The Mbirikani game scouts four days ago were successful in arresting one of the most notorious poachers along the Chyulu Hill National Park boundary. He has been tracked down on several occasions by the Kenya Wildlife Service partnering with the local game scouts to no success. The poacher who was in a group of four was not lucky that day because one of the Mbirikani game scouts mobile unit were out looking for snares and any threats to wildlife.
On the process of clearing the bush for any illegal activity, the mobile unit got a report from one of the informer who disguised himself as a poacher that there were four poachers in possession of two coke hartebeest game meat. The game scout mobile unit team intercepted the poachers when they packing their hunt for the day and managed to arrest one of the poachers and three escaped.
The game scout team led by sergeant Sakimpa shot down one of the dogs that was being used by the poachers to hunt. The team recovered over 100 kilograms of two coke hartebeest meat that was on its way to butcheries along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway. Other recovered items included, bow and arrow, knife and snares that were used to trap the animals. You can help the game scout to cub such trade by donating to any of there field requirements, these includes, rations, uniforms and boots.
Last week, Maasailand Preservation Trust staff led by Fred Njagi and Stephen Melubo distributed donations of books, water color markers and other stationeries to schools around Mbirikani. This included the only girl secondary school on the ranch with over 100 girls from in and out of the ranch.
These generous donations were from the Highland School Virginia in the United States through the help of Alice Laimbeer. Alice Laimbeer has been an ardent supporter of Enkijape primary school ad many pupils has been benefited from her donations and aided them to join various secondary schools in Kenya.
Enkijape primary school is one of the oldest schools on the ranch. It was founded in the seventies and has seen several pupils go through it to become responsible citizens including myself. That’s why Maasiland Preservation Trust pledged to sponsor two best pupils from this school, a boy and girl every year until they complete a secondary school of their choice.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alice Laimbeer for her contribution and donations of stationery to this school. I will not also forget the efforts of Mr. Carlos Reyes Romero for the delivery of the consignment to Kenya in good order. The last but least is to our blog readers, thank so much for your continued support. Ashe Oleng, Asante sana.
In recent times poaching has reached sky rocketing limits and is threatening to wipe out the entire population of elephants in the Amboseli – Tsavo ecosystem, particularly across the border of Kenya and Tanzania.
A renowned wildlife photographer and a journalist took the initiative to address the situation and founded the Big Life Foundation to help with fundraising for new anti-poaching units that are being set up in the affected areas. Nick Brant has been working in the Amboseli National Park and its neighborhood documenting the poaching crisis. He has recorded a remarkable decline in elephants population due to poaching in and out of the park.
In October, the first out post was completed and launched near Kimana wildlife sanctuary- a critical wildlife migratory corridor. The picture below shows the Kimana post launching ceremony. The set up of other game scout out posts is progressing very well and will be fully operational soon.
Richard Bonham the founder and chairman of Maasailand Preservation Trust (MPT) has been appointed the director of operations to oversee and co-ordinate the project.
We take this opportunity to thank Nick Brant (founder of Big Life Foundation) and Tusk Trust for their invaluable financial support that has made this project a reality. We would like to appeal to our bloggers to support this new initiative with funds for vehicle running cost, rations, rangers’ uniforms, and ranges incentives.
Last Friday, we had the pleasure to host Steve Mackie and his wife in our Maasailand Preservation Trust offices. Steve and his wife are one of our top student scholarship donors and they are supporting nine secondary school students. His support for these students is invaluable as many of them are able to face the future with determination as their education is guaranteed to completion by these down to earth donors such as Steve Mackie and his wife.
In the meeting that lasted for a few minutes since we didn’t want to interrupt their holiday, we presented them with gifts from their sponsor students since most of them are in school.
This was a lucky visit since most the MPT staffs were in the office away from the field. On behalf of Maasailand Preservation Trust and the students, I would like to thank Steve Mackie and his wife for their generous support to these students.
Yesterday, I sat down thinking about the future of planet Earth and what can be done to save its inhabitants. Then I remembered a chat I had with one of my friends in the office about people in history who have created legacies. In the 20th century, great philanthropists, typically Americans like the Rockefellers and Carnegies, created legacies for their families by giving money to build hospitals and educational institutions and support the arts .
In the 21st century, the need to save planet Earth is so great that lovers of nature are, in every corner of the Earth, campaigning for the protection of the natural habitat. Is this not as important today as another hospital or cultural gift to humanity? We are looking for one person or possibly one family who is willing to consider creating a legacy like the Rockefellers or Carnegies but instead to help save the Amboseli – Tsavo ecosystem for future generations. This magnificently beautiful area, capped off by Mt. Kilimanjaro, still contains the last, most biodiverse population of great mammals left on this planet. Yet they are steadily being depleted by a range of human activities driven by economic necessity that can instead be directed to an even greater economic benefit for the local people while preserving the environment for the mutual benefit of people, natural habitat, and wildlife.
In the last two weeks our game scouts have been all over the ecosystem combating elephant poaching. This is an area of over 10, 000 square kilometers. The team of 8 rangers are in pursuit of the dangerous poachers who recently killed three elephants, one in Kuku group ranch, and two near the Kenya-Tanzania border close to Amboseli National park.
Information gathered from our intelligence network in the field confirmed that these poor animals were shot with a gun and their tusks removed using a power saw. Our rangers were unable to get to the scene of crime because the car that they were using during the operation broke down and is currently being repaired. The other car is busy chasing down suspected poachers who killed an elephant with a poisoned spear along Kuku- Tanzania border. However, we just learnt that the four poachers managed to cross the border to Tanzania and have probably already sold the tusks.
Between September and December it is a hunting season in Tanzania. This perhaps explains why there is an increase incident of elephant poaching along the border.These recent incidents demonstrate the typical challenges faced by our rangers. It requires a lot of resources to keep them running , literally 24 hours a day. We therefore appeal to readers to support this program with funds for vehicle repairs, fuel, and rations in these challenging times.
Over the weekend we saw two MPT staff exchange vows to become husband and wife under Maasai customary laws. Maasailand Preservation Trust assistant administrator Stephen Melubo and our radio operator Loise Solonka tied the knot through a traditional wedding process. The wedding was well attended from far and wide, with traditional songs and dances. The bride and bridegroom were looking neat as a new pin with their traditional attires that marched very well with the occasion. The entourage was well groomed and looking attractive with colored beads against red Maasai shukas(clothes) that were od different colours for the Maasai.
The bride is second from left with a long necklace
The team arrived from Iltilal; Loise village around two in the afternoon. The boma where the ceremony was to take place was a bee of activities as we (the organizing team) tried to distribute meals to the guest that had arrived and usher in the arriving guests. As soon the entourage arrived all the activities went on a standstill, as people went to see the new bride and welcome her with songs and dances and making fun of the new family to be. In traditional Maasai the bride is ought to cry as an indication of not willing to leave her family behind.
That’s why everybody had to leave what they are doing to see if the new bride is crying, alas she wasn’t crying!!!! She is happy to start her own family that’s the conclusion from many. Don’t forget to follow our stories on this blog and to donate to make Maasailand Preservation Trust to make people and wildlife live in harmony.
Recently we had the pleasure to welcome Julius Moipaa back to his community after 4 years in the university. He has been studying Bio-chemistry at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi.
Julius has been an inspiration to many in the community after he became one of the first students to join university on the ranch. Unlike most students, Julius became a role model in Mbirikani after he returned back to help the community with what he has attained in school. That’s why from Maasailand Preservation Trust, we take this opportunity to thank Paula Wilson who sponsored Moipaai from the first year to completion. He currently works at the Village AID clinic as a Lab technician.
During the ceremony Stephen Melubo who is our assistant administrator was present to thank Julius for the hard work and welcome him home on behalf of Maasailand Preservation Trust.
Today I want you to take a picture quiz, then I will tell you more on these pictures on my next post. Using you general knowledge of the Maasai, please help me identify the following Maasai murran (warrior) photos where they are from and what led you to your answer.
and these two,
Post your answers as comments below and don’t forget to donate here to help Maasailand preservation Trust make a difference in local people’s lives living with wildlife.
Last night, 8 poachers were arrested by our game scouts with a grant gazelle meat on the south part of the ranch. Our game scouts braved the chilly and cold night to set an ambush after an informer from the area informed them of the poachers who have been secretly killing game meat for trade.
With the help of Kenya wildlife service, they managed to arrest all the eight culprit with one motorbike that was being used to transport the game meat to a market in Tanzania which is less than an hour drive. One of the game scouts got injured on the arm as they tried to disarm the poacher. They were in possession of machetes, bow and arrow knives, snares and three spotlights. To help the game scout with rations while on patrols please donate here. I will be monitoring the process of court to see what happens with these paochers. This is one of my jobs with MPT.
Mar 15th Christopher M USD 17.25