GREENING A MAIN ROAD IN NAIROBI

APRIL-JUNE, 2021

4 | APRIL - JUNE 2021 FRONTLINE 05 Director’s Letter 06 News Update

OPINION 12 Kaddu Sebunya savours the understated elegance of Kenya’s Tsavo National Park.

CONSERVATION 16 Wildbook for Zebra: Kang-Chun Cheng highlights cutting-edge zebra research at Mpala Research Centre in Kenya. 43 Will Burrard-Lucas’ adventure photographing a 22 Rupi Mangat profiles Ali Skanda, the master dhow melanistic leopard in Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau. craftsman in Lamu striving to rid the seas of plastic pollution. PADDOCK DIARIES 46 Brian Finch reports on his paddock’s 27 Dan Stiles highlights shenanigans in some illegal changing birdlife. wildlife trade judicial proceedings. PORTFOLIO 31 Cathy Watson reports on an encouraging citizens’ 50 Delta Willis profiles conservation photographer project to green roadside spaces along one of Alison Jones. Nairobi’s highways. ON SAFARI BIODIVERSITY 54 Richard Gregory Schmid advices on how best to 35 Kari Mutu throws light on Bi-ken Snake Farm, go about a bushwalking expedition. a snake conservation and awareness centre on the Kenya coast. BOOK REVIEW 56 Delta Willis reviews We Alone: How Humans 39 Julia Fulcher tells the story of the fascinating Have Conquered the Planet and Can Also Save It - by birdlife of Kenya’s Kakamega Rainforest. conservationist David Western.

APRIL - JUNE 2021 | 5 BOARD MEMBERS Davinder Sikand William Pike Otekat John Emily Cissy Walker Matt Walpole APRIL - JUNE 2021 | VOLUME 46 | NUMBER 2 Michael Wamithi Elizabeth Migongo-Bake

EAWLS MISSION The East African Wild Life Society is a trailblazing conservation organisation dedicated to helping protect the environment and promoting prudent use of natural resources in the region. The Society carries out its mandate mainly The Impala is the symbol of the East African through advocacy, implementing conservation Wild Life Society. SWARA is the Swahili word programmes, supporting field research, advancing for Antelope environmental education, promoting sustainable development and inspiring people through The East African Wild Life Society vibrant events on wildlife and environmental conservation. @eawildlife

EAWLS WORLDWIDE REPRESENTATIVES USA WHY SUPPORT US Mr & Mrs Harry Ewell East Africa is rich in plant and animal Financial Representatives biodiversity. A partnership with the East 200 Lyell Avenue Spencerport African Wild Life Society is a great way NY 14559-1839 COVER PHOTO: GREVY'S ZEBRA for individuals and organisations to help BY JILIAN KNOX conserve the region’s iconic species. Grant Winther Your contribution will help restore and 867 Taurnic Pl. NW Bainbridge Island, safeguard habitats, including forests and EDITOR WA 98110 wetland ecosystems; protect wildlife John Nyaga and marine life while promoting [email protected] UNITED KINGDOM (UK) sustainable use of natural resources Nigel Winser for the benefit of current and future EDITORIAL BOARD The Old Forge, Brook End, Chadlington, generations. Nature sustains livelihoods Nigel Hunter Oxfordshire. OX7 3NF (01608 676 042) and forms the foundation on which our William Pike UK mobile - 07495 469941 economies thrive. Your membership Lucy Waruingi [email protected] offers you tangible benefits and allows you to participate in impactful Delta Willis programmes while benefiting from the Irene Amoke NETHERLANDS visibility that the partnership affords. Elizabeth Migongo-Bake Stichting EAWLS Ridderhoflaan 37 2396 C J Koudekerk A/D RIJN DESIGN & LAYOUT George Okello SWITZERLAND Copyright©2020 Bernhard Sorgen SWARA is a quarterly magazine owned and CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS Erlenweg 30 8302 Kloten pub­lished by the East African Wild Life So­ci­e­ty, Rose Chemweno a non-prof­it or­gan­isa­tion formed in 1961. Views FINLAND, SWEDEN & NORWAY expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the ADVERTISING & SALES Roseanna Avento views of the publishers. No part of this publica- Gideon Bett [email protected] tion may be reproduced by any means whatsoever +358405355405 without the written consent of the editor. Opin­ PATRONS ions ex­pressed by con­trib­u­tors are not nec­es­sar­i­ly The President of Ken­ya AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY the official view of the Society. SWARA ac­cepts The President of Tan­za­nia The African Journal of Ecology is Published by the in­for­ma­tion given by con­trib­u­tors as correct. The President of Ugan­da Wiley – Blackwell in association with East African Wild Life Society. Purchase a copy of this Journal CHAIRPERSON at Wiley Online Library: wileyonlinelibrary.com/ Elizabeth Gitari journal/aje

VICE-CHAIRPERSON SWARA OFFICES Cissy Walker EAWLS Head Office P O Box 20110 – 00200, HON. TREASURER Riara Road, Kilimani, Nairobi Davinder Sikand Tel: + 254-(0) 20-3874145 + 254 (0) 20 3871437 + 254 (0) 722 202 473 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SWARA appreciates the continued support it Nancy Ogonje + 254 (0) 734 600 632 receives from Fauna & Flora International

6 | APRIL APRIL - - JUNE JUNE 2021 2021 Streamlining Kenya’s Wildlife Conservation Laws

ildlife is a natural develop a new wildlife conservation endowment that gives and management bill to give effect to Kenya an image and the new policy. Wforms the bedrock The East African Wild Life Society of the tourism industry, which (EAWLS) appreciates this move, but contributes over 10 per cent to the we would also like to point out that country’s Gross Domestic Product the existing wildlife law has served and accounts for 18 per cent in the country well and should not be foreign exchange earnings. completely overhauled. It should Government intervention be strengthened and streamlined. on wildlife conservation and In light of this, EAWLS surveyed its management dates back to the 1800s. members and analysed the Wildlife Kenya, like many countries across the Conservation and Management Act world, initially adopted a “fence” and [2013], Sessional Paper No.1 of 2020 “fine” approach to conservation. That on wildlife policy and the Statute approach, however, alienated people Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) and did not take into account the key Act [2018]. Recommendations were role that local communities and the submitted to the Ministry of Tourism private sector play in conservation. & Wildlife. Over time, wildlife policy in Kenya We also propose that the envisaged changed. A document published in new legislation clearly defines wildlife guidelines and standards required to 1975 entitled Statement on the Future benefits and outlines how they give effect to the Act of Parliament. of Wildlife Management Policy in are to be shared. Benefits to local We, therefore, propose that either the Kenya was the first wildlife policy communities should be enshrined in Cabinet Secretary is required to table in Kenya. It paved the way for the the law. reports in parliament on progress in remodelling of wildlife conservation The current law gives the Kenya developing supplementary legislation. and management to recognize the Wildlife Service (KWS) the mandate Compensation for wildlife-related role of communities and the private to protect and manage wildlife, injury to humans, death and damage sector. The fundamental goal of carry out research and perform to property by animals remains a that policy was to maximise returns regulatory functions. EAWLS would nettlesome subject. Reparation for from wildlife as a natural resource. like to suggest that a discussion be damages caused by wildlife was The Wildlife Conservation and initiated to create other independent reinstated in 2013 after having been Management Act of 1976 gave effect institutions that are properly abrogated in 1989. A survey by to that policy. resourced to perform critical EAWLS members shows support for Despite challenges, Kenya functions, other than those of KWS. clear-cut terms of compensation. continued to operate with the 1975 We could borrow a leaf from the Water The new policy also recommends policy framework for four decades. Act of 2016 that creates different the enactment of a law on the The Wildlife Act was reviewed in institutions to perform different conservation of endangered species in 1989 and again in 2013. The Wildlife functions thus separating roles and Kenya. A survey of EAWLS members Conservation and Management Act eliminating duplication of effort. shows that a majority of them agree [2013] in particular was a boon to the Critical questions that have been that Kenya needs dedicated laws for sector because it addressed emerging raised include who has oversight the protection of endangered species. challenges and threats to wildlife. over wildlife practices such as It is also important that the current A new wildlife policy published bioprospecting and other forms list of endangered species be reviewed in 2020 envisages coordination of wildlife utilisation in national to reflect the correct status of the among the different stakeholders, reserves and conservancies? Can the species. including civil society, landowners, compensation mandate be removed To read more on EAWLS local communities and the private from KWS and given to another recommendations to the Ministry of sector in wildlife conservation and body? We strongly recommend the Tourism and Wildlife, please visit management. streamlining of the devolution of the our website: https://eawildlife.org It recommends legislation to enable management of wildlife resources as under Publications. Kenya to conserve and manage envisioned in the policy. wildlife better. The government, Implementation of some sections By Nancy Ogonje through the Ministry of Tourism and of the wildlife law has often been Executive Director, Wildlife, has initiated a process to delayed by a lack of regulations, East African Wild Life Society

APRIL - JUNE 2021 | 7 NEWS ROUND-UP

African Elephants Listed as Endangered and Critically Endangered Following population declines over several decades due to poaching for ivory and loss of habitat, the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is now listed as Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The number of African forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a period of 31 years, while the population of African savanna elephants decreased by at least 60% over the last 50 years, according to the assessments.

Lions Poisoned in Queen Elizabeth National Park The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) reported the death of six lions in an apparent incident of poisoning in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Their carcasses were found on March 19 in the Ishasha area of the park with most of their body parts missing. UWA underscored the importance of wildlife to the country’s economy, noting that nature-based tourism accounts for an estimated 10 per cent of Uganda’s gross domestic product. Injunction against Avocado The sector earns the country 23 per cents of its foreign exchange revenue, according to UWA. Farming in Amboseli A Kenyan court in March ordered a company working to establish an avocado farm near the Amboseli National Park, a key wildlife and livestock habitat, to halt all its activities in the area until a lawsuit by a consortium of conservationists is heard. Conservationists through Conservation Alliance of Kenya (CAK) had submitted an application in the National Environmental Tribunal seeking a cease and desist order against the company, KiliAvo Fresh Limited. Masai landowners, whose land surrounds the avocado farm, had opposed the project on the grounds that it will interfere with the movement of their livestock and that the amount of groundwater abstracted for irrigation would cause streams and water springs to dry up.

8 | APRIL - JUNE 2021 NEWS ROUND-UP

EAWLS is excited to welcome the Plastic Pollution following new members an Environmental KENYA PHILIP KISOYAN, NZIOKI WA MAKAU Injustice ANASTACIA MWAURA, PHILIP KISOYAN

Plastic pollution disproportionately affects UGANDA marginalized communities and communities RAPHAEL ESUPU, IVAN SEMANDA, GORETTI KIYAI living in close proximity to plastic production UK and waste sites, constituting an environmental HARRY LENG, THOMAS ANDY BRANSON injustice, according to a new report by the USA United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) LAUREN HALL, CHRIS WORRET and environmental justice non-governmental organisation, Azul. The report details cases of environmental injustice -- from deforestation and displacement of indigenous peoples to make way for oil extraction and the contamination of potable water by fracking fluids and waste water in the US and Sudan -- to health problems among predominantly African American communities living near oil refineries in the US’s Gulf of Mexico, and the occupational hazards of about two million waste pickers in India, among many others. The challenge of plastic waste – which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic – is a major part of the global pollution crisis, which, alongside biodiversity loss and climate change, represent a triple planetary emergency that must be addressed by massive shifts in the way humanity utilizes the earth’s resources.

APRIL - JUNE 2021 | 9 Become a Member The East African Wild Life Society (EAWLS) is the oldest conservation organisation in East Africa working towards enhancing the conservation and wise use of the environment and natural resources for the benefits of current and future generations. By supporting EAWLS, you will be supporting our conservation and advocacy teams’ mission to safeguard, protect and conserve the habitat and wildlife. As a member of EAWLS you will be part of an organisation that uses its experience, influence, reputation and respected voice to ensure that there is sound governance of our natural heritage for the good of all. Categories of Membership & Annual Rates EAWLS Membership is available for both corporates and individuals and we have special rates for families and students. As a member of EAWLS you are entitled to free copies of the Swara Magazine and discounted rates on events and merchandise. The different categories of membership have different annual rates.

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12 | APRIL - JUNE 2021 APRIL - JUNE 2021 | 13 APRIL - JUNE 2021 | 13 OPINION

Tsavo: Kenya’s Understated Elegance It is a fallacy to think of conservation as separate from economic development and Kenya should see the potential of Tsavo and allocate resources to build and expand its tourism capability.

population stood at 12,866 but the recent baby boom could as well PHOTOS BY AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION mean that the population has nearly he Tsavo-Mkomazi doubled as we speak. Recording the ecosystem is an 4th highest elephant population in important transboundary Africa, after Botswana, Zimbabwe conservation area that and Tanzania, Kenya is beginning to T reap the efforts of tough conservation contains critical habitats and wildlife corridors. Situated in the south- and prosecutorial measures some eastern region of Kenya covering over of which the African Wildlife 21,000 km2, the Tsavo Conservation Foundation (AWF) has supported TOP RIGHT & BELOW: Kaddu Sebunya, Area is the largest protected area over the years. AWF CEO on a game drive in Tsavo East complex in Kenya and covers over Our trip also consisted of an National Park. four per cent of the entire country’s extensive tour of the AWF-supported landmass. Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, where During my visit to the landscape we received more good news of acronym for Lualenyi, Mramba and in February 2021, I was truly thriving rhino population numbers. Orza conservancy, was established blown away by the magnitude of The current headcount puts the in 1996 and operationalized in 2001 wildlife thriving freely through the population at slightly over 120 from through funding from the United grasslands. It truly dawned on me the steady growth of 90 rhinos over States Agency FR International that Africa’s true beauty is yet to be the past few years. Development (USAID) and explored and relished. Another highlight from my trip implemented by AWF. Through According to the last census was the visit to LUMO Wildlife continuous funding, we have been conducted in 2018, the elephant Conservancy. LUMO, which is an able to focus more on the capacity

14 | APRIL - JUNE 2021 NEWS ROUND-UP

building of the LUMO Board of Trustees and management staff to effectively manage the conservancy and protect wildlife. As I traversed through Taita Taveta County, I was fascinated by the bulge in both domestic and international tourism – that had been close to non-existent for the better part of 2020, due to the travel restrictions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was magnificent to see the tourists marvel over the wildlife in the park and troop around the hotels in their drones. Tourism is back! I had the opportunity to interact with a section of tourists during my stay and I was pleased to hear how a majority of them were hot on their heels to book the first flights to Kenya to enjoy the wildlife and tropical climate. I applaud Kenyans for not letting the weight of the pandemic weigh them down and instead opted to travel and enjoy the marvelous African wildlands. Witnessing the tour vans drive into the savannah, was indeed a sight for sore eyes – one we took for granted until the pandemic hit. The increasing wildlife numbers, the proximity of the park to the Nairobi and Mombasa, accessibility of Voi, and extension Tsavo, through the standard-gauge railway at a mere cost of $10 and a carrying capacity of about 900 people, makes this park a jewel of local and international TOP: Kaddu Sebunya, at Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary. tourism. This means more tourists BELOW: Kaddu Sebunya, and Kenneth Kimitei, AWF Senior Landscape Ecologist- and therefore more income for Tsavo Program on a tour of the Ngulia Sanctuary fence.

APRIL - JUNE 2021 | 15 Kaddu Sebunya, speaks to members of the Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association (TTWCA).

multi-sectoral partnership -- NGOs, The predominant message that towered the private sector, local governments through my conversations with partners and and the Kenya Wildlife Service -- to stakeholders within the region was the buoyant develop solutions such as increased patrols, training of first responders hope and inevitable return of tourism. and supporting the development of land-use plans. The involvement of the national government and local It is a fallacy to think of youth in conservancies such a LUMO counties within the park and its conservation as separate from can play a huge role in ensuring surroundings – an engine to spur economic development. It is community self-reliance, which is the rural development. an integral part of economic key to sustainability. It is on this note that I must echo development. The Kenyan The predominant message that that we Africans must reclaim our government should see the towered through my conversations spot as Africa’s ambassadors. This is potential of Tsavo and allocate with partners and stakeholders within the time to set our sights on visiting the necessary resources to build the region was the buoyant hope and the beautiful continental nature that and expand its tourism capability. inevitable return of tourism. It is very we boast of. Local governments must also do encouraging to witness a seemingly From the mountain gorillas in the same as the potential for return unshaken sector that is gearing for a Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable on investments is high – revenue bigger and better tourism boom. Park, the bonobo monkeys in the allocation in counties towards To my fellow Africans, your Democratic Republic of the Congo, conservation and tourism should be continent awaits you! Happy and safe the rich biodiversity of Okavango high on their agendas. travels! Delta in Botswana and the ecological The park is facing challenges magnificence of Mana Pools National such as increased encroachment on KADDU K. SEBUNYA is Park in Zimbabwe are all yearning for habitat conservation, fires, a rise in the CEO of African Wildlife Africans to learn about their habits human-wildlife conflict and a spike Foundation. and history to pass on to younger in illegal bushmeat trade. These generations. threats can be combated through

16 | APRIL - JUNE 2021 ACACIA ADVENTURE HERITAGE HOTELS OFFBEAT SAFARIS LTD HOLIDAYS LTD HIGHLIGHT TRAVEL LTD OLONANA AFRICAN CONSERVATION CENTRE HILLCREST INTERNATIONAL OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY AFRICAN QUEST SAFARIS SCHOOLS ORIGINS SAFARIS AFRICAN SAFARI COMPANY HOOPOE ADVENTURE TOURS TZ AFRICAN WILD LIFE FOUNDATION IDEAL TOURS AND TRAVEL PEAK EAST AFRICA LTD AFRICA HOUSE SAFARIS INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR POLLMAN’S TOURS & AIR TRAVEL AND RELATED ANIMAL WELFARE SAFARIS LTD ANNE KENT TAYLOR JAMES FINLAY (KENYA) LTD RED LANDS ROSES LTD ASHNIL HOTELS JUJA PREPARATORY SCHOOL ROBIN HURT SAFARIS (K) LTD ASILIA KENYA LTD RONDO RETREAT CENTRE ATUA ENKOP AFRICA LTD KAREN GABLES AUTOGRAPH SAFARIS KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE SAFE RIDE TOURS & SAFARIS LTD KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE SAFARIS UNLIMITED (A) LIMITED BARNES D G INSTITUTE SARUNI SAFARI CAMP BASECAMP EXPLORER KER & DOWNEY SAFARIS LTD SATAO CAMP BORANA RANCH KIBO SLOPES SAFARIS LTD SATAO ELERAI LIMITED BUSH AND BEYOND KIBO AFRICA LTD SEIYA LTD KICHECHE MARA CAMP SOMAK TRAVEL LTD CAMP KENYA LTD KILIMA CAMP SOPA LODGES KENYA CENTRE FOR WILDLIFE MGT. SOUTHERN CROSS SAFARIS LTD STUDIES LAFARGE ECO SYSTEMS SOSIAN LODGE CHEMICALS & SOLVENTS (EA) LTD LET’S GO TOURS (SWITZERLAND) SIRAI MANAGEMENT LTD COTTARS CAMP LET’S GO TRAVEL SIRIKOI LTD CONSERVATION EQUITY LIMITED LLOYD MASIKA LTD SOUTHERN SUN MAYFAIR LOISABA CONSERVANCY NAIROBI DISCOVER KENYA SAFARIS STRATHMORE LAW SCHOOL MALIBA PHARMACY LIMITED SUNRISE OF AFRICA SCHOOL ELEWANA MAHALI MZURI MANAGEMENT LTD SWEDISH SCHOOL EL KARAMA TOURISM & MARA-MERU CHEETAH PROJECT WILDLIFE LIMITED MARA CONSERVATION FUND TAWI LODGE MASAI MARA WILDLIFE TAMARIND MANAGEMENT FINCH HATTONS LUXURY CONSERVANCIES ASSOCIATION UNITED MILLERS LTD TENTED CAMP MICATO SAFARIS UNGA GROUP LTD FOUR SEASONS SAFARI LODGE MINET KENYA INSURANCE SERENGETI (TZ) BROKERS LTD VINTAGE AFRICA LTD FRIENDS OF MAU WATERSHED MPALA RESEARCH CENTRE (FOMAWA) MWEKA COLLEGE OF AFRICA WETLANDS INTERNATIONAL WILD LIFE MANAGEMENT (TZ) WILDERNESS LODGES GAMEWATCHERS SAFARIS MUTHAIGA COUNTRY CLUB WILDLIFE SAFARI KENYA GREAT PLAINS WILLIAMSON TEA (K) LTD CONSERVATION LTD NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT WILDERBEEST TRAVELS LTD MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (NEMA) HARRY P EWELL NAIBOR CAMPS

APRILAPRIL - - JUNE JUNE 2021 2021 || 1717 18 | APRIL - JUNE 2021 CONSERVATION

Wildbook for Zebra A Lifeline for Grevy’s Zebra Understanding basic zebra social interactions will elucidate the family structure, instances of inbreeding and how different herds mix.

logistics coordinator hopes that by June 2021 LEFT the research centre can once again welcome A Grevy’s zebra. school trips. For now, virtual means will have BELOW t Mpala Research Centre, a living to suffice. Grevy’s zebra live in laboratory of nearly 50,000 acres The director of Mpala Centre, Dino Martins, herds but are loosely set in central Kenya’s stunning embodies the effervescence of someone who social animals that ALaikipia County between the loves what he does: communicating the power do not have concrete catchments of Ewaso Ny’iro and Ewaso Narok of biodiversity while advocating for citizen social systems. A Rivers, school kids hailing from all parts of science. The energy he radiates is palpable, stallion’s attachment Kenya are welcomed to learn about and spot even over an audio call. He says that one of to his land and a mare’s attachment Grevy’s zebras. the most fun things about the long-running to her young are They grab the provisional GPS cameras and Grevy’s zebra project in conjunction with the most stable assemble in groups, excited about spending Princeton University, now entering its sixth relationships. the day in the bush. The ease with which year, is working with kids. “They wield the they navigate technology shows their natural technology better than adults,” said Martins. affinity with technology -- they are truly the “It comes that much more naturally to them.” tech generation. This was pre-pandemic. Grevy’s zebra is the rarest species of zebra Unfortunately, as COVID-19 has shut down in the world. A tiny population is found nearly every institution around the globe to in southern Ethiopia, but the majority are some extent, operations at Mpala have yet distributed across Kenya. During the drive not returned to full capacity. Cosmas, the to Mpala, it feels quite decadent to see the

APRIL - JUNE 2021 || 19 CONSERVATION

One of the main goals of the long-running project at Mpala is to decode the population structure of the zebras.

Kenya is at the heart of some of the most TOP exciting conservation projects given its Research assistants astounding indigenous biodiversity. Wildbook driving out into the bush for the day's for Zebra is one such cutting-edge project. fieldwork. Daniel Rubenstein is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton BELOW University has spearheaded this Grevy A research assistant zebra project since its inception in 2012. demarcating a plot zebras scattered along the side of the road, His research focuses on decision-making in for analysis of animal dung and prints. grazing while intermingled between dik- animals -- how ecological circumstances, diks, giraffes, and even elephants. One of the other individuals in the population, and main goals of the long-running project at phenotype dictate animals’ foraging, mating, Mpala is to decode the population structure and social behaviour. In the 1970s, there were of the zebras. This starts with researchers an estimated 15,000 Grevy’s zebras across familiarizing themselves with individual Kenya, but their number had by the 2000s zebras, a task most easily accomplished with dwindled to 3,000 due to a combination photos of individuals, providing the who, of poaching and encroachment into their where, and when fundamental information habitat. that builds up a database for understanding To unpack the population structure of any social structures. As researchers demystify species, one first needs to know exactly how the population structure, they can to start many individuals there are. Grevy’s zebras forming narratives of Grevy’s behaviour, are territorial. Dominant individuals control vital information essential to understanding watering holes and other key resources. genealogy and thoroughly understanding keys Understanding basic zebra social interactions to adaptivity. will elucidate the family structure, instances

20 | APRIL - JUNE 2021 CONSERVATION

of inbreeding and how different herds mix. As Rubenstein and his team determine the genetic structure through the movements of individual zebras, they can conclude whether movements are simply a shell game of fixed populations moving around, or if it leads to remixing and resorting. “It all starts with identity, stripe recognition -- who’s who -- and “Whether it’s the land, individual choices, TOP LEFT parentage, which populations are throwing or climate change, engaging people with the A zebra camera out more offspring, which individuals are animals through this project wakes them trap set up in a tree, where it is less likely more reproductively successful,” he said. up to the fact that animals are just like us to be disturbed by “Then we get into genetic screening, what -- complex, emotional, and vulnerable,” said elephants. makes them more successful than others. Is Martins. it something about their neurology processes, “Zebras are naturally barcoded to be ‘read’ TOP RIGHT & BELOW kidneys, digestive systems? We’re looking as an individual,’ Martins explained. “But the Camera trap images for particular combinations of genes for potential is there for this kind of software to of the Grevys at night. optimal fitness, and starting to put together adapt to any animal with patternings, such an understanding of what traits may account as spots or stripes. So far, they’ve tried it on for differences in reproductive ability and big cats, wild dogs, whales sharks, and of potential.” course giraffes.” As long as the animal has Rubenstein described how during school a quantifiable coat pattern, a uniqueness field trips to Mpala Centre, they would that provides a visible surface for individual distribute xeroxed pictures of giraffes to animal traceability, researchers can discern school kids to count, a tedious task rife with the feasibility in quantifying tracking human error. Wouldn’t it be better to let a potential. machine do this, he would pose to the kids. Michael Brown, currently a Conservation This demonstration had two important Science Fellow at the Smithsonian, was lessons: 1) Technology matters in the real the Project Manager at the Laikipia Zebra world 2) Skills with technology can open a Project back in 2013. He said that it has been door to the future, perhaps even inspiring a neat journey following the progression of some students to pursue STEM education, the software and seeing the different ways one of the most stable pathways to a middle- it presently manifests. “The goal of the class lifestyle. tracking software has always been to integrate While Kenyans are proud of their iconic automation with traditional conservation African wildlife and endangered species, it can ideals and processes.” be difficult to make the connection between By applying computer vision algorithms and animals and the broader environment. deep learning to identify and track individual

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zebras across hundreds of thousands of TOP photos, researchers could quickly identify Within the herd, patterns in the natural world, a process that dominance is relatively nonexistent, may otherwise take years. “A lot of time used except for the right a to be spent managing and processing data. territorial male has Wildbook was developed to address those to a breeding female. inefficiencies,” said Brown. If no females are Another issue that came with managing the around, the resident male will associate Approximate number of mature national Grevy's zebra database boiled down with bachelor males Grevy's zebras left in the wild. to logistics. All data had to be consolidated in a friendly manner. on a single hard drive. Partner organizations would have to bring their hard disks to centralize all the information on a designated computer at Mpala Centre. Diversifying sources of information welcome the engagement of “citizen scientists”– laypeople who are encouraged to participate in scientific conservation. The groundwork behind this concept is open Percentage of population decline of source -- anyone who takes pictures may Grevy's zebras in the last three deacdes. contribute to the scientific process. Of course, challenges both in theory and implementation persist. From a temporal perspective, progress in building a national database has been slow. “There is a need for long-term interdisciplinary collaborations, insights from real-world conservation practitioners and ecologists in the field, and Percentage of population decline of a need to exercise caution when engaging Grevy's zebras in the last three deacdes. with deep learning systems, data sharing, and objective reporting,” said Rubenstein. Software is further refined and tweaked and

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researchers remain cognizant of the inevitable fieldwork to advise conservancies and ranch TOP drawbacks that come with dependence on managers on the best strategies to conserve Rosemary and her data of unpredictable quality. Grevy’s. Previously, Mpala would send hard team during a Zoom training call with the By taking photos of individuals -- zebras drives’ worth of data back to Princeton for Princeton team, as in this case -- one helps not only with processing. But this newest iteration of they learn about the tracking individuals and contributing to Wildbook may finally allow the Mpala team to latest updates for a long-running database but training the analyze their data in-house. Wildbook. software machinery itself. Machine learning is Wildbook has come a long way from intrinsically tedious as they process massive its early stages. The algorithm has only data sets -- approximately 15 per cent of improved in accuracy and speed over the (high-quality) images are needed to train years. Brown now focuses on giraffes and the algorithm and devalue information from uses GiraffeSpotter to similarly track and bad pictures to place different weight on understand giraffes to coordinate optimal poor images. Consistency and redundancy conservation actions with park rangers as in conservation systems will truly utilize needed. deep learning. The bi-directional flow of Since 2015, the population of Rothchild’s information from the public to researchers giraffe in Murchison Falls in north-western contributes to the democratization of science. Uganda has more than doubled. With “It gives policymakers assurance that the each successful translocation effort, local public is involved with the scientific process engagement with conservation efforts on the and keeps them accountable for making ground is boosted. decisions based on the data,” said Rubenstein. Although technology is commonly thought “We are encouraging people who do not of as countering a deeper involvement or necessarily consider themselves scientists to connection with nature, Wildbook proves the take part and contribute to the conservation antithesis. By promoting direct involvement of one of Kenya’s most iconic species,” with the project, the project heartens said Martins. As the process increases in feelings of closeness and excitement about transparency, there are increased avenues for conservation within an urbanized population. ecological conservation to percolate into more mainstream culture. “These projects open new avenues for engaging with people,” added KANG-CHUN CHENG is a Nairobi- Brown. based freelance environment Rosemary Warungu, the Project Manager photojournalist with an interest for the Princeton Zebra project, is passionate in community-based natural about using her years of expertise and resources management.

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Ali Skanda: Lamu’s Master Dhow Maker adds Environmentalist to his Name Over time, the plastic disintegrates into microplastics that are easily digested by marine animals that we eat and plastic trash ends up in our digestive tract.

had to be done. His business was about BELOW selling holiday destinations and this was not Ali Skanda, master helping. A dhow sailing by became his eureka dhow craftsman sailing a dhow in dhow of many happy colours moment. Why not build a dhow with the Lamu. stands anchored on the shores plastic trash and sail it around to spread the of Lake Victoria at the port city message about plastic waste to have people Aof Kisumu on the Kenyan side. shun this ubiquitous material in our midst? It’s not any ordinary dhow as the locals find A sobering thought: Every single out. This uniquely amazing dhow is made plastic thing we manufacture and from 100 per cent recycled plastic waste, the use will be around for thousands first of its kind in the world, the first to sail of years. between the isles of Lamu and Zanzibar and Morrison shared his idea the first to circumnavigate the world’s largest with an old school friend from tropical lake – with one clear message: We’re Kenya, Dipesh Pabari, who dumping the earth and her waters with too hails from Kisumu. Pabari was much plastic waste! already leading campaigns It’s got to stop. against plastic and involved Building the plastic dhow christened with an outdoor adventure the ‘Flipflopi’ is the brainchild of Ben and education Morrison, your everyday ordinary company. Pabari guy who was relaxing on the beach jumped at the in Zanzibar one fine day in 2015. opportunity to be Then came a wave of plastic part of the team debris and the pristine powder- and became a white beach turned into a co-founder of the dumpsite. project. The angst in Morrison Morrison’s turned into a call for next step was action. Something to find a dhow

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A youthful Skanda in his 30s had already built his own TOP Ali Skanda by his dhow, christened Lamu, meticulously following every dhow, Lamu, at his detail including using copper nails made in his boatyard by boat yard in Lamu. another accomplished ‘fundi’ specializing in his art of nails. fundi (craftsman) who could take on the plastic waste. And l said yes,” says Skanda challenge because traditional dhows that have now in his mid-40s, tall and lean showing sailed the oceans for thousands of years are us around his yard where he is working on made of hardwoods like teak and mahogany. restoring another dhow, a 20-metre-long, Morrison met Ali Skanda in Lamu, a dhow seven-metre-wide jahazi (boat) called fundi who comes from a long lineage of Utamaduni (Kiswahili for culture) with a master craftsmen. His grandfather is the man 4.5-metre height. behind the wooden carved door gracing the Built in the 1970s in Matandoni, the parliament building in Nairobi. The wooden neighbouring village famed for its dhow- carved doors of the East African coast are making skills, its launch was like a wedding steeped in history and from the many styles feast, with song and dance and food for the of carving, the origins of the carvers can be whole village. That was normal for dhow traced to the east. Those dated before 1946 launches back then. The Utamaduni even are gazetted. Needless to say, they are much sailed as far north as Egypt. sought after collectors’ items. Then came the crash in the tourist trade and A youthful Skanda in his 30s had already the jahazi lay neglected for many years – until built his own dhow, christened Lamu, the new owners came. In the hands of Skanda meticulously following every detail including and his team of fundis, the dhow’s being using copper nails made in his boatyard by lovingly restored including replacing every another accomplished ‘fundi’ specializing single iron nail with a copper one, again made in his art of nails. Copper nails unlike the on site by the nail fundi, one of a handful left ordinarily used iron nails do not rust. on Lamu. “Morrison asked me if it was possible to Many of these skills are being lost with few build a dhow from 100 per cent recycled specialized craftsmen carrying out their family

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trade. “This is probably the last jahazi that the sand. “I’m also an environmentalist now,” TOP LEFT will be restored in Lamu,” continues Skanda he states matter-of-factly. Women waiting for standing by the huge dhow. “It’s just too At some point, plastic trash ends up in their trash bags to be weighed at Takataka expensive to build or even maintain them.” the ocean. Over time, it disintegrates into Foundation. It will be the end of an era for the wooden microplastic that is easily digested by marine jahazi which is a uniquely Lamu design with animals – anywhere from turtles, sharks to BELOW LEFT a standing front and a flat back unlike the tiny fish. We eat the fish and the plastic trash Plastic waste being ‘booms’ or the larger dhows of the Arab and ends up in our digestive tract. weighed at Takataka Indian ocean traders that were a common Lying in Skanda’s workshop is a plastic Foundation to be sight in Lamu until the 1970s when the port shredder to turn the non-biodegradable repurposed. was moved to Mombasa. “The jahazi is easier plastic into usable material – anywhere from RIGHT to load and more comfortable,” adds Skanda. tiles to fashion accessories. Waste is the new Lamu man ferrying Increasingly seen on the Lamu waters urban mine – and Takataka’s force is to create plastic waste to are the Mozambique dhows either built of a positive example of how single-use plastic Takataka Foundation. hardwood or fibre-glass that are wider and can have a second life. easier to maintain. Flipflopi Takataka Foundation Combining traditional dhow building “I didn’t learn how to build dhows at school,” techniques with pioneering new techniques, says Skanda. “I started carving in my father’s Skanda and his team crafted a world-first. The workshop when l was 12 years old.” It’s a skill hull and deck of the dhow are covered with passed on from generation to generation. re-purposed flip-flops – to be exact 30,000 “Just because a plastic dhow made from -- the footwear of three billion people and the takataka (waste) had never been crafted, most common item found during the team’s didn’t mean it could never be done.” beach clean-ups. The flipflop lent its name to Heaps of plastic waste collected from the the dhow, aptly named “The Flipflopi”. Lamu beachfront and town spearheaded by After its successful maiden voyage to Skanda’s Takataka Foundation lie neatly on Zanzibar from Skanda’s famous boatyard

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on the historical isle of Lamu that boasts a continuous Swahili settlement from 700 years ago in Lamu Stone Town that is a World Heritage Site, the Flipflopi team has now embarked on an even bigger project. It’s to sail to India and beyond along the trade routes of the monsoon winds used by the ancient mariners. Again, it will be a world-first in a 100 per cent recycled plastic dhow made by Skanda and his team of fundis. The 20-metre long, 60-tonne dhow covered in 285,000 flip-flops Construction is to start soon and it will take 14 months for the larger Flipflopi to sail around the world, seen and heard by an The material to be used – anyone’s guess? TOP & BELOW estimated 4.8 billion people… more than Plastic trash. The making of half the Earth’s human population. At the In 2014, Skanda donated his dhow, Lamu’s Flipflopi in Lamu at Ali Skanda's boat yard helm will be Skanda again who besides little sister to the Smithsonian Museum in Lamu. The Flipflopi being a master carver, dhow builder and in Washington DC. His work is found is the world’s first environmentalist is a born sailor. in museums and collections around the sailing boat made The expedition as with every other world, including the National Museum in entirely from waste expedition will stop at many ports to urge the Washington DC. plastic and flip- world to stop the use of noxious materials that Morrison’s mission: ‘a world without single- flops collected from are harmful to all life on Earth – such as your use plastics’. He is convinced that plastic is beaches and towns on the Kenyan coast. ordinary plastic straw, cling wrap, ear-bud far too valuable, versatile and often beautiful and countless more. to be used just once and thrown away. It can Sailing in tow will be the Utamaduni. be re-purposed – but not at the expense of “Dhow building is a dying art,” says Skanda creating more single-use plastic. looking at the Utamaduni. “My dream is to The Takataka Team: Ali, and his team of open an Institute for Dhow Builders so that boatbuilders: Hassan, Ahmad, Abu, Rashidi the art is not lost.” and Hannah Evans. They are working at the

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Year researcher Biginagwa et al. analyzed the gut contents of Nile Perch and Nile Tilapia in Lake Victoria By introducing and encouraging small (or TOP - resident fish populations in Lake large) scale circular economies around the Flipflopi on inaugural Victoria. Microplastics were found in 20% lake, not only can plastic be recycled but it can sail to Zanzibar of the fish they tested. from Lamu. The also stimulate employment. Flipflopi is an Throughout the dhow expeditions, the initiative showcasing Flipflopis team will be highlighting local alternative uses of innovators and creating toolkits and training plastic waste and for small businesses interested in moving the possibilities of towards a circular economy model. circular economy Year a research team led by Egessa and The team hopes that if we can illustrate the approaches. Over a his colleagues wanted to identify if there three-week period, was plastic found along the shores and viability of a circular model we can drastically Flipflopi will sail from in the sediment. They took a total of 18 reduce the amount of plastic left to waste Kisumu, Kenya to samples from six beaches of differing on the shores of Lake Victoria or the Indian several locations in uses in northern Lake Victoria. Plastics Ocean or any other water body. Uganda and Tanzania, were found to be present at all but one of raising awareness the samples tested. and inspiring Log on to Flipflopi’s exciting website to communities to learn more about the amazing ground- adopt circular-waste breaking project sailing the world: solutions to beat workspace in Lamu every day, exploring the plastic pollution. properties of the recycled materials and using https://www.theflipflopi.com/ their boat building knowledge to work out For more information or a tour how to turn all the plastic waste into a solid contact: takatakafoundation@ and strong sailing boat. gmail.com “We want to promote small-scale projects in the region to embed circular economy solutions that give plastic a second life and bring wealth to communities,” said Dipesh RUPI MANGAT writes about travel Pabari. “This includes our soon to be launched and environmental issues and is Kisumu Waste Innovation Hub, which will the editor of the Wildlife Clubs of collect, recycle, and repurpose plastic waste Kenya magazine, Komba. around the city.”

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Elephant Poacher Kingpins go Free: Injustice or Incompetence? A technicality can always be found to exonerate a wildlife crimes suspect, judges have considerable discretionary powers.

ivory seizures between 2006 and 2014 in BELOW Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Sri Elephants in Tanzania Lanka, Malaysia, Dubai, Singapore, Malawi, before the 2008 start of the poaching etween 2006 and 2015, the Uganda and Kenya, totalling more than 50 holocaust. Selous elephant population in Tanzania tonnes of ivory. Many seizures have not been Game Reserve, plummeted from 135,000 to just DNA tested, so the total could be higher. Tanzania’s largest B50,000. In the Selous-Mikumi Analysis of large ivory seizures dating back protected area, ecosystem in the southeast, one of the largest to 2006 made by TRAFFIC, an international was home to one areas of wilderness left in Africa, elephant NGO that monitors illegal wildlife trade, of the greatest numbers plunged from more than 70,000 to a showed that Tanzania-northern-Mozambique concentrations of African elephants pitiful 15,000. The Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem was the most significant poaching hotspot in on the continent, tumbled from over 35,000 to only 14,300. Africa. but rampant ivory The situation was just as dire in Two men were key in organising, poaching has seen the Mozambique, south of Tanzania, where supervising and providing arms to at least 20 population reduced by elephants dropped from roughly 15,000 in the poaching gangs that operated in Tanzania and 90 per cent in fewer Niassa-Quirimbas area to only 5,600 over the northern Mozambique during the poaching than 40 years. same nine-year period. crisis period. They provided ivory to Yang The great majority of these elephant losses “Ivory Queen” Fenglan, the Chinese Shuidong were due to poaching for their ivory tusks, Network and to Vietnamese traffickers linked which ended up as carvings and chopsticks in to the Kromah trafficking syndicate, now on eastern Asia. trial in the Southern District of New York. DNA analysis by Samuel Wasser’s team These poaching kingpins are named at the University of Washington showed Boniface Malyongo, a.k.a. Shetani hana that Tanzanian and Mozambican poached huruma in Kiswahili (“Satan who has no elephants were involved in at least 20 major mercy”), and Mateso “Chupi” Kasian. They

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Shetani’s crimes were the focus of a Netflix documentary film, The Ivory Game, produced by actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

reported his whereabouts in the outskirts of Dar [es Salaam]. “The evidence we have against Shetani is crushing. He is the major supplier of weapons, ammunition and cars to poaching syndicates operating across the country and beyond.” Shetani was sentenced to 12 years in prison alongside his brother, Lucas Mathayo Malyongo and Abdallah Ally Chaoga, much to the satisfaction of law enforcement and conservation NGOs that had worked so hard to bring his operation down.

Mateso As soon as Mateso began operations running elephant poaching gangs in northern Mozambique, perhaps as early as 2009, more elephants began to die. When Mateso was finally arrested on July 11, 2017, in TOP are hardened criminals that Tanzanian and Mozambique, elephant poaching dropped Boniface Malyongo, Mozambican law enforcement chased for precipitously, the poachers’ main weapons ‘Shetani’, ran at years. supplier and ivory buyer was behind bars. least 15 poaching The Mozambique law enforcement gangs in Tanzania that killed thousands Shetani authorities holding Mateso were eager to get of elephants and Shetani’s crimes were the focus of a Netflix the poaching boss to Tanzania to face trial supplied ivory documentary film, The Ivory Game, produced for crimes he was charged with there because to major wildlife by actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The elephant they feared his high up political connections traffickers. conservation world rejoiced when Shetani in Mozambique would make sure he was was arrested in October 2015 accused freed. A local intelligence source said “he has BELOW Mateso Kasian, a of trafficking 118 tusks worth more than two ministers backing him”, as well as police Tanzanian, started $850,000, just one of his many crimes. officials and scouts working inside Niassa and poaching in the A senior Tanzanian government official the Quirimbas National Park. Selous-Mikumi area described the arrest as a major breakthrough Mateso was duly deported to Tanzania and of southern Tanzania, in the fight against poaching syndicates in his in January 2018 he was arraigned in Lindi, then moved to Niassa. country: “After the arrest of the Ivory Queen, a large coastal town 450 kilometres south of Shetani became enemy number one. We have the capital Dar es Salaam. He was charged TOP RIGHT The Ivory Game been hunting him since June of 2014. He with a 2008 arrest in which he was caught poster. has evaded arrest, again and again, slipping with six tusks in the town of Liwale looking away at least seven times, but this time we for a buyer. Mateso had escaped and fled to caught him, in a wild manhunt after informers Mozambique.

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After his 2017 arrest, Mateso is still in he allegedly bought with ivory proceeds. TOP prison awaiting trial, more than three years The appeal judge argued that a light Ivory and weapons after his arraignment. He applied for bail, but sentence was justified because Mateso had recovered from Mateso and his gang. the court rejected it in March 2018. saved the court time and money by confessing Poaching operations and that he was a first offender. in Africa have Further developments I am wondering, did not the prosecution grown increasingly In searching online recently for news of what point out that Mateso had been arrested in sophisticated with might be happening in the Mateso case, I 2008 in Liwale and fled to Mozambique? The injections of large came across another case involving him from Tanzanian and Mozambican authorities had amounts of cash 2016. This case had no media coverage at been closely liaising since 2014 on elephant from foreign ivory traffickers resulting all, strangely, given that he was such a high poaching, surely the prosecution must have in professionalized profile criminal. known about Mateso’s conviction in 2017 for ivory poaching gangs Mateso was arrested with three others holding false Mozambique identity papers and armed with high- and charged with “selling and transporting his six months in prison there? First offender? powered hunting elephant tusks valued at Tanzania shillings Similarly, I discovered that Boniface rifles and AK-47s. 388,800,000”, at the time about $169,000. Malyango and his brother Lucas had been He pleaded guilty, there was no trial, and he freed on appeal in June 2020. There was only was fined the equivalent of a little over $200, one small local Tanzanian press report on it. with two houses he owned seized. And it turns out that this was a second The prosecution was aggrieved at such a appeal. They had lost a first appeal case light sentence and appealed, arguing that the in September 2018 in which Judge Latiffa legal statute under which he was convicted Mansoor of the High Court in Dodoma calls for a fine of not less than twice the value stated that the court was satisfied with the of the trophy or imprisonment for a term of evidence that was used to jail Malyango and not less than two years, but not exceeding five his accomplices, although she did expunge years, or both. The fine therefore should have the caution statement because the trial court been $338,000, not $215. failed to determine its voluntariness before In November 2020, the appeal judge upheld it was exhibited as evidence. According to the minuscule fine and nullified the seizure of Judge Mansoor, “the court is satisfied that the houses! Mateso could keep the properties the suspect was found engaging in poaching

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LEFT The area shown on this map was the source of ivory for two of Africa’s biggest poaching gang bosses.

Elephant poaching dropped from almost 100 killed a day a few years ago to very low levels now largely because poachers like Shetani and Mateso were arrested. If the courts are going to free them, law enforcement authorities will ask themselves “why bother”? The poaching could start up again. These criminals should serve prison time.

activities and was found in possession of that dragged through Kenyan courts for years. ivory”. Feisal was eventually convicted of possessing Where was the infuriated outcry from and transporting over two tonnes of ivory conservationists and the media? Did they in Mombasa and sentenced to 20 years. An even know that the biggest poaching kingpin appeal court overturned it and freed him. in Tanzania had been freed? Is it a case of training police personnel Shetani Malyango had also confessed how to collect statements correctly, including to his crime, like Mateso. But the Court of confessions, physical evidence and chain of Appeal in the second appeal case ruled that custody procedures? Or is there corruption the confession in the absence of acceptable in the courts? If one looks hard enough a corroborating evidence was not sufficient technicality can always be found to exonerate grounds to convict. There were ivory shards the accused, judges have considerable in Malyango’s vehicle, which he admitted discretionary powers. were ivory, even describing to police a hidden If the courts continue to ensure that compartment where tusks were stored during wildlife trafficking kingpins walk free based transport, but the second appeal judge threw on technicalities, what chance is there of it all out because Malyango had not been protecting wildlife species from poachers? warned by police that his words could be used against him in court. With Chupi, the confession alone was enough; with Shetani it was not enough. DAN STILES has been researching There are similar cases of courts protecting natural resource use and high-level wildlife traffickers from prison in management in Africa and Asia Kenya and South Africa. Many will be familiar since the 1970s, specializing in illegal wildlife trade since the 1990s. with the infamous Feisal Mohammed Ali case

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Bringing Nature to a Main Road in Nairobi From bare earth to grass and trees, and then the frogs showed up.

planted over 3,500 trees: Nyari 700; Spring BELOW Valley 118; Hillview 600; Lower Kabete Road Planting the 200; Kihingo 700; and Kitisuru 1,250. roundabout on 15 December 2019: it airobi’s new Waiyaki Way-Red With each group focused on its locality, was hot and dry. After Hill Link Road opened to traffic there was no overarching plan. But almost the grass died, we in September 2019, offering a without realizing it, we were building learned to time our Nfast connection for thousands of Nairobi’s urban forest. planting with vehicles. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization the rains. But its road reserve was a bleak eyesore – (FAO) (2016) defines urban forest as “all bare earth without a blade of grass, let alone woodlands, groups of trees, and individual INSERT The roundabout a trees. Pernicious plants were encroaching trees located in urban areas” including year later with white- and soil running off, polluting the Getathuru, street trees. Today a healthy urban forest flowering Bauhinia. Gataara and Spring Valley Rivers. Local is known to be vital for the well-being of a homeowners were dismayed. city’s residents. Among its many benefits Then something great happened. The are “ameliorating a city’s environmental Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) gave footprint”. the communities that bordered the road My community addressed the roundabout permission to beautify it, instructing explicitly at the top of Peponi Road and four slip roads. that they plant it with indigenous trees. We started work on 15 December 2019, a date This was an open-minded decision. To emblazoned on my mind. For months we had date, six neighbourhoods along the road have stared at the bare land. Now it was happening!

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This became our standard operating procedure: dig, TOP LEFT Forester Orwa manure, mulch, plant trees, plant grass. spacing out tree holes January 2020. We grassed the roundabout and planted This became our standard operating BELOW LEFT a few trees as well as wild banana to give an procedure: dig, manure, mulch, plant trees, The same stretch exuberant green. But the rains were ending, plant grass. And over the past 16 months, we of road verge in and the grass all died. We knew we needed did it many times, planting 700 trees, over March 2021. help and approached a nearby nursery and a kilometre of grass, and transporting loads asked the owner, Anne Jelimo, if she might of leaves from where I live and the ICRAF RIGHT like to be involved. We said we would pay and campus. This made a big difference to the soil. The team weeds a buy plants and manure as well. She agreed. We drew our ideas of what to plant from a section with Meru Oak, Euphorbia, We also reached out to former chief list of trees from the Nairobi City Council and canna lilies, and forester, John Orwa, who had just retired Orwa’s knowledge of which indigenous trees wild banana. from running Karura for 17 years and had would thrive in this zone that was formerly a planted street trees in the suburb of Muthaiga. tropical dry upland montane forest. He said yes too, and suddenly we had a team. Our first planting consisted of 14 species: We spent early January preparing a long Croton megalocarpus, Cordia africana, stretch. We dug it and removed rubble left Teclea nobilis, Markhamia lutea, Warburgia from the road construction, placing it to ugandensis, Newtonia buchananii, Prunus catch rain and hold the soil. We put manure, africana, Spathodea campanulata (Nandi and we mulched with chopped up invasives Flame), Olea welwitschia (Elgon Olive), Vitex like Tithonia that were proliferating on the keniensis (Meru Oak), Albizia gummifera, surrounding land. Trichilia emetica, Millettia dura, and Sapium Orwa found us 125 trees from Kenya Forest ellipticum. Service and other nurseries. We had our first We were proud of this choice of species. The big planting on 21 January, Orwa spacing the Meru Oak grew especially fast. trees five metres apart. After we planted the Biologist Wanja Kinuthia of the Museums trees, we laid grass. of Kenya came to check what we were planting

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and endorsed our focus on diversity. TOP LEFT “Planting a very diverse range of trees is Only eleven months very important,” she said. “You increase other after planting, this Vitex keniensis (Meru diversity, like insects, birds and even soil Oak) shows that microorganisms. You get more stable soil. indigenous trees can With COVID, people have realized the value grow rapidly. of growing their own food. We need corridors of trees along roadways so pollinators can MIDDLE LEFT move.” A small ornamental We received other indigenous species from frangipani tree, red hot pokers and aloes. Ely Kogei, restoration officer of Karura Forest, and Mark Nicholson, Director of Plants for BELOW LEFT Life International at Brackenhurst Botanic A seedling of Garden in Tigoni, and my organization World Zanthozylum Agroforestry (ICRAF). usambarense, a Among them were Polyscias kikuyuensis, medicinal indigenous rainforest tree. Podocarpus falcata, Zanthoxylum gilletti, Bersama abyssinica, Margaritaria discoides, TOP RIGHT Rauvolfia caffra, Drypetes gerrardii, African A Common Reed olive (Olea europea ssp. cuspidata), African Frog (Hyperolius Juniper (Pencil Cedar or Juniperus procera), viridiflavus) Pittosporum viridiflorum, Tabernaemontana on a Markhamia stapfiana, Trichoclaudus ellipticus, Ochna lutea tree. holstii, Maesopsis eminii, Turraea holstii, and BELOW RIGHT Schrebera alata. Kleinia abyssinica, From Celia Hardy at Nairobi nursery a Kenyan flowering Plants Galore, we received Cape Chestnuts plant, one of the few (Calodendrum capense). This purple- in local nurseries.

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flowering tree is a wonderful substitute for Jacaranda, which is not a Kenyan tree. (You can see flourishing young specimens at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport). She also gave us Ruttya fruticosa, a Kenyan shrub with yellow-orange flowers. We planted mugumo (Ficus thonningii) and other big fig trees where we had room; swamp palm (Phoenix reclinata) towards the rivers; and four Gardenia volkensii on the are creating a habitat. Growing, the bypass LEFT A well camouflaged roundabout. We dotted around a few fruit trees are storing carbon and reducing air pollution. chameleon, a trees such as Ziziphus mauritiana and two Trioceros heohnelii. species of Syzygium (Mzambarau in Swahili, This is a project about social equity too. Jambula in Uganda). Most Nairobians lack access to green space. TOP RIGHT We decided not to remove any wildings We find people sitting on the grass under the The Kitisuru we found and thereby inherited other trees trees we planted. Recently a wedding party neighborhood group such as avocado, Australian bottle brush, took their photos on the roundabout. It has planted this thriving felt especially good to work on this during the “pocket forest” with native Acacia, Australian wattle, Euphorbia, Kenya Forest Service. Sesbania sesbans and Californian privet. We COVID-19 pandemic. now have close to 60 species. Regreening this Nairobi road with BELOW RIGHT For colour, we planted 150 hibiscus, indigenous trees has promoted Kenya’s tree A Trichilia emetica 200 agapanthus, aloes, red hot pokers, diversity and can be a model for East Africa sapling. This tree is salvias, cannas and wildflowers like Kleinia where roads are planted with exotics or not called Mururi in Gikuyu. abyssinica. We planted succulents on slopes. planted at all. We were always careful to plant trees three Imagine if Ugandan highways were planted metres or more away from the road so that with trees like Mvule. It would deliver benefits they did not pose a hazard to motorists or for nature and people and protect the roads damage the road with their roots. We avoided from the ravages of time and weather. thorny trees near where walkers might pass. You too could create an urban forest along a Many people donated to what we were road. Visitors are welcome! doing. We created green jobs. Over half of our expenditure was on the labour of our CATHY WATSON is Chief of dedicated team of four. Partnerships for the Center for Passersby expressed their appreciation. International Forestry Research Tree frogs of the genus Hyperolius took up and World Agroforestry (CIFOR- residence. Nyari reported a chameleon. We ICRAF).

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Snake Conservation and Conflict at Community Level In light of the heavy health and financial cost of snakebites, the best course of action for snake conservation and human lives is education and antivenom.

or many people, a trip to Bio-ken Snake Farm in the coastal Kenyan town of Watamu is their first Fencounter with snakes. Established in 1980 by herpetologist James Ashe, Bio-ken houses the largest inventory of snakes in East Africa. Their guides are exceptionally well informed and there is hardly a question they cannot answer. And if you are brave enough, they will let you hold a harmless snake. Beyond the tourism attraction, however, is an active snake retrieval service with Bio-ken responding to calls from across Kilifi County and beyond. On December 10, the snake farm reached a milestone with the capture of its 20,000th snake since 2002 when records were first kept. Snake conservation in Kenya is a multidisciplinary challenge of snake protection, public misinformation, human- wildlife conflict and the neglected health crisis of snakebite. Snakes are feared, misunderstood and likely to be killed on sight even though most are not harmful to humans. Of the 228 species in East Africa, only 50 are considered dangerous. These are two types of python and 48 venomous snakes. “Snakes are shy. They only fight when they are cornered venomous versus harmless snakes, snakebite TOP and only 23 of the dangerous species are and their importance to the ecosystem. Staff at the Bio-Ken known to have killed,” said Kyle Ray, curator Snakes feed on rats and other rodents, snake farm. of Bio-ken Snake Farm. playing an important role in controlling A key aspect of Bio-ken’s conservation BELOW vermin that spread disease and damage The Mt. Kenya work is community awareness by educating crops. They generally prefer avoiding human Bush viper (Atheris ordinary people confrontation and “80% of snakebites are dry, desaixi). about there is no venom involved,” says Ray. Now Bio-ken is taking its conservation message beyond Kilifi into other parts of the country,

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grew up around them. His parents kept a python and his uncle used to catch and release snakes. “By 8 years old I was hooked, and my first snake was a brown house snake,” said Ray. He started training with snakes at 13 years old, under the tutelage of the late Royjan Taylor, herpetologist and former director of Bio-ken. He worked his way up through the junior and senior ranks to become a qualified venomous snake handler. A full course takes three years and Bio- ken has 16 professionally trained handlers. Watching Ray manipulating a venous red spitting cobra at the seminar, he made it look so easy. “It's very dangerous. Never let your TOP RIGHT through snake awareness seminars to guard down and never try to show off,” he Kyle Ray, curater hotel staff, at tourist camps, schools and warned. Bio-ken snake farm. wildlife organisations. In December 2020, Bio-ken responds to snake calls from as I participated in a seminar in Nairobi far away as the Masai Mara Game Reserve. TOP LEFT With an African rock conducted by Kyle Ray. We learned how They have a network of snake catchers spread python at Bio-ken. to identify commonly occurring snakes, around the country. After a thorough health snakebite first aid and that most snake check, the captured snakes are later released BELOW LEFT deterrents do not work. More effective are into the wild, far away from human contact, Milking a venomous simple measures like clearing bushes around or they go into Bio-ken’s venom extraction snake at Bio-ken . homes, sleeping off the ground and proper programme. Call-outs are also an opportunity storage of domestic items. to educate people on the importance of snakes And if you spot a snake? “Please don't kill and mitigation measures. it, call us and we will take it away,” says Ray. Bio-ken has built a solid reputation for Bio-ken operates a 24-hour helpline and will snake conservation and community awareness retrieve snakes from premises at no cost. Ray in Kilifi County. However, human-snake has loved snakes since he was a child and conflict around the country remains a major

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Bio-ken has built a solid reputation for snake conservation TOP and community awareness in Kilifi County. Head of a black mamba snake at the challenge with people dying unnecessarily or Bio-ken snake farm. Black mambas live sustaining lifelong injuries from snakebite. in the savannas and The problem disproportionately impacts poor rocky hills of southern rural communities that have limited access and eastern Africa. to quality healthcare. Furthermore, there They are Africa's is inadequate universal training of health longest venomous workers to deal with this type of emergency. Number of people in Kenya who die snake, reaching up to 14 feet in length, In Kenya, around 1,000 people die annually annually from snakebites. although 8.2 feet is from snakebite although the number probably more the average. even higher as many snakebite deaths go They are also among unreported. The World Health Organisation and is made from the venom of Asian the fastest snakes in (WHO) estimates that between 81,000 snake species, making it ineffective against the world, slithering and 138,000 people die annually from envenomation by African snakes. Another at speeds of up to 12.5 snakebite worldwide and 400,000 people reason to conserve Kenyan snakes and help miles per hour. are permanently disabled. The loss of a limb save human lives. can mean the loss of livelihood, leaving At present, there is no antiserum poor families with heavy economic burdens. production facility in Kenya and all serum In 2017, after many years of campaigning, must be procured from abroad. Bio-ken snakebite was declared one of the neglected holds live venom milking demonstrations for tropical diseases once again by the WHO. visitors daily, a small window into their larger, The only real cure for venomous snakebite behind-the-scenes venom extraction work for is antivenom. In 2018, I spoke with Royjan research purposes. Taylor about the problem of substandard The venom from Bio-ken is sent to a South antidotes. He said that historically, most African institute that manufactures polyvalent antiserum in Kenya originates from India antivenom against Africa snake species.

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Antivenom production still largely follows a technique developed in the late 1800s of injecting venom into horses or other large compensation scheme is now proposing LEFT mammals that have a natural resistance to the removal of snakes from the scheme. The author holding a snakebite. The antibodies are later extracted From a snake conservation perspective, this brown house snake. from the animal’s blood serum and refined is concerning because compensation for RIGHT into antivenom for human use. Bio-ken plans wildlife-related loses or injuries does help Snake handler Nancy to expand their research laboratory to enable to foster positive attitudes by communities Njeri with an Egyptian them to extract and supply venom from all towards wildlife protection. cobra. venomous species of East African snakes. In light of the heavy health and financial Clare Taylor is the operations manager at cost of snakebite, the best course of action Bio-ken and a trained medical nurse. She for snake conservation and human lives is regularly responds to snakebite calls, with education and antivenom. In March 2021, queries coming in from as far as Tanzania and Balala held a meeting with Bio-ken’s Clare Uganda. In a 2020 interview with Word on Taylor to discuss the need for a collaborative the Snake Vine, Taylor noted that “antivenom strategy between Bio-ken, Kenya Wildlife is the biggest problem now; effective, safe and Service, Wildlife Research and Training cost-effective antivenom.” A vial of antivenom Institute (WRTI) and health stakeholders costs upwards of $150 and patients may need in areas of community education, snakebite 5-10 vials or more for treatment. Since 2004 prevention and production of anti-venom. Bio-ken, through The James Ashe Antivenom Hopefully, this will herald a long overdue, Trust collaborates with county governments countrywide scheme for snake awareness and and medical facilities to bring safe, effective snakebite protocols. antidotes to hospitals and clinics, and to train health workers snakebite treatment. In 2020, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala, noted KARI MUTU is an independent writer for various newspapers and that 60 per cent of the five billion shillings magazines. ($46 million) in wildlife compensation claims were attributed to snakebite. Consequently, a ministerial taskforce on the human-wildlife

40 | APRIL APRIL - - JUNE JUNE 2021 2021 A Terrific Trio With constant pressure on the forest from the surrounding community, and the illegal felling of trees, the source of food, breeding sites and homes for not only parrots but other furred and feathered forest residents is also slowly diminishing.

No matter how many times I venture into TOP the forest, four to five times annually, I always Proud mother keeps have new experiences. September 2020 a vigilant watch over her offspring. ecember 2020 found me once provided me with opportunities to watch the again making tracks for Rondo local African Crowned Eagle pair that nests Retreat in the fascinating in the Rondo garden. These majestic birds DKakamega Rainforest situated mate for life. The female was sitting on eggs, north of Lake Victoria in western Kenya. This come rain or shine, while her mate flew in ancient forest is a veritable treasure trove, full the provisions. In 2016, this pair successfully of delightful discoveries. raised their first royal offspring, nicknamed Once spanning Africa’s midriff, the forest Eddie (see April-June 2017 issue of Swara) in has greatly diminished in size but still retains the nest they prepared in Rondo’s tallest tree. much of its splendour and intrigue. As one He finally took to the skies in late January enters the forest, there is a noticeable drop in 2017. He is still seen around Lirhanda Hill, temperature, thanks to the trees and natural very noticeable with his white and grey air conditioning the forest provides. A sense juvenile plumage, which will darken as he of calm and tranquillity settles on travellers to reaches maturity at five years of age. Since Rondo, with its tapestry of lawns and flower the first successful raising of their offspring gardens, trees and cottages spread before that we witnessed, the parents have sadly their eyes, providing a delightful oasis. lost two chicks in two subsequent years, with

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the young chicks having been found dead on Rondo’s lawn. Last December I was eager to find out if the newest royal had yet been spotted, perched as it is atop the False mvule tree (Antiaris toxicaria). A keen birder on a visit to Rondo had used his mammoth lens to confirm a sighting of the new chick in late November. I looked forward to my first sighting, and before long, the young royal popped up her snowy- white, downy head. (We are unsure of the sex of the eagle chick. Both male and female African Crowned Eagles look alike, with the female being a little larger than the male. Spotting the difference is possible when both are together.) This was a fabulous Christmas treat for all Rondo’s visitors. Throughout our almost six-week stay, the female was never far from her chick, either inside the massive nest, or perching on a branch nearby keeping a watchful eye on her offspring. Her mate regularly flew in food for the two hungry mouths. The youngster could be seen She manoeuvred around the nest from time to time standing on her wobbly occasionally with raised wings, perhaps legs, moving unsteadily around the nest and to help with balance or to strengthen her attacking the morsels of meat by herself, rather than being fed, as I had witnessed wings in preparation for flight. with Eddie a few years ago. The young chick would peer down at the surroundings with feathers. She manoeuvred around the nest TOP large curious eyes. Gradually the mostly white occasionally with raised wings, perhaps to Keeping cool on plumage started to show some colour, with help with balance or to strengthen her wings hot days with wings slightly spread. grey primary feathers appearing on the wings. in preparation for flight. In the third week of January, her fluffy little th Late in the afternoon of 13 February 2021, BOTTOM “chicken bottom” showed signs of grey tail our new young royal, who has graduated to Curious chick checks perching on a bough by the nest, took her out its new and first plunge (well, flight!) to a nearby tree, wonderful world. where she spent her first night out of the nest. Plaintive calls and a fluttering of wings caught my attention early on the morning of 14th February, providing me with a few photo moments. The royal fledgeling, now named Reggie, found the flight upwards to Today, the the nest a huge hurdle. It’s so much easier to population of fly downhill! It was only when her parents Crowned Eagle is decreasing flew in food and deposited it in the nest that due to the she made an extreme effort to fly and at last destruction of the returned successfully to the nest. There she native tropical African forest. remained for a few days as though recovering This species strength and renewing her resolve and main habitat courage to leave once again. is rich, high- The parents always return to the nest with canopy forest, which is a major food, and therefore, so too will the fledgeling, target of timber for as is the way of all forest inhabitants, the companies and fauna always follows the food! Reggie is not agriculturists. yet out of the woods. It will take her time to According to the IUCN Red develop flying skills, learn to hunt, master the List, the total ways of the forest and discern who is friend or Crowned Eagle foe. Eddie, the first royal chick, remained in population size is around 5,000- the vicinity of Rondo for over a year from the 50,000 mature time of his first sighting; we expect Reggie to individuals. do likewise.

42 | APRIL - JUNE 2021 I was treated to yet another exciting first on 18th January 2021. A few metres into the forest just moments from Rondo’s fence, I heard an unusual bird call and glanced up to spot the bird. The singer was perched in the top of a nearby tree with its back towards me. Being somewhat back-lit, it was hard to identify until the wing moved and I saw a ruby-red splash of colour. With great excitement, I directed the attention of my friend Elisabeth Dawkins upwards as she stood beside me. Here was a bird that I had longed to see. (A few weeks previously, I had been up with the larks to hunt for this same elusive bird, after receiving a tip from a guide that it was feeding in nearby trees, all to no avail.) Now as we gazed upward a beautiful African Grey Parrot took to the skies with the morning sun shining on its wings. It was picture perfect: clear, close, stunning, breath-taking! No time to take a photo, but forever indelibly imprinted on my memory! These amazing birds are found only in the Kakamega Forest in all of Kenya. The tragedy is that their numbers are declining alarmingly. They face possible extinction in Kenya if action is not taken. Parrots nest in holes in TOP LEFT trees, thus trees are important for breeding Picture perfect sites as well as food sources, feeding as they first sighting of do on seeds found in the fruit of certain trees a fabulous forest such as Manildara Butungii and Blighia special – the Unijugata. With constant pressure on the African Grey Parrot. forest from the surrounding community, and RIGHT the illegal felling of trees, the source of food, Home improvements breeding sites and homes for not only parrots and enlarging of but other furred and feathered forest residents the nesting hole are is also slowly but surely diminishing. undertaken by the Many forest residents depend on holes in male Hornbill but trees, from birds such as trogons, barbets and Mrs. must approve! hornbills to pangolins, pottos and anomalures (flying squirrels). As various inhabitants vie for holes for homes, competition increases.

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In September 2020, we observed a pair of of Kenya and Northern Tanzania informed TOP Black-and-white-Casqued Hornbills checking me about on his last trip to Rondo in 2016. The male Casqued- out a small hole previously occupied by He shared his concern that breeding sites hornbill keeps busy with home an anomalure, a creature I have yet to see. for the Casqued Hornbills seemed to have improvements. Real The hole and indeed girth of the tree was greatly diminished. The large flocks of “forest estate is hard to surprisingly small, yet the male hornbill helicopters” (hornbills) that would fly and come by! Meanwhile was determined to secure this hole for screech over Rondo seem just that bit smaller. the female enjoys his mate to raise their chicks. The female There are some fabulous opportunities to her freedom before seemed unimpressed with the tight quarters. absorb the splendour of this unique forest. confinement in the Undeterred, the male persisted with a few However it is under serious stress, threatening cramped quarters. home improvements; daily he could be seen not only the trees and flora, but also the fauna at the hole, trying valiantly to excavate and that rely on the diversity of trees. Sadly, there remodel, despite his large bill being less than is still no evidence to date of the erection of helpful for the task. the promised fence around the forest, due to Again in December 2020 and January start in March 2020. If stringent measures 2021, the hornbills continued the home are not taken speedily, Kakamega Forest will enlargement exercise. The female was spotted slowly but surely continue to be decimated squeezing out of the hole, with huge effort, and decline, along with its inhabitants. This and later I caught a glimpse of her in situ, truly “magical place”, as some visitors call it, in what looked like very cramped quarters. requires urgent help. Why would they go to such lengths to try and make this tiny hole habitable? Clearly, there just aren’t enough trees with suitably sized JULIA FULCHER, Kenyan-born and holes for the current hornbill population to raised, is an avid photographer and use. Indeed, forest expert Benjamin Okalo has nature lover. seen two males fighting over a nesting hole; such is the scarcity of real estate. This is what Dale Zimmerman, author and artist of Birds

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The Black Leopard Wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas spent more than a year photographing a melanistic leopard in Laikipia County, Kenya. Now, in an edited extract from his new book, he describes his first encounter with the elusive big cat.

preferably on a clear night when the long exposure will reveal the stars in the sky. I have a nagging feeling that this ultimate he night is black. Clouds blot image might never materialize. In the out the stars and the air is thick early days of the project, I was capturing with the promise of rain. The photographs of the animal almost every Tmonotonous drone of crickets is week, but that was during the dry season, occasionally punctuated by the eerie alarm when its movements were constrained by call of a rock hyrax. the availability of water. The first rain fell I turn off my headlamp, plunging four weeks ago, heralding the onset of the everything into total darkness. A move in the wet season and since then the animal has wrong direction and I would tumble down a vanished. Perhaps it has moved territory for sheer rock face into a jumble of boulders and good? At least I am still capturing images of knotted vegetation. I take a step forward and other creatures, such as the beautiful spotty there is a muffled click and a flash of light as leopard that passed by last night. the motion sensor detects me and triggers I close up the camera housing and turn to leave. As my headlamp flashes across a rock, my camera. I stand still for half a minute, TOP letting the African night envelop me. I feel far there is a glimmer of reflected light. I peer Cover of the black removed from the rest of the world. into the darkness and two spots glow brightly leopard book. The camera shutter clicks again as it closes. back at me. Eyes! By the spacing of them, they I turn my light back on and circle round could belong to a leopard. My pulse races with BELOW behind the camera trap to review the image. excitement. This might be the same spotty The black leopard under a starry night There’s a picture of me on the back of the leopard that my camera caught yesterday. sky; a photo that took camera, perfectly lit as if I were standing in The animal is probably forty metres 6 months to achieve. a photographer’s studio. Now I just have to (130 feet) away; too far for me to make out wait for the elusive creature to pass this spot, properly in the dim beam of my headlamp.

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TOP The silhouette of the black leopard passes in front of the The black leopard under a starry night rocks. Its movement is the unmistakable feline slink of a cat sky; a photo that took that wishes not to be seen. 6 months to achieve.

INSERT I creep closer, hoping to get a proper look. I the bush, hoping to catch one last glimpse. The presumed father dare not glance down at my feet as I pick my Later, as I make my way down from the of the black leopard. way through the rocks; if I take the light off rocks, I am overwhelmed with a sense of Two spotty leopards with the recessive the cat for a second then it might be able to privilege and euphoria. It seems that the many gene for melanism see me clearly. strands of my life have all come together to have a 25% chance of The distance has now been halved to bring me to this singular moment in time. having a black cub. perhaps 20 metres (sixty-five feet). It doesn’t I cannot tell you how long that encounter occur to me to feel any fear. As the animal with the black leopard lasted. For a while, in holds my gaze, the sounds of the night fade, that remote corner of Kenya, it was as if time and I revel in this moment of connection with had stopped. a wild predator. The black panther is ubiquitous in I can still see only the creature’s eyes and contemporary culture, be it as the emblem wish I had a more powerful flashlight with of a revolutionary political movement or as me. a mysterious character in books, comics, I take one step closer and the cat starts to cartoons and superhero movies. But what is a move. With a shock, I can suddenly make out black panther? the entire form of the animal. Its body reflects Some animals are susceptible to melanism, no light at all; it is just a black shape cut out a condition that results in a black colour from the scene in front of me. variant of the creature. This black colouration The silhouette of the black leopard passes is caused by an excess of the dark pigment, in front of the rocks. Its movement is the melanin. It is the opposite of albinism. unmistakable feline slink of a cat that wishes In theory, a black panther is any large not to be seen. melanistic cat. In practice, however, among The creature melts away into the the species of big cats, only leopards and undergrowth and I am left all alone. I am jaguars have been observed in melanistic breathless with elation as I continue to scan form.

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black, they still exhibit the characteristic rosette patterns. The rosettes are known as ‘shadow spots’ and are only observable under certain lighting conditions, such as infrared light. Jaguars are found in the Americas, while leopards are found in Africa and Asia. In lush tropical rainforests, the black colouration of melanistic cats may be advantageous, helping them to blend into the shadows of the dense undergrowth as they sneak up on prey. It is therefore not surprising that melanistic leopards are more closely associated with the thick forests in places such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and India, rather than with the African savannah. A melanistic leopard cub in Africa is also less likely to survive until adulthood. The leopards’ mortal enemies, such as baboons, can easily spot a black youngster amongst the parched vegetation and sun-bleached grass. For these reasons, the gene for melanism seems to be much rarer in African leopards than Asian leopards. It is estimated that approximately 11 per cent of all leopards are black, with the highest concentration found in Southeast Asia. Nobody knows how many black leopards exist in Africa, or where exactly the relevant gene might be prevalent. The thickly forested parts of Ethiopia and Kenya appear to be the two areas where most sightings have occurred. These sightings usually lack corroborative images, but a few have been accompanied by tantalizing snapshots depicting a large, jet-black creature by the side of the road or amongst the vegetation. Only one African black leopard occurrence had been scientifically documented: a single record from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia in 1909. That was until early 2019 when my path crossed with a team of scientists from the San Diego Zoo in California, United States. We did TOP In jaguars the gene causing melanism is not know each other before meeting, and had One of my first images dominant, so if a cub inherits the melanistic independently followed rumours that led us of the black leopard, gene from either parent, it will be black. In to the same black leopard in Kenya’s Laikipia captured with an leopards, the gene is recessive, so a cub must County. infrared Camtraptions camera trap. inherit the gene from both parents to be black. A leopard that does not have the recessive This is an edited extract from The Black BELOW gene can never have a black cub, even if it Leopard: My Quest to Photograph One A photograph I mates with a black leopard. Another nuance of Africa’s Most Elusive Big Cats by Will captured in the first is that a pair of spotty jaguars (animals Burrard-Lucas, published by Chronicle week of the project, exhibiting the normal golden coat with black Books. Learn more at blackleopardbook.com with the help of Luisa Ancilotto, Mohammed rosettes) can never have a black cub, but two Parasulan, Patrick spotty leopards, both with the recessive gene, Lempejo, Ambrose have a 25 per cent chance of having a black Letoluai and Steve cub. Both jaguars and leopards can have at WILL BURRARD-LUCAS is a wildlife photographer currently Carey from Laikipia least one spotty cub and one black cub in the Wilderness Camp. focusing on projects in Kenya. He is same litter. the author of The Black Leopard, a Even though melanistic leopards and book on his black leopard project in jaguars may seem to be a single shade of Laikipia, Kenya.

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Population Instabilities: The Paddock’s Changing Birdlife Birds advertise their “turf” by song and calls, indicating that they are prepared to defend their home range.

PADDOCK VEGETATION AND SPATIATION A – Dense scrub, low hen we see birds in a garden or bush with open leaf- similar area regularly, we tend litter and shady. to overlook the fact that their presence is not stable and is B – Open shady W woodland low storey taken for granted. This article is intended to and canopy vegetation create awareness that whilst you may see the from 1 ½ metres to 15 same birds in the same place for many years, metres (mainly Croton their situation is not a stable dynamic. & Brachylaena some The birds we record in a given area such Olea). Often used by as the “Paddock” can be broken down into aerial feeders such different groups: Many of the species involved in these as Bee-eaters, Swifts seasonal wandering are the same species and Swallows. that are residents in the tropics. So, as an Migrants C – Edge of forest with example, our resident populations of Black These are the species that due to external closed understorey, pressures relating primarily to food Cuckoo-shrikes and Paradise Flycatchers open grass areas availability -- which is tied into the changing are augmented by these southern birds, under tree cover. of the seasons -- are forced to leave places but they cannot be recognised as different where they breed and were raised to seek from the resident individuals. Other species BELOW Willow Warbler their nourishment from elsewhere. In the are far more obvious. On the coast, the Red-capped Robin-Chats seasonally come migrant from the farthest northern regions, whilst the summers north entirely may bring an abundance of food for both in large numbers, joined by such species insectivorous gleans themselves and their families, none of this as Madagascar Pratincoles, Mangrove food from amongst is available in the colder six months of the Kingfishers, and African Golden Orioles, none and around leaves of year. Purely for survival, they must vacate of which breed in Kenya. However, unlike the ten high up. the entire region and embark on lengthy and last three named, the western population of dangerous migrations to reach places where Red-capped Robin-Chats appear sedentary they will find the needed sustenance. and may be found all year round in the Whilst the movements from the north same area. Northern African Golden Orioles are well documented, the vacation from arrive annually from populations north of the southern regions is less appreciated. the equator to the same western regions but,

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TOP LEFT Golden-breasted Bunting ground seedeater favours edge of cover. Requires tall trees for singing.

MIDDLE LEFT Cape Robin-Chat whilst largely a ground insectivore, it will eat vegetable matter at feeders (as does Ruppell’s Robin- Chat), requires dense cover nearby, sings from cover.

BELOW LEFT Grey-backed Camaroptera feeds in understorey usually very low, insectivorous usually sings from inside cover.

good rains birds are found the following TOP RIGHT morning throughout the region. They did not Brown-backed walk to get there and so under the cover of Woodpecker feeds darkness, there must be occasions when the exclusively on insects from inside timber night skies are full of “whirring” Little Grebes by digging them out plummeting into the great unknown. It is of damaged bark difficult to imagine this but the bird certainly and small branches. only moves in the dark hours. However, given They will vary this propensity, it is capable of populating this habit with an the most obscure of temporary habitats. The ungraceful flycatching unlike the Robin-chat, do not breed. So we mystery here though is why we never find during winged ant emergences. Only have birds of the same species visiting from birds that did not make it to water before it perches on wood, the north and south at different times of the became light? Such a common species but not in leaves and feet year making the untangling of the mysteries after all this time still clothed in complete unsuitable for normal of migration all that more complex. Other mystery. perching. Nests in parallel species here also include Madagascar holes excavated or Bee-eater, Grey-headed Kingfisher and Vagrants modified. Violet-backed Starling, species that are both These relate to lost birds that have come out BELOW LEFT migratory and also breed, but it is doubtful if of their normal migration route and wander Spot-flanked Barbet any are sedentary within Kenya. off course. They are the ones that excite feeds on animal birdwatchers the most, giving that element of matter but also much Seasonal Wanderers surprise to seeing the usual fare on offer. But fruit and travels to These usually relate to water-associated vagrancy also relates to birds that are forced food sources. Rarely species and with a fairly regular pattern of to move because of climatic pressures, making seen close to ground. Perches on branches rainfall, which annually replenishes both their normal home unable to support them or and in leaves. Nests permanent and temporary water bodies even artificial loss of habitat. Examples here in excavated hole in scattered over the continent. The birds are semi-desert species that wander into the branches. wander from a vast region to feed and in lusher region of Nairobi in extremely rare many cases breed. When the water dries up, cases. BELOW RIGHT the birds vanish, and whilst this phenomenon It is, however, the Residents that are White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher exclusively is largely a seasonal event, it can also be as the subject of this article. These are the insectivorous but erratic as our rainfall. omnipresent species that have a territory insects caught by A prime example here is Little Grebe, the centred on a prime area. The birds that we pouncing either marvel being that apart from skittering over always see (or we think we do) have a territory on ground in on the water when disturbed, it is a species in a given site. vegetation. never seen in flight! No one has ever flushed It is usually difficult if not impossible to a bird from a dam that flew away. Yet after recognise certain individuals in the field,

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TOP LEFT Spotted Flycatcher migrant from the north, exclusively insectivorous insect only caught in flight, ambushed from a regularly used prominent perch.

MIDDLE LEFT African Goshawk feeds on small animals and maybe many small reptiles, but largely small birds up to dove size. Often in quite dense cover in middle-storey but also ambushes birds in the open from an air attack.

BELOW LEFT Green-backed Honeybird gleans micro-fungus from leaves at most levels. Rarely seen feeding but always searching.

TOP RIGHT White-bellied Tit exclusively insectivorous (unlike northern hemisphere species which vary their diet), obtains food from surface of branches and very agile with strong A given area may support a wide variety of species, each of feet. Nests in holes which has adapted to survive in their niche. previously excavated by other hole-nesters or broken rotten and this is where Bird Ringing Projects (also breeding territories that may even be far more branches. called Bird Banding in most of the English- stable than their breeding territories. speaking world), have revealed much that For the past 10 years, I have been keeping a MIDDLE RIGHT Hartlaub’s Turaco is we would otherwise never have known about diary of the different bird species’ presence in largely a frugivore the movements and equally “permanence” of the “Paddock.” Some are species recorded on usually fairly high up. individual birds. For instance, we know that practically any day of the year and are taken Moves amongst leafy “Blinky” the Great Spotted Eagle that has been as an ornithological fixture. Many species of branches looking for visiting Nairobi National Park for the past scrub and woodland show remarkable site ripe fruits. Nests in seven years, is the same Great Spotted Eagle fidelity and confined to a small area while very flimsy stick nest amongst branches in every year because of the damage to one eye others are omnipresent daily but wander in trees. (See January-March 2021 issue of Swara). and out, also visiting nearby properties in the With the distance from the breeding area course of their daily activities. BELOW RIGHT to Nairobi and back each year, “Blinky” has A given area may support a wide variety Red-chested Cuckoo flown just on direct migration between the of species each of which has evolved to found at all levels two points, far enough to circumnavigate our survive in their chosen niche, and whilst the but usually mid- planet! With his incapacity (which he handles birds all appear to be feeding in the same storey where it sits motionless on an well), we know that this is the same bird and place, the different species are specialising open branch usually not a series of individuals. This tells us much in a different feeding strategy, which mainly hidden by foliage. about the bird. First, it is a very rare species relates to how the food is obtained as much as Feeds exclusively on in East Africa as it is only one individual the different food types consumed. It is with caterpillars which it involved in the Nairobi visitations, and, this fine-tuning of feeding methodology that finds from the perch secondly, those migrant birds have fixed non- similar species can occupy the same relatively and drops on to them.

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TOP LEFT Eurasian Bee- eater is from the north , but unlike other insectivorous migrants it is highly social and always in noisy groups that perch high in the trees and obtain their food by catching it in flight, then as a flock moving off to another hunting area.

MIDDLE LEFT Yellow-whiskered Greenbul is a very shy frugivorous bird that always stays in dense cover of evergreen thicket, but is extremely noisy and chatters for most of the daylight hours.

BELOW LEFT Tree Pipit is another northern migrant insectivore that likes very open woodland the same small space. This means that whilst and feeds amongst to the average eye the birds are doing much grasses and small plants growing on the the same thing and feeding in the same ground amongst the location -- even if we do not know how their trees. food obtaining differs between the species -- there is something different that enables MIDDLE the supporting of both species in the same White-starred Robin small territory. To any bird or pair of birds, place at the same time that would not work is rarely in open if it were two pairs of the same species. Such preferring dense their entire existence is tied to the energy understorey and no is the intricate complexity of nature on our intake available to not only survive but also great height, and perpetuate their species by breeding. doorstep. appears exclusively Birds defend their territories from their But whilst we are only looking at two insectivorous species, as their kind is utilising the same food similar species here, the total composition of dropping on its prey types and means of obtaining the food as each a small area may involve the daily presence of after seeing it from its perch. other. A territory is an area that is sufficient several dozen species, with different sizes and to meet the requirements of that one family shapes in both body and bill structure, pattern TOP RIGHT of birds, but in all non-social species will not and colour, inhabiting elevations from the Tawny-flanked Prinia support another pair of its kind. The way that ground to the canopy and air spaces at various is a small insectivore birds advertise their “turf” by song and calls, levels. This incorporates consumers of animal that feeds on the indicating that they are prepared to defend matter of different types, fruit and seeds outer edge of bushes their home range against all of the same whilst other species are more omnivorous. Yet but enters dense grass and weedy species. Boundaries are set up and defended all are extracting a living from the same patch cover. but some territories have neighbours of the of land. But just how stable is the species composition? same kind, and these areas abut and adjacent BELOW RIGHT zones require extra defence effort either with To be continued in the next issue of Swara. Common Nightingale a vocal challenge or physical engagement. is a northern migrant, In Nairobi, we have two species of Robin- and insectivorous. It Chats, Cape and Ruppell’s. In gardens with feeds by searching leaf-litter under sufficient cover, both are almost equally BRIAN FINCH is the author of the dense thickets and common, whilst Ruppell’s is the more sounds component of the recent rarely ventures into secretive of the two (although this is changing Birds of East Africa application the open. in a garden environment). The two species available on the iTunes Library. can occupy the same territories without much aggravation and will even feed together in

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Alison M. Jones

the Nile, and the Mara River Basins. “While everyone lives in a watershed, not everyone understands lison Jones was flying that water is finite;” she said. “Global low in a Cessna over East water use has tripled since 1950, and Africa in 2003 when by 2025 the demand for freshwater Ashe noticed how “this may rise 56% above the amount brown continent was laced with green available. We need to do a better job ribbons of life.” People and wildlife of keeping our water drinkable and gathered along those green ribbons fishable.” edging rivers and lakeshores, while The goals are to document six no life was seen in the desert or dry river basins (including three in woodlands.. “It was obvious;” recalls North America); educate people via hundreds still to be posted. Jones: “Where there’s no water, photography; produce online and “We also offer publication there’s no life.” She found the title for print publications, lectures and other opportunities in our Next Gen a conservation project that had been means of raising awareness; and Blogs to students; email our Weekly brewing: No Water No Life. foster partnerships across borders. DROP of News to subscribers; and A frequent visitor to Kenya since “We use expedition photographs, continue mounting exhibits of our 1985, Jones included three regional video and audio interviews watershed photos from the eastern African watersheds for her No Water with watershed scientists and US to western Canada. Before the No Life (NWNL) project: the Omo, stakeholders;” says Jones. pandemic, I lectured to all ages from “Transcribed interviews are kindergarteners to elders.” continually added online as a feature A Senior Fellow of the TOP RIGHT called Voices of the River.” There are International League of Conservation L-R: Tari Wako Abkula, Alison M Jones, Jackson Looseyia on the 2009 NWNL Mara River Expedition from Kenya to Tanzania.

BELOW: Zebra and giraffe in the Mara Conservancy below the Oloololo Escarpment, Kenya.

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Central Island National Park and its Crocodile and Tilapia Lakes in Lake Turkana, Kenya.

me over dinner that the greatest Alison Jones founded No Water No Life in 2006 to conflicts of the future would be over raise public awareness by combining the powers riparian rights. Now, many decades of photography and science. later, I am as concerned as he was then.” “It’s important to share Photographers, she is also a member Enyapuiyapui Swamp source. Our management approaches upstream of the Society of Environmental local Mau Forest partners Andrew and downstream, from river to Journalists and Society of Women Nightingale and Jacob Mwanduka are river, and across oceans,” she said. Geographers. fighting hard to preserve what’s left of “Stewardship efforts we’ve seen on A founding supporter of the Mara its headwaters, as are Rhino Ark and our expeditions range from stream Conservancy in 2001, she met with the East African Wildlife Society.” monitoring to water recycling to local Maasai who were working with Alison Jones founded No Water wetlands restoration to reductions in James Robertson, Willie Roberts, No Life in 2006 to raise public consumption and agricultural reforms. Alan Root, Nigel Pavitt and other awareness by combining the powers Some watersheds face unique Maasai to develop a model for of photography and science. “As a problems. But many in Africa share managing the Mara Triangle. There student from the 60s, I’ve always common issues. For example, the are now more than 100 conservancies wanted to make a difference. I want White Nile River Basin’s Bwindi which extend protected areas for flora my photographs to have an impact. Impenetrable Forest National Park in and fauna.“The Mara Conservancy, As a mother, I hope my images can Uganda is home to mountain gorillas under the direction of Brian Heath, help incentivize the preservation of in these so-called “faucet forests” that has been a shining example of our resources and biodiversity for hold and then slowly release water community-based conservation for future generations. But the real seed downstream. “Gad Kinyangyeyo twenty years. But there would be no for NWNL evolved from a love of is one of many local conservation Mara River to support the ecosystem nature instilled in my early years.” heroes who help protect these gorillas or its iconic biodiversity without “When I was a child, my and their forest by explaining their the Mau Forest Complex and its grandfather - a civil engineer - told importance to tourists.”

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Three generations of Kwego villagers from the Kotrouru overlook of the Omo River, Ethiopia.

A Chelete farmer protecting Karo villagers’ crops, near Duss, Omo River Basin, Ethiopia.

Collecting water amidst papyrus and water hyacinth in the Mara River Estuary’s Masarura Swamp near Musoma, A Turkana woman bringing fish to the Natari fish market near Tanzania. Fergusons’ Gulf, Lake Turkana, Kenya.

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Kwego villagers assembled below the steep Omo River banks, Ethiopia.

pay 5 times more for water than US tall, sweat profusely and let Rift households do. But there are many Valley escarpment winds blow my shared problems globally, including exhaustion off into the sunset. The the impacts of climate change. beauty of East Africa has incentivized “Floods destroy human communities, me as I’ve witnessed the conflicting infrastructure and crops. Droughts needs of wildlife, exploding human reduce food production and decimate populations, melting glaciers on livestock and wildlife. The quality Kilimanjaro, and Kenyan slum and flow of our rivers are affected by dwellers tapping into wastewater industrial spills, runoff of agricultural mains.” Deforestation in the Western Mau pesticides and herbicides, and the There have been 70 No Water No Forest above the Nyangores River, tributary to the Mara River, Kenya. toxic effluent from livestock and Life expeditions. “Since the founding human waste.” in 2006, we have conducted nine The most recent NWNL African expeditions to the Mara River Basin, At Lake Turkana, NWNL worked expedition to Lake Turkana “was six to the Omo River/Lake Turkana with Friends of Lake Turkana, particularly poignant because of our Basin, and five to the Nile River and interviewed its founder, Ikal ongoing concern over the impacts Basin. For the near-term, my efforts Angelei, a local Turkana woman. By of Ethiopia’s upstream cascade of will be to organize and disseminate reaching out to local, national and Ethiopia’s Gibe Dams that could end materials from those expeditions. international politicians, as well the livelihoods of 6,000-year-old Long term, I am excited about a as Turkana pastoralists, Angelei indigenous cultures.” photography book on the project.” has raised global awareness about In our interview for this article, the dire downstream impacts of Alison Jones shared many insights www.nowater-nolife.org Ethiopia’s new dams in the Omo she has gained as a result of 15 River Basin. years of NWNL expeditions. “As One big problem Africa faces a conservation photographer, I’ve DELTA WILLIS is an that North America rarely does learned that successful documentation author and photographer is accessibility to water resources - like community-based conservation who promoted Alan & for basic daily needs. Many rural - demands participation. That’s what Joan Root films. women in Africa walk an average of energizes me. When photographing 8 hours daily, and urban households in Africa, I breathe deeply, stand

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The Art of Bushwalking Walking in the bush is a extraordinary expierence cause it brings nature closer to clients. It tells them many dramatic stories.

are best heard on foot. The slow walking BELOW allows me, as a guide, to convey many An armed Safari interesting facts. Little discoveries, such as Guide explains the foot¨print of a lion animal skeletons, can tell big and sometimes ushwalking is an art. Hunters, and tells something gatherers and nomadic peoples tragically dramatic stories. Walking also about there behavior. have intuitively mastered it, cleanses the soul and organises thoughts. having learnt and handed it down From my own experiences and those from B some of my clients, I know that walking in the to generations over thousands of years. They are guided by their senses and skilful wilderness is a profound experience. For this manoeuvres that allow them to recognise and great experience, bushwalkers need a guide avoid hazards. who knows the bush and can introduce the City dwellers and residents of agrarian wilderness to them in an exciting way. settlements consider walking in the bush Breathing should be easy, the ear picking something threatening – and rightly so. Bush up the sounds and the nose smelling the excursions on foot require that all senses be surroundings. The eye should be alert. For a activated through an alert mind. good guide, what is above and what is below I have enjoyed numerous walking safaris are equally important. He or she takes their in the wildernesses of Masai Mara, Samburu, cues from different signals and images, Amboseli and Laikipia in Kenya and I can allowing them to perceive wildlife activities report that the savannah tells stories that that may not be immediately visible. Above,

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there could be circling vultures or birds that suddenly fly upwards, monkeys that sound the alarm in the trees because a leopard is nearby. Below, there are traces, excrement and small, hardly noticeable movements, which can be clues to the presence of animals. Feet must tread lightly and eyes scan the ground for snakes, bumps and tracks. The guide constantly makes eye contact with the guests, stays in touch with them while observing the surroundings. The eye glides over rocks, bushes, into the distance, back to the walkers, the sky, viewing the shadows and their forms and interpreting them. The eyes are like spotlights that search the sky and the earth until there is no separation of above and below. All spaces merge. The sense of smell can be easily neglected, but odours from urine, excrement or wildlife exhalation can indicate the presence of animals in the immediate vicinity. Modern humans focus too much on sight and often ignore odours and sounds. Try this exercise: Once in a while try to interpret the world only with the senses of risen. Because of the heat, the animals are less hearing and smell. You will be surprised active. One should never be out and about on how little you trust these senses and you feel foot at night! insecure. Yet they are important and reliable Furthermore, the topography and the senses that are essential for survival and density of vegetation determine the type of the understanding of the world. With a little bushwalking. Open, wide areas are easier to patience, you will find that these old aids oversee and therefore safer for inexperienced to perception can be sharpened. The same city dwellers to walk on. Here, no armed applies to our sense of danger. Pay attention escort with a ranger is necessary. Animals can to your intuition when walking. A safari guide be spotted early. Surprising encounters with, friend of mine in the Masai Mara told me that for example, buffalos or elephants can thus be he feels it when he is in danger, like when a avoided. Besides, open ground leads to a more venomous snake or a dangerous animal is relaxed feeling and therefore a stress-free hidden in nearby bushes. He is convinced tour. The open, wide terrain also allows for easier conversation and freer movement. TOP that humans have a “sixth sense” to alert us to Ol Pejeata - an early unseen threats. Silence and concentration are Walking in dense bushes and difficult morning walk with a key to activating that sense. terrain should only be attempted with armed Guide. The direction of the wind and the position experienced, armed guides who know the of the sun must also be taken into account. area. Strict rules apply to the guests here BELOW Tribe Haza in Tanzania There are times when it is advisable to have and must be observed for safety. Clear instructions from the guide are essential. on a hunt in a dens the sun behind you and when it is better bush. to have it in front. It is often advisable to Local guides know their wildlife and usually let animals perceive humans early to avoid know where they are. As I wrote in a related unpleasant surprises. The wind blows human article on ethical safari guiding in the 0ctober- scents to the animals and indicates our December 2020 issue of Swara, it is advisable presence. Sometimes it is also advisable to to walk in small groups. The ideal is one guide talk to the animals. As a guide, I have learned for four guests. The rules of bushwalking must that when meeting elephants, a deep, slightly be clear to all walkers for a safe, enjoyable, monotonous voice can help to signal to the exciting and relaxing experience. animals that the visitors mean no harm. Walking at dawn or dusk when the animals are active is especially interesting RICHARD GREGORY SCHMID is and the early light can be wonderful. But it a Kenyan-born tour guide and photographer. He is a member is also more demanding and therefore more of the Field Guide Association of dangerous. Often it is safer to walk with Southern Africa and co-founder guests - especially if you are unarmed - when of Eco Safari Ltd, a tour company the sun is higher and the temperature has based in Nairobi.

APRIL - JUNE 2021 || 57 BOOK REVIEW

the pulse of Amboseli. Within eighteen Venice to debate art restoration. The months, the sonorous boop-boop of conclusion is vital: we restore what we the Verreaux’s Eagle Owl at night care about, whether it’s art or wildlife. gave way to the monotonous tap-tap- But do enough people care about tap of Cardinal Woodpeckers as the wildlife to halt the plunder? “To expand woodlands died.” from the passion of a privileged few to While he built a distinguished career citizens in all walks of life, conservation with the Wildlife Conservation Society, must become as deeply ingrained in our at Amboseli his focus shifted to a group cultural values and everyday habits as of people not renowned for protecting are personal hygiene and public health.” wildlife. Maasai traditionally killed lions To the people living in the Nairobi to prove their manhood, their cattle slum of Kibera, personal hygiene can compete with wildlife for grasslands, seem but a dream. To people who refuse and their propensity for revenge to wear masks or attack those who did, often results in the death of innocent public health is an imposition on their elephants, lions, vultures, even water rights, and a nightmare for the rest of pipelines. us. Then a Maasai loaned him two cows Yet Western weaves a story of to tend. “I learned more about every conservation that is optimistic, and in nuance of the savannas from the Maasai his manner, comprehensive. Not only in one season than I did from years do readers learn about the creation “We stand at a pivotal point in human of research.” How did they locate the of Yellowstone National Park, and history,” David Western writes in best grazing, often beating wildebeest great writers such as Emerson and We Alone. “Changing our views on to new pockets of greenery? The Thoreau, but the Hudson River School nature calls for a revolution in human Maasai used scouts. Intrepid elleenore of landscape artists, who captured attitudes, including conservation as a spread across the landscape to explore the breathtaking grandeur that still part of development rather than as an conditions, noting water resources the survives in some pockets because of the afterthought.” way elephants do for future use. This extraordinary vision for national parks Given his subtitle How Humans intelligence was pooled to help families and preservation that prevailed despite Have Conquered the Planet and Can decide when and where to move herds, the Trump Tribe. But the US is no Also Save It, the Call To Action at the an excellent human mimic of a skill perfect model for Kenya or East Africa. end of this important book should be employed by gnus. Feeling the rumble “We have done only half a job if we We Together. To reverse the damage of distant thunder beneath their hooves, ignore those who lose out to wildlife or done to our atmosphere, oceans and wildebeest move towards rainstorms in who have never had a chance to enjoy biodiversity will require a unity like anticipation of young greener shoots. it as a tourist does. Joy Adamson’s never before, a global harambee. Yet Western found that the cattle of Born Free, published in 1960, topped he notes “the outcome of our elections migratory families stay in better the New York Times’ best-seller list in Kenya is still dictated by tribal condition, produce more milk, and for thirteen weeks. Adamson’s heart- numbers and alliances five decades have healthier calves than herds that warming stories of raising the wild-born after independence, not by policies or stay put as conditions worsen. Thanks cub Elsa in northern Kenya made lions creeds;” while the racism, violence and to his Maasai tutors he “learned as loveable in Europe and America. To environmental squander of the Trump much from traditional knowledge my mind, for all her fame, Adamson Tribe left a deep rupture felt far beyond and practices as I have from modern deserves far more credit for her US borders. Can we get our act together science and conservation- I no longer unheralded role inspiring a generation in time? distinguish between them. Knowledge is of schoolchildren. In 1969 kids she Western is a champion of knowledge, however come by.” funded on a nature safari to Samburu community-based conservation, which It’s a refreshing break from the National Reserve were so thrilled to see includes the needs of local people who peer-review mindset, but he tends to wildlife for the first time that the group were often excluded from national devour data of all sorts. We should all leader, Theuri Njoka, set up the Wildlife parks. “The best hope for us and all the be sponges but Western’s appetite saves Clubs of Kenya. As patron of the clubs, other species lies in the improvement the reader a decade of digging. He refers I can attest to the millions of Kenyans of human welfare. If our outlook dims, to a mountain of books about human who have become wildlife enthusiasts we will cease caring about other species. history, from Jared Diamond’s Germs, and crusaders through Adamson’s Of our lot improves, we will have more Guns & Steel to Richard Dawkins’ The dedication to wildlife education.” time, resources and compassion for Selfish Gene. We get a concise nugget We Alone is available on kindle at nature.” on each work, as well as insights from a amazon.com and at select bookstores in The former director of the Kenya shipload of scientific papers. Nairobi. Wildlife Service began his career in The first few chapters about his life Amboseli National Park. “On 1967 I flow, with a fascinating juxtaposition Review by Delta Willis pitched my tent in a quiet grove to feel of the unexpected, including a visit to

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The environment and the communities surrounding us form a significant part of the way Base Titanium operates. We have adopted world-class, sustainable business practices seeking to minimise any negative impacts and maximise positive outcomes of our operations for our employees, our host community, and the environment. Rehabilitation is only part of a broader post mining land use program and its execution is critical to cementing Base’s reputation for excellence in the full mine life cycle.

Shaping of mined areas and top-soiling before planting of local grass seeds sourced from the surrounding communities

Rehabilitating areas and agricultural trials

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