COVID-19 EFFECTS ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SAVING VULTURES FROM POISONING SCOURGE CLIMBING UGANDA’S MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON ILLEGAL TRADE IN CHEETAH CUBS UNABATED PROFILES OF BIG 5 OF WILDLIFE FILMMAKERS MARK DEEBLE & PHOTOGRAPHY VICTORIA STONE INITIATIVE FRONTLINE 05 Director’s Letter 08 David Western critiques the Nairobi National Park draft management plan. 10 News Update OPINION 22 Benjamin Mkapa urges African governments to 39 The illegal trade in cheetah cubs caught in the wild provide greater support to conservation efforts and continues unabated, as Rupi Mangat reports. tourism. 43 Kakamega Forest, the only equatorial rainforest CONSERVATION in Kenya, has been earmarked for sustainable 24 Felix Patton throws some light on how the management, as Storm Stanley explains. coronavirus pandemic has affected wildlife conservation. 47 An elephant named Chemukung is recovering well from injuries sustained in a snaring ordeal in 31 Brothers Myles and Rory Root adventure into the Kenya’s Mt Elgon, as Stephen Powles and Charles wild in aid of an anti-poaching effort. Kerfoot report. 34 Kari Mutu highlights concerted efforts to save 51 Wildlife photographer Graeme Green explains his vultures from the scourge of poisoning. brainchild of Big 5 of Wildlife Photography. 4 | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2020 BIODIVERSITY 56 The Secretary bird, the world’s tallest raptor, is on the decline, as Kari Mutu reports. SCIENCE & RESEARCH 58 Ingo Lehmann throws describes on Kenya’s coastal 71 Benjamin Cowburn reports on an ongoing study Kaya forests and the mysteries of metarbelidae that suggests that some coral reefs in Watamu Marine carpenter moths found therein. National Park may be adapting to better cope with heat stress. 62 Rupi Mangat speaks to researcher Per Berggren about two new species of sawshark found in Zanzibar PORTFOLIO and Madagascar. 73 Delta Willis profiles filmmakers Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone. 64 Tyler Davis tells us about eBird’s Global Big Day when birders are challenged to cooperatively record ON SAFARI as many species as possible in a day. 76 Chuck Graham and his buddies on an adventure on Uganda’s mountains of the moon. PADDOCK DIARIES 68 Brian Finch observes that nature seems to be doing 80 Delta Willis explores Soysambu Conservancy with just fine despite COVID-19. members of the East African Succulenta Society. JULY - SEPTEMBER 2020 | 5 Otekat John Emily Matt Walpole Michael Wamithi Elizabeth Migongo-Bake EAWLS MISSION JULY - SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOLUME 45 | NUMBER 3 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 The Impala is the symbol of the East mainly through advocacy, implementing African Wild Life Society. SWARA is the conservation programmes, supporting Swahili word for Antelope field research, advancing environmental The East African Wild Life Society education, promoting sustainable development and inspiring people @eawildlife through vibrant events on wildlife and environmental conservation. WHY SUPPORT US EAWLS WORLDWIDE East Africa is rich in plant and REPRESENTATIVES animal biodiversity. A partnership USA with the East African Wild Mr & Mrs Harry Ewell Life Society is a great way for Financial Representatives individuals and organisations to 200 Lyell Avenue Spencerport help conserve the region’s iconic NY 14559-1839 species. Your contribution will help COVER PHOTO BY restore and safeguard habitats, TYLER DAVIS Grant Winther including forests and wetland 867 Taurnic Pl. NW Bainbridge Island, ecosystems; protect wildlife EDITOR WA 98110 and marine life while promoting John Nyaga sustainable use of natural [email protected] UNITED KINGDOM (UK) resources for the benefit of current Nigel Winser and future generations. Nature EDITORIAL BOARD The Old Forge, Brook End, Chadlington, sustains livelihoods and forms the Nigel Hunter Oxfordshire. OX7 3NF (01608 676 042) foundation on which our economies William Pike UK mobile - 07495 469941 thrive. Your membership offers Lucy Waruingi [email protected] you tangible benefits and allows Delta Willis you to participate in impactful Irene Amoke NETHERLANDS programmes while benefiting from Stichting EAWLS the visibility that the partnership DESIGN & LAYOUT Ridderhoflaan 37 2396 C J Koudekerk affords. George Okello A/D RIJN Copyright © 2020 SWITZERLAND CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS SWARA is a quarterly magazine owned Bernhard Sorgen Rose Chemweno and pub lished by the East African Wild Erlenweg 30 8302 Kloten Life So ci e ty, a non-prof it mak ing ADVERTISING & SALES or gan isa tion formed in 1961. Views FINLAND, SWEDEN & NORWAY Gideon Bett expressed in this magazine are not Roseanna Avento necessarily the views of the publishers. [email protected] PATRONS No part of this publication may be +358405355405 The President of Ken ya reproduced by any means whatsoever The President of Tan za nia without the written consent of the editor. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY The President of Ugan da Opin ions ex pressed by con trib u tors are The African Journal of Ecology is not nec es sar i ly the official view of the Published by Wiley – Blackwell in CHAIRPERSON Society. SWARA ac cepts the in for ma tion association with East African Wild Elizabeth Gitari given by con trib u tors as correct. Life Society. Purchase a copy of this VICE-CHAIRPERSON Journal at Wiley Online Library: Cissy Walker wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/aje HON. TREASURER SWARA OFFICES Davinder Sikand EAWLS Head Office P O Box 20110 – 00200, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Riara Road, Kilimani, Nairobi Nancy Ogonje Tel: + 254-(0) 20-3874145 + 254 (0) 20 3871437 BOARD MEMBERS + 254 (0) 722 202 473 + 254 (0) 734 600 632 SWARA appreciates the continued Davinder Sikand support it receives from Fauna & Flora William Pike International 6 | JULY6 | APRIL - SEPTEMBER - JUNE 2020 2020 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LETTER Forest Encroachment Must Stop n World Environmental Lamentably, such shenanigans Day on 5th June, are not unique to Kenya. Dishonest Kenya’s President Uhuru people with influence in other Kenyatta paid tribute to countries have used excuses such Othe late environmentalist, Wangari as rising population, poverty and Maathai, and ordered the Ministry the need to expand infrastructure to of Environment and Forestry to justify encroachment on public land reclaim grabbed forest land to expand in conservation areas, ignoring the green areas. Conservation initiatives value of ecosystem services afforded mentioned include the reclamation by such areas. of Ngong Road Forest, the expansion In 2019, Tanzania’s President John of Nairobi National Park and the Magufuli ordered the degazettement restoration of Michuki Park in Nairobi. of 12 protected areas and seven Acting on the president’s directive, wildlife reserves that covered a total of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), 707,659.94 hectares to create room for which has the mandate to protect, the settlement of people for farming manage and conserve public forests and livestock keeping. While farming warned against the purchase of land is an important economic activity in Ngong Road Forest in Nairobi. for poverty alleviation, it leads to Consequently, KFS announced that deforestation, land degradation and illegally acquired land in the forest greenhouse gas emissions. Forests on will be seized. Ngong Forest was the other hand support sustainable 7,231.6 acres in size when it was first agriculture by stabilising soils and The public needs to be made gazetted in 1932. Today only 3,025.6 the climate, regulating water flow and aware of the value of forests. Loss of is left. Close to 2,000 of what is left providing a habitat for pollinators and forests and the services they provide has also fallen into private hands natural predators of crop pests. It is to communities is quantifiable in through fraudulent acquisition, therefore unreasonable to encourage economic terms. according to KFS. farming at the expense of forests To quantify losses, a study was The planned reclamation of because woodlands in fact increase carried out in Uganda’s Mabira Forest Ngong Road Forest is coming a bit crop yields. where 72 hectares of forest land was too late. Those charged with the The underestimation of the to be cleared to provide for electricity responsibility of protecting forests economic value of forests against transmission wayleave. Researchers have over the years failed to stop other land uses in East Africa makes took into consideration all forest illegal acquisition of the woodlands, it easy for governments to allow benefits, including loss of tree enabling unscrupulous individuals to settlements in forests that are often biomass, biodiversity value, carbon grab protected areas, including Ngong seen as “idle” land. There is a lack of sequestration functions, loss of Road Forest. efforts to establish a balance between tourism revenue, reduced ecosystem Even if KFS manages to reclaim economic activity and the need for support services and livelihood the lost forest land, the damage has biodiversity conservation. Also, support, additional management already been done. The ecosystem environmental and natural resources costs, disturbance and relocation of has been negatively altered policies often pay little attention to ecotourism infrastructure. through encroachment by a few economic considerations, including It is important that natural beneficiaries denying the majority the need to make conservation resource managers, economic