In the wilds of Kenya’s Northern Frontier District, Martin Wheeler, aka ‘bird-man’, and team use paraglider, car and footwork in surveillance effort to help thwart illegal wildlife trade. Africa’s wild elephants are being killed at their fastest rate since 1979-89, the bloody decade in which their number more than halved from 1.4m to 600,000. Wheeler, like many conservationists, is on[…]
Read moreIf anyone has any doubt about the absolute necessity of campaigns to combat elephant poaching this latest seizure drives home the seriousness of the issue. Bloggers like Jenny Karvunidis who criticized Hillary Clinton for declaring her support for the worldwide crackdown on elephant poaching should take the time to realise just how serious this issue is. Largest seizure since 2010[…]
Read moreOne of the key things about taking kids on safari is to get them involved. A few years ago I escorted a couple of family groups on migration safaris in Kenya. Having children on safari changes the whole dynamic of a group. Whereas adults are content to use the time between game drives to relax, read, update diaries or catch[…]
Read moreYears of hard work and dedication rewarded as Lewa Downs and Ngare Ndare Forest join Mt. Kenya World Heritage Site. The Mount Kenya World Heritage Site was recently expanded to include two additional conservation areas, namely Lewa Downs and the Ngare Ndare Forest. Lewa Downs, once upon a time a conventional cattle ranch owned and operated by the Craig family, has[…]
Read moreThe Kenya Wildlife Service has assured the country that the fight against illegal trade in ivory has been intensified but noted the number of elephants killed was still high. More tough talk from KWS’s Paul Mbugua, but there is still a lot of work to do to reverse the inexorable march of the poachers. Click here to read Joseph Muraya’s[…]
Read moreBigger fines and stronger penalties alone won’t be enough to stop poaching for ivory – but traditional values could help Dr Paula Kahumbu has written another thought provoking article for the Guardian. There are few more passionate campaigners – if any – for Africa’s elephants. Click here to read her latest piece.
Read moreIt is something that we would dearly love to see implemented – and which was due to be introduced in 2012 – but the common tourist visa for East Africa is still no nearer becoming a reality. As usual, politics and bureaucracy are standing in the way of plain common sense. While there is broad consensus among the tourism private[…]
Read more“Africa is facing an unprecedented crisis of elephant poaching that threatens to wipe out the species in a decade. As poachers gun down elephant matriarchs, and destroy their families, buyers of ivory in countries like China, Vietnam and Thailand purchase exquisite ivory carvings of their gods, and believe that they are somehow worshiping God. Don’t they know that their consumer[…]
Read more“Right now the demand for ivory is very high. When that happens, the price rises and suppliers go into over-drive,” says Paul Mbugua, spokesman for the state-run Kenya Wildlife Services. “While there is demand for ivory, nothing will stop these poachers.” In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), teams of poachers hunt from helicopters, packing serious firepower – rocket-propelled grenades[…]
Read moreThe Best Beers in Africa You know the feeling; you’re sitting in the bar after a long hot day of game viewing; you’re gasping for an ice cold beer but you don’t recognise any of the beers the barman offers you. We know how distressing a situation like this can be – you just don’t need to be faced with[…]
Read moreA rare antelope that has been absent in the Mara has been spotted after a decade o absence. The single male Roan antelope was spotted near Roan Hill, to the south of the Maasai Mara reserve this week. “The hill named after this antelope has reclaimed its name,” said Paul Kirui, a Kenya Professional Gold Safari Guide. Kirui said the[…]
Read moreFirst Lady Margaret Kenyatta has called for the immediate end to foreign countries buying ivory from Kenya. Mrs Kenyatta said countries in Asia, US and Africa said stopping trade in ivory from the country will discourage poaching. “If the countries stop buying ivory, demand will be lower. Buying is contributing to demand which is destroying the future of our elephants,”[…]
Read more2 months ago, all indicators pointed at the annual wildebeest migration running behind schedule this year. But now things are turning out quite differently. By the beginning of June some of the front runners were crossing the Grumeti River and heading towards Seronera before quickly moving further north into Ikoma. Herds of wildebeest were already massing on the central plains[…]
Read moreKWS says poachers have killed 137 elephants, 24 rhinos this year Poachers have killed at least 137 elephants and 24 rhinos this year amid global concerns over trade in game trophies. Kenya Wildlife Service director William Kiprono said half of the endangered species were killed in the Tsavo conservancy area where poachers masquerade as herders from adjacent ranches. Click here[…]
Read moreThe migration north is gathering momentum. This week the herds are spread out across central Serengeti and just moving into northern Serengeti. Wildebeest can be found all the way from southern Seronera up as far as Ikoma in the north. This means the migration is further advanced than usual for this time of year and likely to begin crossing the Mara river[…]
Read moreSome good news to end the week. Kenya’s President Kenyatta is backing up his words with action; pushing through much tougher penalties for poaching and adding an extra 1,000 KWS rangers. Click here to read the story from Nairobi’s Capital FM
Read moreAt last! Kenya is starting to make good on promises to get tough on poaching, poachers and anyone helping them. At least 32 Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) senior officers have been suspended to make way for investigations into increased poaching activities in their areas, Kenya’s The Standard reported Saturday (June 8th). The suspended officers include those in charge of parks[…]
Read moreSome good news at last! In one of the swiftest responses to the recent reports of escalating poaching of elephants and rhinos, Kenya’s Cabinet has approved a complete overhaul of the country’s national wildlife legislation by approving the Wildlife Bill and Policy. Click here to read the article by Dr Paula Kahumbu in the Guardian.
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