De – Snaring Report for September 09

Participants:

Henry Lekochere – Team Leader Peter Wambua John Malonza Samuel Masaku

Area of operation:

During the month of September the Burra team patrolled the Lualenyi Ranch, Sagalla Ranch, Mbulia Ranch and Mackinon Road area.

TOTAL SNARES COLLECTED 124

Findings

During the September Patrols a total of 124 snares where collected out of which 68 targeted big game and 56 targeted small game. During patrols the team found five giraffe & one impala carcasses at Lualenyi and one Dikdik carcass at Mublia. The team managed to rescue a waterbuck that had fallen into a 15ft pit latrine at Mackinon Road area.

Observable Evidence

The areas patrolled are showing a slight decline in snaring activities. This is due to constant pressure the team has been putting on the area with anti-poaching work.

Lualenyi Ranch

The team started their patrols in this area at the beginning of the month. This area has very high levels of poaching activity. The team found remains of five giraffes that had been killed & slaughtered by poachers as well as one impala carcass that had been snared.

Ngutuni Ranch

The team was surprised to find freshly laid snares in this area shortly after the area had been cleared. The team lifted 20 big snares and re-patrolled the area.

Mbulia Ranch

Twenty five snares where recovered during patrols. Six of them targeted big game while the rest targeted small game. This area has shown a decline in snaring activity from previous records. One Dikdik carcass was found snared and rotting.

Sagalla Ranch

Fifty snares where lifted in this area out of which 13 targeted big game.

These snares where set along wildlife tracks and were hidden very well and out of sight. Charcoal burning is a major problem in this area.

Mackinon Road

The Team together with the Vet Unit rescued a female waterbuck which fell down a 15ft pit latrine. The Vet darted the waterbuck while the team assisted in climbing down the pit latrine to retrieve and pull the waterbuck out. The waterbuck was released back into the wild. Only about 5 meters away from the pit latrine the team found 3 big snares setup to trap wildlife passing through into a nearby Farm. The Farm owner admitted that he set the snares to keep waterbuck from crossing into his farm and eating crops.

The Team gave him a very harsh warning which drove him to volunteer to remove all his snares and hand them over to us.

Community Outreach

The Team organized two ecological field trips to Tsavo East National Park. These schools where Marivenyi Primary School and Kighononyi Primary School. This trip was a first for both schools and excitement was high. Both schools where hugely grateful for the opportunity and the students learnt allot about conservation. The students visited some of the major attractions in the park like the Luggard Falls, Yatta Plateau, and Mudanda Rock. During game drives allot of big game such as elephant, buffalo and lion where seen. The trip also involved visiting the Elephant Orphans at the Voi Stockades which was probably the highlight for the students on both trips.

Report by Henry Lekochere