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Home , Kakamega Forest, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kisumu Impala Sanctuary, Ol Donyo Sabuk

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2011 ISSUE NO.3

What Kenyan Parks have to offer

NEWS ASK THE ANIMAL OF THE Know your 3 5 EXPERTS 10 MONTH 11 park Hummingbird revolution Silent killers pose threat Minting cash from At home with1 Lord to environment chameleon farming McMillan INSIDE Foreword Who said the can’t dance? Service he end of 2011 marks a major milestone international agencies, hotel owners, and +254 20 3992000 / 3991000 for the (KWS); government agencies like the Wildlife +254 20 237940/8/9, 2379410/1/4/5/6 Twe are on the final phase of our second Clubs of Kenya, KFS, KEFRI among others. [email protected] strategic plan. It has been six years of hard We will continue focusing on ensuring work, sacrifice, and learning. We started we are financially stable by providing Editor-in-chief: a journey that had not been made, took a efficient services and thinking long-term Esther Walya path few have trodden, and what seemed in terms of diversifying our sources of impossible has become possible. When we revenue. The tourism industry is very Editorial Committee: launched the first Strategic Plan, it appeared • John Ringera capricious with factors like climate change, • Paul Mbugua insurmountable and required tremendous political instability, global recession, and • Catherine Wambani amount of collective effort, clear vision, risk inflation affecting the sector locally and • John Mugendi taking and determination to change our globally. • Valentain Kanani approaches to virtually all our processes. As a way of growing our revenue, • John Karenju Halfway through the 2005-2010 Strategic we intend to heavily invest in marketing • James Nyakundi Plan, we realised we had accomplished over and publicising the less visited parks in

80 per cent of our targets and decided to Managing Editor: the western circuit and Meru. Those Paul Udoto review our current 2008/2012 plan. regions have a lot to offer our local and We have many achievements to celebrate; international visitors and we look forward Editor: we successfully navigated through 2007 to seeing an increased interest in these Carole Kimutai and 2008 following a political unrest and areas. Production Director: a global recession. From then on, we have Through our conservation activities, Ngugi Gecaga been on upward trend posting an income of we will be eyeing the Carbon Fund. KSh 3.16 billion in 2010. We also launched Since 2005, the Carbon Finance team Production Assistant: an Endowment Fund in 2009 – a long-term has committed over 850 million into Amos Rono sustainability strategy for all our conservation companies and projects that generate efforts – our target is to raise USD 100million Editorial Assistants: emission reduction credits. Sammi Nderitu by 2020. We are now organising a series While we focus on our core Dennis Kibet of activities to raise funds and involve the business of conservation, we will not community more in conservation. Notably, “To forget to strengthen and encourage Contributing Writers: Hells Gate on a Wheelbarrow” and “Cycle with professionalism within the KWS work Dr. Charles Musyoki, Amos Rono the Rhino” have been some of the events that force. The organisation will continue to have received good response from the public Photography: support and empower its employees and our stakeholders. Sammi Nderitu and KWS Image Library by providing the appropriate tools, We are working on a new strategic direction. environment and training needed to ensure It will centre on strengthening the wildlife and PORINI is published for KWS by: optimum productivity. Employees remain KIM Media Services conservation industry by encouraging the the biggest asset that the organisation Luther Plaza, 2nd floor active participation of all stakeholders. We prides in. Nyerere Road/University Way roundabout believe that everyone must take responsibility With support from our government P. O. Box 43706 – 00100 , Kenya in terms of wildlife management and and industry stakeholders, we have found Tel: 020 2535277, 2445555 conservation. We intend to continue reaching Email: [email protected]; out to communities in our efforts to ensure that anything is achievable. Like Louis Website: www.kim.ac.ke peaceful co-existence with wildlife. Apart from V. Gerstner, Jr. in his bestseller book Who Says Can’t Dance? writes We welcome articles or any feedback from enhanced co existence between wildlife and readers on conservation and tourism. people, we will be encouraging communities to about IBM’s historic turnaround, we too Please include your name, address and set up conservancies, eco-lodges and ranches have in our own way made a remarkable telephone number. Letters/articles may be and other tourism-related enterprises that can difference to Kenya’s conservation efforts. edited for clarity or space. be their source of income. We already have Our elephant is now dancing to the tune Email: [email protected] successful examples like Lewa conservancy in of success. Nanyuki, Ol Pejeta ranch in , Ole We are counting on the support of The views expressed in this newsletter are our stakeholders and our government to the author’s and do not necessarily reflect Rai community conversancy in Kajiado, Chololo the views of the Kenya Wildlife Service or in Laikipia, Kimana, Mara among others. Other continue with the dance. We invite you to the Kenya Institute of Management. players we are encouraging to join us in our visit the parks during this festive season mission are non governmental organisations, and sample our guest houses and bandas. Reproduction of any articles or pictures without permission is prohibited. 2 News Moving elephants to address conflict

National Reserve from Narok North. This KWS Narok station, 5,052 (54 percent) is the first phase of the exercise is aimed are attributed to elephants. Outcomes of at eliminating human elephant conflict, and human elephant conflict include human improving community livelihoods. deaths and injuries, crop destruction, and Narok North is designated as one property destruction. Loading an elephant into a lorry during of the human-wildlife conflict hotspots The exercise will be carried out in the translocation exercise. in Kenya with elephants identified as phases to allow post-release monitoring of enya Wildlife Service has the most problematic wildlife species. the translocated elephants. successfully completed translocating Out of the 9,299 human wildlife conflict K62 elephants into the cases reported in the last decade at the Source: kws.go.ke Rhino cycle raises KSh 6M Snake and shrimp declared extinct he US Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that two species endemic to Florida, the South TFlorida rainbow snake and the Florida fairy shrimp, have been declared extinct. The finding came in response to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity in 2010 seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the rainbow snake, fairy shrimp and more than 400 aquatic species in the Annie Kinuthia Standard Chartered Bank’s Regional Head presents a cheque south-eastern United States. to Mr. Julius Kipng’etich KWS Director during the 2011 cycle with the rhino “It’s heart-wrenching to learn that these two event. unique Florida species have been lost forever. Like most species that go extinct, these two were he eighth edition of the Cycle while other key sponsors included not protected under the Endangered Species Act, with the Rhino event held Coca Cola, Safaricom, Kenya which is the most powerful tool we have for saving at the National Pipeline Company, Geothermal T our nation’s plants and animals from disappearing,” Development who gave KSh1.2 Park on 17th September 2011 raised said Tierra Curry, a conservation biologist with the million, KSh300,000, KSh500,000, KSh6 million. This year, the race saw Center. and KSh200,000 respectively. cyclists cover a treacherous distance The South Florida rainbow snake was known The annual event raises money of 85kms. The race was won by only from Fish Eating Creek, which flows into the for use in the rehabilitation of Lake David Kinjah who clocked in at a west side of Lake Okeechobee. The beautiful snake Nakuru National Park’s 74-km time of 2:31:00 followed by Anthony was iridescent bluish-black with red stripes on its baboon-proof electric fence as well Mwite who clocked 2:34:00, and back and sides, red and yellow patches on its belly as support community projects in Farrell Ross at 2:34:02. and throat, and a yellow chin. Adults were more than conservation. Standard Chartered Bank, the four feet long. It was last seen in 1952. platinum sponsor gave KSh 3 million Source: kws.go.ke The Florida fairy shrimp was known from a single pond just south of Gainesville. The pond was New species of antelope discovered in destroyed by development, and the species hasn’t been detected elsewhere. “The government has West Africa to determine quickly whether the 114 other Florida species it is reviewing will get protection so that cientists from the Royal around 40 cm at the shoulder and more of Florida’s heritage isn’t erased by ,” Belgian Institute of Natural weighing four to six kilograms. It said Curry adding that the wellbeing of human Sciences, and a team of belongs to the duiker subfamily of S society is deeply linked to the health of the natural international researchers have antelopes. The Afrikaans name, systems needed to sustain life. “In the end, saving discovered a new species of ‘duiker’, meaning ‘diver’, comes species will help save us.” antelope that is found in Togo, from the habit these timid animals Benin, and Nigeria. have of diving into the vegetation at Source: wildlifeextra.com The duiker is a very small the slightest sign of danger. antelope, measuring no more than Source: wildlifeextra.com Snake

4 Shrimp Cover Story Photos: KWS Image Bank

Horse riding You are spoilt for As a visitor to Hells’ Gate National Park, you can walk or choose to cycle without having the fear of being attacked by choice this holiday wild animals. Also at this park, you can do horse riding as you watch wild animals. This has been made possible season by KWS through a partnership with other organisations to provide horses. Plans are also underway to introduce horse riding at Article by: Sammi Nderitu National Park through a “We done our research into what similar partnership. enya has been endowed with Kenyans are watching, listening and their Parks and reserves also provide some of the most amazing wildlife spending habits and patterns that is how nature trails. Nairobi’s Safari walk and parks and reserves in the world the ‘Twende Tujivinjari’ campaign was K Impala Sanctuary will offer you and for long has been regarded as the born because it means different things safari nature walk where you will get to ‘Home of African Safari’ due to the to different people,” says Ian Mwathi, a walk on a constructed path while enjoying unique adventure the country’s various Marketing Manager at KWS. the wonders of nature. forest attractions offers including wildlife, He says that for people who have and Saiwa Swamp National National Park mountain sceneries, sandy beaches and grown up with wild animals asking them in Kitale, both beautiful and attractive coral reefs, magnificent lakes and water to tour parks and reserves to see wild places, you can have a leisurely walk while springs, widespread savannah grasslands animals will not work. Also, besides watching wildlife and plants at a closer among many other features. wildlife, parks and reserves have plenty to range. To increase tourists to national parks offer of which many people do not know If your interest is to venture in caves, and reserves, the Kenya Wildlife Service and therefore ‘Twende Tujivinjari’ has also you can do this at Shimba Hills, Chyullu (KWS) has taken a smart approach to been focusing on activity tourism within Hills, and Mount Elgon National Parks. make these places exciting and appealing the parks. At , you can do to local and international tourists who not Different parks and reserves will give fishing, visit the beautiful waterfalls, and only want to watch wildlife, but also desire you different exciting and adventurous walk through the moorlands where you to engage in other pleasurable activities experiences. To the bird watchers, you are will see buffaloes, the Mau Mau cave, and that will make a visit to any park and spoilt for choice as you are most likely to the Mugumo tree that the Mau Mau used reserve memorable. This is the thinking spot an assortment of birds in all parks as their post office as well as do mountain behind the ‘Twende Tujivinjari’ marketing and reserves. hiking. campaign.

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Fish viewing can be done at Watamu Mountain hiking at Mt. Kenya Park. Vervet monkey at . Rock climbing at Hell’s Gate Park. and Malindi Marine Parks.

Mt. Kenya will give you a literally , also known as ‘the and Batian Guest House in Mt. Kenya, breathtaking experience as you do cradle of mankind’ due to its history of Murera and Kinna Bandas in Meru Park mountain hiking and rock climbing in its many remarkable hominids fossils finds. and Shimoni Bandas in Kisite Mpunguti challenging peaks. You can walk through Located on the shores of Lake Turkana, Park and Reserve. via ferrata, also known as the ‘the the park hosts the world’s largest Nile Others include Kilimanjaro Guest road on the mountain.’ Other activities crocodile population, different types of fish House in Amboseli, Naishi Guest House in include hiking and rock climbing. KWS and birds. Lake Nakuru, Fishing Lodge , Supper Hut has partnered with professional and Mwathi notes; “One thing that we and Tusk Camp in Aberdare Park. experienced rock climbers who can guide are trying to bring out is that ‘Twende For the guest houses and bandas, you through the rocks. Tsavo East and Mt. Tujivinjari’ could mean one thing to you Gachago encourages visitors to book in Longonot are also potential places for rock and another to somebody else. It could advance. To have an experience in the climbing. mean snorkeling to you who is a lover of park, plan and save in good time. “Our water; it could mean mountain climbing biggest failure is that we do not plan and Swim with dolphins to somebody who loves conquering the actualise our plans and ideas to have If your interest is to swim with the dolphin, mountains and bird watching to lovers holiday time which unlike people in the then Kisite Mpunguti is the place to be. of birds. There are many kinds of things western countries who plan in advance Other marine parks like Watamu and that we are trying to bring out through this and work towards actualising their Malindi will also guarantee you an exciting campaign.” desires. Many times people plan at the snorkeling experience where you will last minute and go to places like enjoy a rich variety of coral reef and a vast Accommodation public beaches and due to congestion array of tropical fish. In addition, these To encourage many people to go to the there, they can never have a good time. marine parks will offer you an assortment parks and reserves, KWS has established Also due to the thought that touring parks of water sports ranging from surfing to several self catering accommodation and and reserves is expensive, people totally deep sea fishing. The parks have many campsite areas to give people options fail to plan to have a holiday in them.” glass bottomed boats and operators who to choose from. There are also hotels Gachago says when you get to parks can guide you. and lodges within most parks put up by and reserves you should not expect what From Masai Mara famous for its investors. you always find in your daily surrounding wildebeests migration, Lake Nakuru well “We offer different types of and thus you need to be alert and flexible. known for its thousands of flamingoes and accommodation in our bandas, guest You are not guaranteed that you will white and black rhinos, Nairobi which is houses, and campsites that are always spot an animal of your choice but Kenya’s oldest national park, Mwea which comfortable, cost effective and some will nonetheless, you should enjoy whatever has been described as an undiscovered offer you unique wildlife viewing at the you see. “If you don’t spot an animal, you oasis of tranquility to Arubuko Sokoke comfort of your room or campsites since don’t have to be disappointed as some of which boasts the largest remnant of the they have water holes nearby that attract the animals are hard to spot. Furthermore, East African coastal forest. All these parks animals,” says Salome Gachago, Business it is not many times you will encounter a and reserves have unique experiences. Development Manager at KWS. chasing a gazelle hence expect to see Others include Ndere Island on the These guest houses and bandas are or not see anything dramatic. Tone down shores of which has been Kamboyo Guesthouse in Tsavo West, Allia on your expectation, create your own fun described as the island of serenity and Bay guesthouse in Sibiloi Park, Sable and have a good time.” beauty, Marsabit described as a bit of bandas in Shimba Hills, Sabuk House in mars unexplored due to its magical lake Ol Donyo Sabuk Park, Oribi guesthouse in For additional information paradise, Mount Marsabit which rises Ruma park, Koitoboss Guest House and Go to www.kws.go.ke from the desert floor and peppered with Kapkuro bandas in Mt. Elgon Park, Malindi Email [email protected] extinct volcanic craters. There is also Bandas in Malindi Park, Sirimon Bandas Tel. 020 600800, 6002345.

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