Baraza

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Sep 02 2008 | By: baraza

It is with great sadness that I report the death of another great conservationist at work.

Zahoor Kashmiri was darting elephants in Babille in Ethiopia where a little understood population of elephants was being studied. The work was a collaboration with Yirmed from Ethiopian Elephants blog. I spoke to Yirmed who told me that a well know aggressive single tusked bull attacked and killed my good friend who simply didn’t have a chance.  For me this is one of the saddest days in the year. Some of you may recognize his name, Kashmiri (Zorro to some). He never charged a fee for his work and helped us save hundreds of animals from lions, cheetah, primates and elephants over the years. He helped us save Owen, the orphaned baby hippo and bring him to Haller Park where the famous relationship between the baby hippo and Mzee, a giant tortoise blossomed - Kashmiri features prominently in the video about Owen and Mzee on the Owen and Mzee website - he fixed Mzees shell and interprets Owens protective behaviour. We jokingly called him The Walrus of Diani, he had a rare charisma and a wonderful voice. It seemed like he was invincible.

Kashmiri with Brian Heath and a ranger in the Mara Triangle working on a lion

A call shattered my morning. It is almost impossible to believe he is gone.   Just before he left for Ethiopia he told me about  his plans to start a conservation NGO and dedicate all of his time to conservation. He’d just started a website which remains uncompleted.  You see, though he was a qualified vet, Kashmiri’s real job was airport security and he was getting bored with it.

Conservation was just one of his passions, he saved animals that others would have put down. He also supported a number of unrelated charities like handicapped children especially cerebral palsy.

I have just left a message on his facebook. I know it’s too late, he won’t get it, but I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. I’ll be at his funeral tomorrow, with hundreds of other people who also loved him and feel the loss of someone so important to the community and to conservation.

Tags: Babille, elephants, ethiopia, Zahoor Kashmiri

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