Mara Triangle

• Big Five Poacher arrested with Leopard Skin

  Posted: October 29, 2008, 10:07 am by William

  This morning at Oloololo Gate.

  Last night rangers and Anne Kent Taylor Scouts went for an ambush targetting one of the most notorious poachers who has been escaping arrest for so many days. Last month, we laid an ambush to arrest the man with his gang and we were not able to arrest them because we were caught up in a herd of elephants. As the gang escaped they dropped the skin of a python.

  With the help of the community we went to a place known as Olokipikindongoe and we managed to arrest him while trying to transport the leopard skin that was to be sold to the middle man in the Lake Victoria area - exact destination is still not yet known but we are still trying to get more information from the man. He had killed the leopard with a poisoned arrow and is an expert in removing the skin - it is completely in tact and can be sold as a trophy.

  Anne Kent Taylor Scouts & Conservancy Rangers, and the arrested poacher.

  This man was already arrested twice by the Anne Kent Taylor Team but during that time he was only in the business of snaring animals for bushmeat. He was prosecuted and put in jail for a few months, and later he was released only to graduate from bush meat to the Big Five skins and tusks.

  He is doing this business because he knows that he will only be arrested for a few months. He has become notorious with a gang of other poachers that we are still trying to investigate. These poachers are targetting the Big Five in the area adjacent to the Masai Mara Triangle, along the ecarpment.

  The Leopard skin will be used as evidence.

  The Anne Kent Taylor Team and Mara Conservancy rangers are very happy with that arrest because they have been targetting this notorious man for many years.

  Our worry is because of the policy that we have here in Kenya, that he may only be arrested for a few months and then return to continue the poaching of the Big Five for commercial purposes.

  Elias Kamande

  Care for the Wild/Anne Kent Taylor Team Co-ordinator

• Between 3 - 4,000 wildebeest drown in the last crossing of the year

  Posted: October 28, 2008, 11:29 am by Naitoi

  There have been so many crossings this year since the migration first came into the Triangle and we have seen so few cases of drowning. There can't be more than ten or twenty incidences when a wildebeest succumbed to the water instead of a crocodile, but then in these past few days so so many have drowned.

  The bodies are caught on rocks as they are swept downstream.

  For some reason the wildbeest have chosen such a difficult crossing point, with very steep rocks on the other side. Sadly we have seen so many drown since the crossing started and we think anywhere between 3 - 4,000 did not make it to the other side.

  It looks like this was the last crossing of the wildebeest and we will not see them again this year. I wish them well for the rest of their journey and look forward to the day next year when the zebras come down from the Loita Plains and then we know that the great migration will soon start again in the Mara Triangle.

• Between 3 - 4,000 wildebeest drowned in the last crossing of the year

  Posted: October 28, 2008, 11:29 am by Naitoi

  There have been so many crossings this year since the migration first came into the Triangle and we have seen so few cases of drowning. There can't be more than ten or twenty incidences when a wildebeest succumbed to the water instead of a crocodile, but then in these past few days so so many have drowned.

  The bodies are caught on rocks as they are swept downstream.

  For some reason the wildbeest have chosen such a difficult crossing point, with very steep rocks on the other side. Sadly we have seen so many drown since the crossing started and we think anywhere between 3 - 4,000 did not make it to the other side.

  It looks like this was the last crossing of the wildebeest and we will not see them again this year. I wish them well for the rest of their journey and look forward to the day next year when the zebras come down from the Loita Plains and then we know that the great migration will soon start again in the Mara Triangle.

  Lets hope their mating season is very successful.

• The trial of the Wildebeest

  Posted: October 25, 2008, 11:12 am by Naitoi

  Wildebeest this morning near Purungat (Mara Bridge).

  The wildebeest are in the Southern side of the Mara Triangle towards the border. They are on the way to leaving across the Mara River at the South Bridge crossing point. This is the worse crossing point because on the other side of the river it is so steep and the water levels now are also very high. Many of them are dying.

  The wildebeest try to climb the river bank.

  The hippos are also not happy because the wildebeest are crossing through their pool and are trying to bite and chase them. It is not good, the poor wildebeest have such a trial. Within the next few days all of the wildebeest will have left the Triangle.

  Wildebeest climb the steep stone.

• Iseyia Rangers stop poachers from chasing Wildebeest into snares

  Posted: October 23, 2008, 4:33 pm by Naiguran

  Last night we went out to the Kaserani Myugu area in Serengeti and came across a group of seven poachers who had just set their snares in the area.

  Rather than waiting for the next day to see what their snares caught, the poachers were instead attempting to herd and chase the wildebeest towards the snares they had set.

  When we arrived we found them chasing the wildebeest and so we also gave pursuit. The poachers were already spread out when we arrived and we were only able to make one arrest.

  Rangers arrested one poacher.

  Last night we also saw a lot of torches along the top of the escarpment, between 20-25 different spotlights, and it seemed that most of them were heading towards the park.

  We returned to the area this morning and recovered five snares, sadly one wildebeest was caught.

  Oloololo Team also went out yesterday and patrolled the Mpata area towards Kirindon whereby they arrested one person for destroying the forest.

  Thank you everyone for your support so far, please help us by spreading the word further and telling all your friends.

   

   

  Today there is a long line of wildebeest from the escarpment making their way to Purungat (Mara Bridge).

• Lessons in Lion Love

  Posted: October 23, 2008, 11:47 am by William

  1. Feign disinterest.

  2. Then stare lovingly.

  3. Whisper sweet nothings.

  4. Flirt.

  5. And then..

  Go to Kimojino's Flickr photostream for the full story and happy ending.

• Over 100 snares collected from Ngiro-are Swamp

  Posted: October 21, 2008, 3:07 pm by Naiguran

  Kimojino took this photo yesterday by Ngiro-are swamp.

  In the past four days, Ngiro-are and Iseyia teams have collected more than 100 snares from the Ngiro-are swamp area which is just on the Tanzanian/Kenyan border.

  It is just 4.5 km from the swamp to our Outpost at Ngiro-are and poaching activity has been high in this area due to the migration which has been passing through this past week and are still there in great numbers. Poachers also favour the place because it is very close to their villages, however it is very difficult for us to make arrests because it is also very close to the escarpment. We find that the poachers will come down in the middle of the night, set their snares, and then watch our rangers movements from the top of the escarpment.

  Ranger Cheruiyot releases a wildebeest from a snare.

  They must have seen the other day when Kimojino and his team collected 74 snares yesterday from the swamp, and so did not return to their snares today. This means that when we patrolled this morning we found two wildebeest already dead in their snares, and another three which we were able to rescue. We collected eight snares in total today.

  This wildebeest did not survive the night.

  Because it is so difficult to make arrests in this area, we must do our best to patrol as regularly as we can, especially with the migration still in the area.

  Naitoi took this photo yesterday of a young female elephant who has recently lost the end of her trunk in a snare. She kept rubbing her trunk in the water to sooth the cut.

  Please donate if you can, or click on the button below which will help you spread the message to all your friends and takes absolutely no time at all but will help tremendously with spreading the word. Thank you.

   

   

   

• Area found with extremely high poaching activity - your support is urgently needed to help fund our patrols

  Posted: October 20, 2008, 8:33 pm by Naiguran

  On the 17th our Iseyia team joined Tanzanian rangers from Taborabi and Kifuku (TANAPA) on a three day patrol in a remote area of Serengeti where there are very few tracks, no roads, and nearly never any tourists. We travelled for almost 200 kilometres past the Tanzanian border, first to the Eastern part of Serengeti and then drove our way South past the Grumeti River.

  On the very first day we came across a poachers camp recently vacated and found more than 20 wildebeest and zebra carcasses.

  Poachers put wood on top of the carcasses to conceal them from vultures.

  We set fire to the carcassses and the animal skins and continued with our patrol. Nearby we saw the tracks of donkeys which poachers had been using to carry much meat from this site to their home villages.

  On the night of the 17th we came across a young man who we found carrying bush meat on a bicycle. He was not a poacher as such, but had instead come into the park to visit a poachers camp to buy meat to trade at his village. We were now starting to realise that poaching is completely out of control in this area.

  This man was found cycling alone through Serengeti.

  The next day our hearts sank when we came across another vacated poachers camps with more than 50 carcasses in the area.

  The meat was laid out to dry under the tree and also on the branches.

  From the amount of animals killed we can estimate that the poachers were camped here for a good two weeks, and we could see from the tracks that they had carried the meat back to their villages using donkeys.

  
  

  At eight o'clock in the evening we came across a group of eight poachers who were coming into the park with 63 snares. Unfortunately we only managed to arrest one of the poachers. There were many many elephants in the area and we were sad to see that poachers here had dug many pit traps, which is a hole of six feet deep with spikes in the hole that stand up vertically, the pit is then covered with a layer of sticks and grass.

  The next morning we managed to arrest one more poacher bringing the total to three, although we now know that in this area many different and large groups of poachers operate almost freely. In total we collected 89 snares and found evidence of more than 70 animals killed.

  The number of tourists keeps dropping with each day and we desperately need your support to help continue with our patrols. Please, donate what you can through our website, and tell everybody who you think will be interested in supporting this important work.

  It is now even easier to tell friends by email, twitter, facebook, or even through your blog just by clicking on the button below - you just need to put in your username and password and all the rest is taken care of, even the message. Please give it a go and help spread the word.

   

   

   

• Canine Distemper is halted around Mara Triangle

  Posted: October 16, 2008, 8:52 pm by William

  Dr Asuka Takita is currently vaccinating domestic dogs against rabies and distemper in the community areas that surround the Mara Triangle and also North of the Triangle around Ol Choro area.
  

  Last year, she vaccinated 3,200 dogs against the two dieseases, putting a halt to canine distemper outbreaks which had previously killed over 1,000 dogs in the Trans-Mara district.

  Dog Handler Lesingo with local dogs.
  

  We would like to thank the Anne K. Taylor Fund for funding the operation, and we also want to thank Intervet International for donating the vaccines.
  

  Lesingo uses the throw net to catch a dog.

  We would also like to say a big thank you to Dana and Jo Anne, who were kind enough to donate much vaccination equipment: throw net, protective gloves and syringes. Dana and Jo Anne are truly great friends of the Mara Triangle and we thank you both for everything that you have done for us.

  They also donated canine footprints for Asuka's car:

  What's Japanese for that certain je ne sais quoi?
  

  
  

• Bloodhounds bring security to Ol Choro Conservancy

  Posted: October 15, 2008, 5:53 pm by William

  During the month of October there have been three robberies north of the Mara Triangle, in Ol Choro Conservancy. In two of the cases, the thief was caught using bloodhound tracker dogs, which were flown in from Laikipia.
  

  The bloodhounds arrive.
  

  The dogs were taken to the scene of each robbery, and from there they were able to follow the track up until the house of the thief, and then lead rangers to the very bed that the man had been sleeping in.

  Ol Choro Rangers follow tracker dogs.

  We have now been considering for some time that it would be an asset to Mara Conservancy if we had our own tracker dogs at Ngiro-are outpost, which would be used for anti-poaching patrols - especially during night patrols as the poachers would not be able to conceal themselves in the bush.

  Tracker Dogs in the area would also bring added security.

  We also believe that having dogs in the Mara would bring extra security to the area, and be beneficial for both local community and tourist establishments.

  The only set back is the cost. If you are willing to help support the project,if you know of a breeder who may be interested in the donation of a bloodhound puppy, please get in touch.

• A big huge dam is being built at Dupoto

  Posted: October 14, 2008, 6:51 am by William

  Dupoto Wildlife & Forest Association have been in touch with Arid Lands to secure a grant that is being used to fully fund the building of a damn just outside of Nyakweri Forest.
  

  The construction of the dam.
  

  When the dam is complete it will provide water for both people and cattle, and means that the local community will no longer have to go into the forest to collect water. This will both protect the community and cattle by providing water all year round, and will also protect the health of the forest by reducing the amount of movement through the area.
  

  William, Wilson and Asuka.
  

  Arid Lands also donated 20 bee hives to the local community, as well as some beads for the Dupoto Women Group. Kenya Forest Service have also donated 20 bee hives, and the honey is being sold at local markets to generate income for the community.
  

  Further Reading:
  

  Arid Lands Resource Management Project II
  

  The Arid Lands Resource Management Project (ALRMP) is a community-based drought management project of the Kenya Government (GoK) that utilises a credit facility from the World Bank. The first phase of the Project was initiated in 1996 after the World Bank-funded Emergency Drought Recovery Project (EDRP), which operated from 1992 to 1995, came to an end.

• Migration Update & Short Video about Mara Triangle on National Geographic's Wild Chronicle

  Posted: October 12, 2008, 9:24 pm by William

  I'm not in the Mara at the moment but have just received this update from Ranger Maritim Cheruiyot:

  Mara is as good as you left, wildebeest are now next to Iseyia, there has been several crossing at the nearby crossing point. Patrol activities are conducted as usual, since the two no other arrest made besides three consecutive night ops which has been conducted along the border near konyokie at maji ya Bett from friday, with the two teams i.e iseyia and ngiro-are. No signs of poachers reported only movement animals throughout the night,  since there's concentration of wildebeest immigration in the place.

  I've also just had the chance to finally upload a video from National Geographic's Wild Chronicles to Kimojino's Vimeo account. Although filmed in February it's still just as relevant today - we still need to find alternative sources of funding.

  
  

• Welcome to Enkutoto

  Posted: October 11, 2008, 4:49 pm by William

  Enkutoto Manyatta

  Just three of four kilometres from Oloololo Gate is Enkutoto Village. On a slightly higher elevation than the Mara with views that stretch out as far as Iseyia and beyond, the village is part of the Mara Triangle Maasai Villages Association and is home to six families and their cows.

  Wilson Naitawang' with some of the Mammas from Enkutoto

  Always welcome to having visitors at the village, Naitawang' has been keen to show me around and gave me and Saruni a full cultural visit.

  It was a couple of hours well spent, and a far cry from the stories tourists bring us from 'the other side', where villagers are desperate to sell you their wares because they often don't see a penny that comes in from the entrance ticket. Just the other week, when I was putting up posters for the Mara Triangle Maasai Village Association over at Purungat (Mara Bridge), a visiting lady got quite angry with me when I told her how the system worked (or didn't) on the Narok side and after spending two or three days with her tour driver she couldn't entertain the idea that he might have pocketed the money. 

  Enkutoto have seen some great changes since the Association formed, and despite always having had tourists to their village, with the Association in place they now have had the chance to do the following:

  • Build a nursery for the small children of Enkutoto.
  • Pay for all school fees at local schools, for around 50 children.
  • Take persons who are sick to the hospital.
  • Dig a bore hole for the village (for water).
  • Develop a project of 12 Bee Hives; the honey is then sold to Kichwa Tembo.
    

  They also have plans to send some of the young men to driving and guiding schools, to open up some wholesale shops at the local centres to sell beads wholesale and, they also want to buy a community owned car so that they can take sick people to the hospitals themselves if need be.
  

  Wilson Naitawang' and Ben Ntaiya, who are from Enkutoto and are Committee members of Mara Triangle Maasai Villages Association.

  We have recently noticed that not nearly enough of the tour operators in Nairobi recognise the Association and still send their clients direct to the villages to 'buy' their tickets there. And so we are working on making sure that every tour operator is aware of the system and purchases their tickets in advance, in Nairobi, so despite visitor numbers been down for this year there will still be visits to the villages which will fully benefit the communities.

• BBC Big Cat Diaries: The Return of Notch?

  Posted: October 10, 2008, 11:29 am by William

  Sarah Skinner has been a great friend and visitor to the Mara Triangle for many years now, and wrote recently to Wilson Naitoi with identification of Notch from the BBC show Big Cat Diaries as the old male in our coalition of 'Six Boys'.

  Notch in September 2008, by Andy Skinner.
  

  Certainly some of the strongest males we have in the Mara Triangle, with Notch the strongest of the group, Sarah tells us:
  

  it was so nice to see them, and I am almost 100% they are the males that were kicked out of the pride over the river near the Marsh/paradise plains in Set 2007,  that as you say used to and do cross over the river. One of them I think used to feature on the BBC big cat diary. We have done an ID on the ear patterns and whisker patterns on the dark maned boy (our favourite) and almost sure that it is the old Marsh pride male (Notch) and his sons, quite strange that he is still with his boys, they are obviously all very tolerant, more than normal!
  

  I have attached for you to see. See what you think, we last photographed him 2 years ago so he is looking much older now. There are now 3 males in the Marsh pride (nr Gov) that took over Notch last Sept, so I can’t see him being in a hurry to cross back over, especially all the time the migration is in swing.
  

  Notch 2006

  Notch 2008?
  

  Notch 2006

  Notch 2008?
  

  Notch 2006

  Notch 2008?
  

  Andy and I were over the moon to find him, thanks to you, and was so special that he sat and roared, that’s one cat that’s not giving up! Amazing if so as he has just been overthrown and he must be 9/10 by now - look after him, he's an old boy now!
  

  Long live Notch and his boys!

  
  

• Yesterday's patrol brought many obstacles, but team still managed to make two arrests.

  Posted: October 10, 2008, 11:08 am by Naiguran

  The Iseyia patrol team teamed up with Ngiro-Are and Tanapa rangers to patrol areas of Limana, Nyakitapembe and the island along Mara River in Serengeti.

  No  poaching signs were seen in places first patrolled, but as they were approaching island a very big group of poachers ever seen woke up from their hidings at the other side of the river and started to run back, heading to their village. Nothing could rangers do since the river is full, hence difficult to cross. They therefore decided to go to Kokatende to find a bridge, which they did so successfully and went to the scene, tracked the poachers and managed to arrest two. This activity caused our rangers the whole of the day, up until 9pm.

  Thank you everyone for your donations so far. If you are pleased with our work we appreciate you making a donation towards our anti-poaching efforts. Thank you.
  

• Migration back in Triangle, big crossings expected.

  Posted: October 9, 2008, 9:45 am by William

  Since the beginning of the week the wildebeest have been coming up from Serengeti, especially concentrating around the Sand River area down towards Purungat (Mara Bridge), and have made their way up to the Salt Lick and Milima Tatu area. 

  Yesterday we also saw many wildebeest coming towards the Mara River from the Narok side, and there was a big crossing in the afternoon. We expect more crossings today and maybe for the rest of the week.
  

  Wildebeest start to gather on the Narok side of the river.
  

• Many snares collected today, night ambush now planned

  Posted: October 8, 2008, 2:08 pm by Naiguran

  We have come back from our morning patrol and collected 23 wire snares in the Maji ya Bett area, Serengeti. The snares were put up yesterday so we expect that some of the men will return tonight to check on the snares and therefore we will be going out on a joint night ambush this evening with the Ngiro-are team.

  On our way back from patrol I saw this young elephant who has lost most of its trunk in a snare.

  It is not uncommon to see an elephant with the tip of his trunk missing from a snare, but you can see that this young female has lost quite a long length making it difficult to feed and water. If you look at her back you can see that her condition is not ideal.

  We do now need your support again to help fund our anti-poaching and de-snaring patrols. Please, if you can, make a donation or pass on messages of our work to all your friends so that they may consider donating. Thank you.
  

• Electric Dung (or reason number 1,004 on why a Maasai loves his cow)

  Posted: October 8, 2008, 10:34 am by William

  Yesterday Ben Longisa, who is on the committee of the Mara Triangle Maasai Villages Association, took Saruni and I up to Enkereri Village to look at the bio-gas project that has recently been installed. 

  Ben next to the 'outtage'.
  

  The project is brilliantly simple:
  

  At one end, each day, you put in two wheelbarrow's full of cow dung, along with 80 litres of water, and give it a mix. 

  In here, and stir.

  At the risk of sounding too scientific, the slop then passes underground to this big round thing which gurgles and burps, and gives off a gas. 

  Saruni and Ben next to the big round thing.

  The gas is then piped off into the houses and connected to a gas stove.

  Ben lighting the stove.

  At first the ladies of the village were slightly terrified that the gas would blow them all up. But now that they are getting used to it they seem to like it very much. 

  
  

  Interesting facts to know:
  

  Cost of Small bio-gas project like one above: 4 - 500,000 KES (approx. US $6,000)
  

  Cost of Large bio-gas project: 6 - 700,000 KES

  Project above currently provides enough gas for 10 stoves.

  
  

  Friends of Conservation were able to support three quarters of the project, but the other quarter came from the village themselves. They were able to initiate and help pay for this project thanks to all of the tourists who visited their manyatta and paid a full entrance fee by going through the Mara Triangle Maasai Villages Association. Pretty incredible.
  

  The project dramatically reduces the human wildlife conflict for the village as the women with stoves no longer have to go out into the bush to look for firewood, and it also means that the trees will get a chance to grow back. 

  The area around Enkereri.

  The other great thing is that the used up dung that comes out the other side can be squashed into briquettes which can then be sold  to camps and lodges as an alternative to firewood. And of course I must not forget the title of this post, Electric Dung, as eventually when the project is able to develop, it will also be possible to generate electricity from the dung and finally bring light into people's homes.
  

  So if you're visiting the Mara Triangle make sure you take a trip to visit the villages. Even if you've already been before, now you know that each time you go you are helping support good conservation in the area.
  

• Speeding Kills

  Posted: October 7, 2008, 10:53 am by William

  Yesterday Wilson Naitoi went on 'off' so I went with Ranger Maritim on an anti-animal harassment patrol in Cheetah I. It was a very enjoyable drive and it was great to see all of the drivers sticking to the park rules and to see that the number of tyre tracks that stray from the roads is now minimal.
  

  Really the drivers are doing a great job and the Mara Triangle now looks so much better than it did in previous years -without the scars of a persistant off-roader.
  

  When six-thirty came however and it was time to be back to the lodges, suddenly there was this race between the drivers to get back first -they were even over-taking each other on corners. I was really surprised and we tried to keep up to stop a few, we were going at 55 - 60 when the speed limit is 50, but we were still unable to catch up. 

  I'm not sure why suddenly when drivers have been sticking to park rules up until this point, that at the very end when the sun is setting and visibility is poor,  the drivers decide to speed up. 

  This hyrax was hit by a car this morning inside the Serena compound.
  

• 1.2 Millions Shillings Raised at Karen Blixen Event

  Posted: October 6, 2008, 8:34 pm by William

  Last Friday Wildlife Allies held a fundraiser at Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens, with all money raised going to the Mara Conservancy.

  It was an incredible act of generosity from everyone involved and the amount raised reached 1.2 million Kenyan shillings (approx US $16,500!). We would first like to thank the Wildlife Allies commitee for all the incredible hard work that they have put in over the past couple of months organising the event  - the evening was great fun and the outcome amazing. A huge thank you to Bonnie, Bev, Lucille, Nish, Jeremy, Gary, Jake and Linda - thank you so much.
  

  Thank you also to all those who gave items for auction and for the raffle, and we would also like to thank of course all those who showed up and supported the conservancy, and thank you to all the sponsors: The Karen Blixen Coffee Garden, Cheli & Peacock, Powertech, Mr. Peter Achammer, Chairmania, Westland Florists, Karen Provision Store, Gilani Foods, Wine Masters, Ennsvalley Bakery, House of Waine and Mr. Aswhin Patel.

  Apart from being a great success, the evening was an incredible amount of fun with excellent food and great company. Wildlife Allies wish to continue to raise funds for emergency issues arising in wildlife conservation in Kenya, and we at the Mara Conservancy wish them the very best of luck and will continue to support their fundraising efforts. We urge everyone else in Kenya to do the same!

  Our Kenya, Our Responsibility.

  There's a couple of photos over at Asuka's blog here.
  

• Prides of Mara Triangle

  Posted: October 5, 2008, 6:35 pm by Naitoi

  On Wednesday I was pleased to say that the young female who was caught in the snare had been taken back by her pride and seemed to be doing well. Sadly since then I haven't seen her again despite several attempts to locate her. 

  The Salt Lick pride yesterday in the shade of a balanite tree.

  This morning I also saw the Six Boys.

  This is a coalition of six males, with one older male and five young males. One of the young males was injured last week after a fight but is now strong and healthy again I know that Kimojino has spoken about this group before, and today I received an email from Sarah Skinner who believes that the old male is Notch from Big Cat Diary. 

  
  

   

  Sometimes the Six Boys are together with the four females who are also in the same area, although often they are mostly apart.
  

  With the wildebeest migrating back up from Serenegeti we know that these prides are going to feed well over the next few days.
  

• Where is the migration now...?

  Posted: October 5, 2008, 3:28 pm by Naitoi

  It has been raining quite a lot since Thursday. it comes in showers which leave the roads wet for a few hours before drying again. Nearly all the roads are still passable in the Mara Triangle, but sometimes vehicles run into trouble just after the rains.

  The Road Team come to the rescue.

  Despite all the rain, the migration is now back in the Mara Triangle. Since late Friday they've been crossing the border and today there are many wildebeest still along the border all the way up to the Salt Lick.
  

  Just up from Salt Lick.
  

• September's Monthly Report is now online.

  Posted: October 3, 2008, 5:36 pm by William

  
  

  Go here for the download. 

  If you like what you read please consider supporting our work by making a donation using the donation widget on the right hand side of this page. It is much appreciated.

  Thank you.
  

• Recovering lioness is taken back by her pride

  Posted: October 1, 2008, 7:26 pm by Naitoi

  I have just come back from patrol and wanted to tell you all that I saw the recovering lioness near to where she was yesterday.
  

  It is early days but she seems to be moving around well, and I was also pleased to see that she is now back among the pride. All 24 of them were around on the edge of the thickets.

   

• Dupoto Bird List, Donations Now Welcome, & Win! LOTS of Stuff

  Posted: October 1, 2008, 2:59 pm by William

  DUPOTO FOREST
  

  There's quite a lot of news from Dupoto Forest which will soon follow, but for now take a look at the Bird List by Kamande over on the Dupoto Page. This is the first bird list and there is already a longer, second list which I'll put up once it makes it way to me.
  

  DONATIONS NOW WELCOME

  The keen eyed among you will notice that there is now a donation widget on this and other pages on the website. It's a simple chip-in widget that securely accepts one-off donations through paypal, which will go entirely to the Mara Conservancy. 

  WIN SO MUCH STUFF IT'S UNTRUE

  Fancy owning 3 limited edition prints by Jonathan Scott? Or an autographed set of 3 Big Cat Diary Books? Or in fact, any of the following which will be auctioned on 3rd October at the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Fundraiser?

  • Autographed print of international award winning photograph by Angela Scott
  • Set of six, signed limited edition bird prints by Peter Blackwell
  • Four Guilded antique wildlife coins
  • Two nights at Hemingway's Resort and two round trip tickets to the coast
  • Framed, autographed, limited edition print by Nickki Theunis

  There will also be a raffle for the following:
  

  • 2 Nights at Gamewatcher's Camp
  • 2 Nights Turtle Bay
  • 2 Nights Island Camp
  • 2 Nights Karen Blixen Coffee Garden
  • 1 Night Giraffe Manor
  • 1 Night Ngong House
  • Voucher for Serena Hotel
  • + many more prizes

  If you're in Nairobi you need to get yourself to the event of the year:

  Where:     Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens, Nairobi
  When:      Friday 3rd October
  Tickets:     6,000 Kes - 10,000 for a pair

  Get in touch now for your invitation and do not hesitate to use the 'Share Article' or 'Email Article' links below to spread the word among all those who you think will enjoy the event. Karibuni!
  

• My Big Cat Diary

  Posted: October 1, 2008, 11:19 am by Naitoi

  I spent all of yesterday afternoon and some of the early evening looking out for the sick lioness. She woke up after the vet's visit and moved just a small way to another thicket and then slept for the rest of the day. The rain then came and she continued to sleep. I am going shortly to check on her again.

  The young lioness is from the Salt Lick pride of lions, around 22 individuals. Yesterday in the morning we saw 14 of the pride, very close to the lioness with the snare. 

   You can see the pride looking back to where the young lioness was.
  

  They left her alone because she was not able to walk so well, and then they went up into the nearby thickets.
  

  
  

  The pride leave for the croton bushes.
  

  Yesterday evening I also saw a female cheetah near Nyumba Nane, it looked like she had given birth recently to some cubs as her nipples were swollen and red.

  The Mother Cheetah.
  

  She was very cautious when she moved about, and very scared even when she saw some jackals. She was hunting for Thomson Gazelle but I do not know if she was successful as it was getting dark and I had to head back to Iseyia. I'm sure one day we will see her cubs soon.
  

  Then this morning I saw the mother cheetah with the two cubs hunting a Thomson Gazelle.
  

  The cubs now are very big and almost full grow, around twelve months. They are all looking very strong and healthy. The mother was hunting but when she saw some hyaenas she froze where she was. I'm sure though she will make a kill soon.
  

   

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes