activities, they will have no incentive to protect these animals.

Having met many hundreds of elephants during my work, I took my son Josh to meet Shimba, one of they newest orphans at the sanctuary. Shimba comes from the Shimba Hills in south east Kenya – where I did my Phd research on this population of forest living (though sometimes crop raiding!) elephants – she’s available for adoption at the orphanage run by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

We are concerned that the Illegal trade in ivory is still a problem and hunters are always on the ready to attack herds whenever antipoaching efforts are compromised. Our focus is on the Mara Triangle right now - any donations you give them will support elephant protection - both anti-poaching and community support for protection.

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