Baraza

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Mar 25 2009 | By: admin

We all know that the next great challenge in conservation and regarding conflict is over water. This is why the construction of a massive hydro electric dam on the lower Omo River in Ethiopia has sparked such international outrage. On the one hand Ethiopia needs power for development, on the other, communities living down stream will be destroyed, and a lake in Kenya will be severely damaged.

Peter Greste has just completed a three week odyssey following the Omo River down from the Ethiopian highlands into its terminus in Lake Turkana in northern Kenya to assess the impact of the Gibe III hydroelectricity dam. The story is one of development vs environmental and social impact and it is likely to spark some interesting conversations about the Ethiopian Governments decision.

This story aires tomorrow, March 25th. Listen to the argumens of the developers and the prime minister vs those of the affected communities and give us your thoughts.

Here’s a schedule of the stories as they roll out over the next week or so (all times in GMT) on BBC. And if you miss the on-air versions, you can always catch them on the respective BBC program websites.

March 25th: BBC Radio 4, The World Tonight, 2200

BBC World News: Our World, 2330

March 26th BBC World Service, World Today,from 0300

BBC World Service News, from 0500

BBC Radio 4, Crossing Continents, 1100

BBC 1, Ten O’Clock News, 2200

BBC World News: World News America

BBC World News feature throughout the day

BBC Online, News On Demand (look for the interactive map, photo galleries, video and text features)

March 28th BBC News Channel, Our World, 1430, 2130

March 29th BBC News Channel, Our World, 1030, 1430, 2330

Please watch, listen or read, and let us know what you think

Tags: BBC, Cradle of Mankind, ethiopia, Gibe III dam, hydro electicity, Lake Turkana, Omo River, richard leakey

14 responses so far

Category: Zahoor Kashmiri | Date: Sep 05 2008 | By: baraza

The outpourings of grief and sorrow, memories and wishes for the family left behind after Zahoor Kashmiri’s passing on our previous post are overwhelming. Just before he left for Ethiopia, Kashmiri dropped offs some photographs for us to create his wildlife veterinary blog and promised  to complete the process on his return. Nobody could have guessed that one of the elephants he was darting would eventually kill him.

Though we are all still grieving, his death must not shatter that dream, we (WildlifeDirect) have decided to create a special blog in his name to carry on his legacy, to raise funds that will enable wildlife vets anywhere to respond to emergencies and continue his amazing work. We want to thank those who have already made committments towards this.

Our target will be to create a fund of at least $10,000 that wildlife veterinarians can apply for in the events of wildlife emergencies and rescues, as well as for education bursary for one vet per year.

Though most people ignore common species like buffalo, to Kashmiri every injured animal deserve attention. This was in the Masai Mara a few years ago.

He was a mentor for many new vets,  a collaborator with authorities and conservationists, a donor and a volunteer - never asking for any compensation. I don’t think Kenya has grasped the significance of this loss.

Kashmiri worked closely with Ann Kent Taylor who runs the Ann Kent Taylor Fund that supports a team of rangers who work with the Mara Triangle anti poaching and desnaring exercises. She often called on him to help injured wildlife in the Mara. Going along with him was always a great adventure.

Kashmiri also helped famous people like Jonathan Scott from BBC’s Big Cat Diary on lion and cheetah rescues. He never bragged about it.

I will be in personal debt to Kashmiri for everything he did to save Owen and Mzee

This photo is in the book Owen and Mzee. Without Kashmiri, Owen would have jumped out of the truck and injured if not killed himself. In typical style, Kashmiri just grabbed the baby hippo and ordered others around to come back and to tie him down.

He was a crack shot at darting - I never saw him miss a mark.

All of us at WildlifeDirect wish to express our sincere condolences to the entire family and all of Zahoor Kashmiri’s great network of friends.  His body may be gone but his spirit will always be with us.

Many of you have other photos of this great man that I’m sure you’d like to share. We will be announcing the new blog shortly and the location where you can post your favourite Kashmiri, Zorro, Zul,  Moppi, Babu, Zahoor, Mamu … photos and videos for all to enjoy. Be safe. Paula

Tags: ann kent taylor, elephants, ethiopia, jonathan scott, killed by elephant, Masai Mara, Paula Kahumbu, vet, Wildlife veterinarian, Zahoor Kashmiri

32 responses so far

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

145 responses so far