2018 ANNUAL REPORT PREDATORS PEOPLE PARTNERSHIPS KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 1 Message from the Board Chair and Executive Director CONTENTS 2018 was a year of change for KWT, as we Through the Justice Ole Keiwua Scholarship worked on the mid-term review of our 2016 - programme, KWT has continued to provide 2020 Strategic Plan to come up with three main scholarships to individuals from Samburu, themes: “Predators, People and Partnerships” Mara and Amboseli, and it is often from these WHERE WE WORK ......................................................................................... 4 which will embody the new-look KWT, and humble areas that the new leaders of tomorrow position us as thought-leaders in the country’s are often found. We hope one of these will MILESTONES .................................................................................................. 6 wildlife conservation sector, highlight our work be Agnes Parmeres, a young woman from OUR PILLARS .................................................................................................. 8 with communities through the Conservancy Amboseli, whose story you will read in the movement, and showcase our links with, and report. PREDATORS ................................................................................................... 10 participation in, Kenya’s tourism, wildlife and conservation sectors. We believe it is important We are happy to introduce two new Kenya PEOPLE ........................................................................................................... 14 for KWT to not only keep pace with the rapidly board members, Moses Kamau, a lawyer who increasing rate of change, but also to be part of is already active on the boards of several other PARTNERSHIPS ............................................................................................. 22 that change, and effect it as directly as we can, conservation organisations, and Andreas Fox, be it through influencing wildlife management a new partner-guide in Ker & Downey Safaris. KWT TEAM ...................................................................................................... 24 decisions on the ground, policy changes in the Andreas replaces James Robertson, one of boardroom, or producing the scientific data KWT’s founder members, who retires after 10 IMPACT BY NUMBERS ................................................................................... 26 needed to drive intelligent decision-making. years on the board. There is no doubt that both Moses and Andreas are going to be excellent HOW TO SUPPORT KWT ............................................................................... 27 2018 introduced the new-look Mara Predator additions to the board. Conservation Programme which has replaced PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS ........................................................................... 28 the former Mara Lion and Mara Cheetah We have much to look forward to in 2019, and Projects. Through MPCP, we retain our data- have recently returned from hosting a visit by a driven and science-led approach in the Mara, delegation from the International Conservation but move more into the realm of translating Caucus Foundation in the Mara where we our findings and analyses into constructive spent time with our Mara programme, our and pragmatic conservation and management conservation partners and other stakeholders. recommendations, whilst also working more We are excited to work with our current partners with communities across the Mara. At the and welcome new ones to set new paradigms Cover photos: Sean Dundas (Front), Allan Earnshaw (Back) national level, and in partnership with the Kenya for what we can achieve in Kenya’s conservation Wildlife Service, KWT is proud to be recognised, space. Printed in April 2019 by the Kenya Wildlife Trust Nairobi, Kenya together with WWF, as the main sponsors of the first-ever National Lion Survey which is led www.kenyawildlifetrust.org by our scientific associates, Drs Nic Elliot and Femke Broekhuis. Allan Earnshaw Dr Irene Amoke 2 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 3 WHERE WE WORK LAIKIPIA - Kenya Rangelands Wild Dog & Cheetah Project SAMBURU - Ewaso Lions - CHAT (Communities Health Africa Trust) AMBOSELI GREATER MARA ECOSYSTEM - Lion Guardians - Kitirua Conservancy - Mara Predator Conservation - Ngararambuni Nursery School Programme - Mara Hyeana Project - MMWCA TSAVO NAIROBI - Tsavo Trust - Justice Ole Keiwua Scholarship - KWCA 4 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 5 MILESTONES 10+ YEARS OF CONSERVATION IMPACT 2013 10 2010 - Establishment of flagship projects, years MCP and MLP, housed in the Tony - Worked with partners to construct Lapham Predator Hub in Olare Esiteti Primary School in Amboseli Motorogi Conservancy, Maasai Mara 2017 - Relocated office to Lang’ata - Establishment of KWT’s Justice - Support of the country’s Link office Complex 2007 Ole Keiwua Scholarship Fund. conservancy movement leads to establishment of KWCA and - KWT established by the - Celebrated 10 years working in - First scholar admitted to college. MMWCA Original Ker & Downey Safari Kenya Guides 2011 2014/2015 2018 2009 - Esiteti primary school formally - First estimates of Mara - Mara Predator Conservation - FOKWT, KWT’s US affiliate opened and first group of cheetahs and lion numbers students admitted released Programme formed following registered and gains 501(c)3 merger of Mara Cheetah and status Mara Lion Projects - Collaborated with KWS and - Kitirua Conservancy, Amboseli other partners to carry out the established by Ker & Downey first ever national lion survey in and Cheli & Peacock (Now Kenya Elewana). 6 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 7 OUR PILLARS handshake PEOPLE PREDATORS PARTNERSHIPS We believe that people living We believe that through We believe that predators alongside predators bear the partnerships, greater play an important role in greatest responsiblity when it impacts can be achived balancing the ecosystem. A comes to their conservation. Our in conservation. We thriving predator population predator conservation work is continue to establish is an indication of a healthy strongly anchored in involving strong partnerships with ecosystem. We invest our time the local people. By supporting like-minded conservation and resources in running and community centered projecs, organizations both locally supporting science driven we are contributing to the wider and internationally. inititives geared towards efforts needed to ensure healthy predator conservation across ecosytems where predators not Kenya’s key ecosystems. only survive, but thrive. 8 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 9 MARA PREDATOR CONSERVATION PROGRAMME (MPCP) Community The Mara Predator Conservation Programme, Kenya In 2018, MPCP carried out 2 intensive MPCP runs regular outreach activities aimed at ensuring Wildlife Trust’s flagship programme (MPCP) was formed monitoring sessions. The sessions when the Mara Lion and Mara Cheetah projects, both that community members and land owners understand and involved monitoring 6 conservancies appreciate the role of predators in the ecosystem. established in 2013, were merged in 2018. and the national reserve and recording sightings of predators, Some of the activities by the community team in 2018 Research prey and livestock. While focus has included; antipoison campaigns, construction of predator PREDATORS The two fundamental goals of the programme are to been on lions and cheetahs, in 2018 determine the current status of lions and cheetahs proof bomas and posion response training for rangers. and MPCP initiated a wild dog study to game drives for school children. in the Greater Mara ecosystem, and to identify and investigate the status of resident KWT’s vision is a mitigate the major threats seen as causing declines wild dogs in the Mara and to gain It also supports wildlife clubs in nine schools across the Mara, in the current populations. The outputs from this insight into dispersing dogs from the Kenya where predator programme have important implications for lion and working to expose children to wildlife in an engaging and Serengeti. compelling way that will create positive long-term perceptions populations are a cheetah conservation both in Kenya and in the rest of Africa. of wildlife through game drives and holiday camps conerstone to thriving ecosystems. 2 Intensive monitoring sessions launched a wild dog study 250 children taken on game drives carried out in 6 conservancies to investigate the status of resident inside Maasai Mara National Reserve and the national reserve wild dogs in the Mara and the sorrounding conservancies In 2013, we launched our flagship Mara 2 predator proof bomas built 3 quarterly reports produced Cheetah and Mara Lion 126 people trained on poison response using recycled plastic poles to deter copy every 3 months to equip them with skills to respond Projects - now Mara predators to wildlife poisoning incidences Predator Conservation Programme with an aim to advance science-driven predator conservation in Maasai Mara. PHOTO: REUTERS PHOTO: 10 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2018 11 EWASO LIONS LION GUARDIANS Ewaso Lions’ major goal is to promote coexistence Founded in 2007, Lion Guardians is a conservation organization dedicated to finding and between people