Maasailand Preservation Trust

Hi All,

We have not posted for a while as all at MPT are busy preparing for the bi-monthly Predator Compensation Fund payouts on Mbirikani and Olgulului Group Ranches that are coming up at the beginning of November. The goal of PCF is to better balance the costs and benefits of living with wildlife and thereby replace conflict and retaliation with tolerance. More information will follow on this project soon but for now we are working out the payouts due to the 600 or more Maasai who have lost livestock to predators in the last two months.

But for now here is a quick blog to show you this picture caught on one of our cameratraps. This one was placed on an elephant carcass near our main base at Ol Donyo Wuas Lodge. This elephant came into our area from the south with a bullet wound in its side. We called in the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust mobile vet unit who darted and treated him. But sadly it was too late and he died during recovery. Poaching through firearms isn’t very common on Mbirikani but is prevalent near the Tanzanian border where a team of our MCGS are currently operating.

This was a sad event for us all but it was funny to see how much the hyenas enjoyed rolling in the remains as it decomposed. We assume this is to cover their smell when hunting but with an odour this terrible and the look of enjoyment on the hyenas face it seems more like these interesting creatures just love to get dirty!

Asante,

The MPT Team

When one of our cameratraps was brought back in the other day we had a surprising sighting captured on it. The cameratrap had been set on the carcass of a Fringe-Eared Oryx with the goal of capturing photographs of our local hyena clan and allowing for individual recognition and eventually to build up an idea of the numbers and home ranges of our local hyena population. Below is a picture of the hyenas we intended to get photos of:

There are always interesting and often very suprising shots that come up when you leave out a cameratrap. This carcass was near a waterhole so was visited by many species. Firstly, a Tawny Eagle visited and fed from the carcass.

Then it was visited by some beautiful Superb and Blue-Eared Starlings that came to presumably feed on the insects attracted to the carcass.

Shortly after this, the eagle returned but was soon driven off by a lone male warthog who to all of our surprise started to feed on the carcass! We had heard reports that during a time of drought that warthogs feed of carrion but this behaviour is thought to be quite uncommon.

Soon his behaviour was followed by no less than eight other warthogs and by the time the hyenas got there in the evening there was little left!

Thankfully we have been getting a little more rain here and last night we recieved the heaviest downpour yet with 22mm falling in 24 hours! So fingers crossed that the drought is coming to an end!

Stay posted for more news from MPT. Coming soon is an introduction to our groundbreaking Predator Compensation Fund, which has created protection for species such as hyena, lion and more.