Chui Team Mtito Update: 01 May 2006
Participants
Alex Macharia – team leader Feisal Muteti Francis Chege Mwoni Ikutha Kathuki Ngongo James Nyumu 4KWS Rangers
Areas Covered
During the course of the month of April the following areas were visited: Magerete, Ngurumo, the Mtito River, Nguulia, Kanga, the pipeline, Wiyini, Kenani, and the Ngurumo area.
37 SNARES COLLECTED


Findings
The month started with Royal marine training. All the de-snaring teams met at Mtito to undergo the training.











By the 16th of the month the Mtito de-snaring team began its field operations at Mangarete. This area happens to be a hot spot for charcoal burners and illegal grazers.


On the 23rd of the month we were able to arrest a man inside the park, at Ngurumo, who was in possession of charcoal.






After the short rains the vegetation in the area has thrived and grown becoming a dense canopy. This has hindered snare recovery, but has encouraged wildlife to return to the area which was reinforced by the fact that while on patrol we saw lots of wild animals.

Most of the areas visited had few snares. The evidence of poaching that we observed were footprints, snares and flesh cuttings that were found at the Mtito River and Wiyini.




Community Awareness Campaign A school trip was taken to Tsavo west National Park and the students from Iviani were the ones who were taken on the trip. The students got to see Mzima springs, Shetani lava and Ngulia sceneries.




Iviani primary school was the one that went on the trip as the WCK club in the school is very active. Every tree seedling that has been given to the school is well looked after and watered by the students and is thus thriving.
We issued more tree seedlings to Iviani, and the Ngiluni community members.



Report by Alex Macharia