Participants

Alex Macharia – team leader Francis Chege Semeli Lolchuraki Nteritu Kapina Nasarwa Esengele Isaiah Ndei 4KWS Rangers

Areas Covered

During the course of the month of August the following areas were patrolled by the Mtito de-snaring team: Mangelete, Kyulu pump, Kenani, Kanga, the Chullu station, Ngulia hills, the Tsavo Triangle, as well as both the Tsavo and Mtito rivers.

148 SNARES COLLECTED

6 ARRESTS

Findings

After a short off the Mtito desnaring team members returned to their duties full of vigor and enthusiasm. The dry spell being experienced in the Tsavo ecosystem had a lot in store from us. We had received reports from several sources that poaching was taking place at Mangelete and Kenani. We therefore started our operations in there in order to target the most affected areas. Reports about an ex-desnarer Kathuki Ngongo came to our attention and after a thorough investigation we uncovered that he was carrying out his desnaring activities at Mangalete during the night and early morning. We therefore carried out several ambushes which led to his arrest. At the time of his arrest he had killed a buffalo and some Dikdiks.

Under interrogation we were able to find out that he had set 101 snares. Kathuki also confessed to having killed 4 lesser kudus and a number of Dikdik within a three week period. He was in the company of his sister and another poacher when he was arrested. His sister’s role is to transport and sell the slaughtered meat at market. Both his sister and his accomplice were arrested and another two poachers in possession of 47 snares were later arrested at Kenani.

While patrolling at Yumbuni we arrested an individual for illegal logging. All of those arrested were booked at Mtito police station where they will remain until sentenced. As a team we find it discouraging when we find out that the poachers that we arrest are sometimes the same people that were arrested a few months ago. This shows that the penalties for poaching are too lenient and therefore are not enough of a deterrent to the poachers to make them stop their illegal activities.

We also noticed that cattle grazing is taking place within the park. The herders are migrating into the park from many areas. They arrive in the morning; leave their cattle and return to collect them in the late afternoon. Sometimes the cattle will even return to their bomas unaccompanied as they have come to know the area.

There was little community work done this month as we our efforts were concentrated in the bush in an attempt to counter the poaching the increase in poaching due to it being the dry season.

Report by Alex Macharia