General
This month on MNC, it rained once on the 23rd. Though the rain has made the grass slightly greener it has not improved grazing much.
On the 12 Great Plains representatives Tyler and Susan met with MNC lands committee and GP lands committee at our Headquarters. The meeting was successful in bringing together the two groups and it was decided that 1 km around any camp that had clients would not be grazed by cattle. A new lease encompassing both parties will be drawn this month. The next meeting of both lands committee will be held on the 29th of next month.
On the 21st and 22nd all conservancies were invited to a two day meeting and workshop at the Koyiaki Guiding School hoseted by Dixon Kaelo from the Basecamp Foundation. The first day was used for presentations from all the representatives doing conservation work in the greater area. On the first day MNC was presented and was well received. Research studies from different organizations were also presented and discussed. On the second day final presentations and workshops were conducted. Heather Knight did the most useful presentation about planning tools. She was a guest from the Nature Conservancy in Colorado USA. They have developed a system of evaluating opportunities, and threats to those opportunities, for reaching pre decided goals for a given area. This system makes a lot of sense for planning. Using this method, the landlords and the tourism partners express what they want to see happen in the area milestones into the future. Once these have been agreed upon, methods to reach them are executed. Then, the goals, and the threats, are put into a matrix to evaluate how each program is going and what needs to be done to reach them effectively. At the next landowners committee meeting, it is recommended that this exercise be done again to discover what some of the goals are for MNC, and what are the methods/timeframes we are going to use/accept to reach them.
In October this year, lodge owners in the greater Mara area agreed upon rules of Game Viewing Etiquette. To reiterate them for adoption they are again written below:
Only 5 vehicles should be at a sighting at a given time of 10 minutes. Others who are waiting at the same sighting should remain a minimum of 200meters away. A sighting found on one’s own can be observed for longer, and is to the guide’s discretion as to how long they will stay.
Proximity to sightings: In accordance with KWS and KPSGA stipulations, no vehicles are allowed within 20meters of a sighting.
Litter: Clean up after yourselves and if you see litter pick it up. Giving water to herders is discouraged as they litter the water bottles.
Behavior at sightings: Cars should be switched off and sightings should be observed in relative silence. Guests should remain in the vehicle at a sighting. No standing on the roof, picnics, bush-breakfasts etc. These activities should be done away from sightings.
Flushing animals out of cover and harassment are strictly forbidden and offenders will be fined. This includes throwing objects at animals and, shouting or honking horns to get their attention.
A speed limit of 40Kph for all tracks in the conservancy will be followed; public access roads are an exception.
Night game drives have been stopped all together. Vehicles returning to camp in the evening are allowed to use spotlights on nocturnal animals only with red filters. Vehicles must return to camp by 8:30pm.
All injured wildlife should be reported immediately to our rangers by telephone or at the HQ.
Infringement of the rules should be reported immediately in the above way.
These rules and regulations are developed to improve wildlife viewing experiences, safety and respect for the environment. Progressive fines will be implemented to discourage breaking these rules. All tourism partners in MNC are requested to support and adhere to these rules of Game Driving Etiquette.
Wildlife
The Loita migration started on the 14th of this month when large numbers of Wildebeest moved onto MNC. Approximately 30,000 wildebeest are now resident northwestern section of MNC along the river. This area has had more localized rain which may explain this concentration. There are very few wildebeest in the areas near OOC and Musiara. Much of the migration has been concentrated in the Mara Conservancy.
2 elephant deaths occurred this month in the Lemek Hills area. The tusks were intact and removed by our rangers for collection by KWS.
Livestock predation decreased markedly this month with only two incidents at Karia’s boma on Lemek. This was the boma that had been heavily bothered for the last two months. A single female problem animal was identified and reported to KWS several times. Unfortunately the traps were not available. On the 15th boma residents killed the same lioness. She was speared whilst trying to get into the boma at night. After that there have been no more incidents of predation from that boma.
Cattle
According to previous research done in this area mentioned in last month’s report and research conducted by the Livestock Institute in the United States, a better understanding of the carrying capacity for cattle is reported. Each hectare supports approximately 2000Kg of dry matter. Using a recovery rate of 6 months and the average consumption of a cow of 20kg of dry matter per day (Livestock Institute). 2 ha will sustainably support 1 cow throughout the year. Therefore, the 26,00ha leased by MNC can support approximately 13,000 head of cattle. This does not take into account the areas that cattle are not permitted; double leased land around camps, game viewing areas and areas with large predators present. (2000kg/ha /30days /6months /20kg dry matter per day =. 555cattle per ha. Research reports are available upon request
Several incidents of cattle disturbing lions are reported this month. On the 26th cattle in the “maternity” area chased a pride of 10 lions from cover. On the 17th a pride of 7 lions were also harassed near the main road to Mararienta in the Elichoro Elrasho area.
7 arrests were made this month of cattle herders that had been asked to leave and have returned. In two cases angry landlords reported that they were hosting the cattle. They were explained that any cattle from outside the area are prohibited.
Further bomas are being built by members and non-resident cattle hosted in them. This is becoming a serious issue, as some of the new bomas are right next to camps and bordering double leased land.
After the first step of controlling cattle from coming into areas, which they are not permitted, the next step will be to only allow them to graze in areas which are owned by the landlord. If landlords have an excess of the sustainable number they will need to purchase grazing rights from other landlords that do not have cattle or have not reached their quota. The method of controlling cattle by parcel size was already implemented some time back by the former K/L Group Ranch and should be implemented once again with the support of the MNC committee. Cattle were counted from the 20th to the 27th the total number of cattle is 34,577 resident, and 1,597 outsider. Member cattle have increased from 30,135, and outsider’s decreased from 7,072. Please see the maps on page six and seven, which illustrate the proposed areas for cattle grazing, and the areas where cattle grazing will not be permitted. The proposed areas in Hectares are as follows: Mararienta: 2,167ha., Olorokoti Plain: 4,088ha., and Aitong/Motorogi: 9,407ha. Some of this area around Aitong and Mararienta is not leased by MNC.
As concluded at the last committee meeting, fines shall continue for member cattle inside the areas of land that is double leased, land known to have large concentrations of predators, wooded areas, areas of ecological sensitivity and key game viewing or scenic areas. There remain 15 temporary bomas that will be moved, with 3 new bomas that have been built this month. Building of new structures will need to be approved by the committee and the MNC Directors.
Research
On the 29th Jon and Neema Bøhmer of Kyoto Energy and Maasai Power introduced the solar box in Aitong. Six boxes have been brought to test the viability of the use of the boxes on a daily basis. The users will record how much food and how much time it took to cook the food. This will better indicate the reduction of kerosene, charcoal and wood used. The boxes were introduced to the Aitong Discovery and Community Empowerment Centre, and to Ignatius Ntutu. They have volunteered to record and use the boxes daily. When the initial test period is over users will receive the family packet, which includes a solar torch, solar bag, solar cooker, and biomass cooker. They will be registered with the Kyoto Club and receive payments according to their carbon reduction in tons per year.
Paulus Maukonen is finishing his work on Ol Choro Oiroua and has mapped temporary bomas on Koyiaki. His maps are becoming better references for the area. He has followed all government maps but reports that there are some errors on the hand-drawn maps when comparing them with land sat. images. The government maps will have to be honored until the area is resurveyed. Unfortunately Paulus will only be on MNC until the end of June. He will complete the mapping exercise and give us all his data to improve upon. This will be the first updated map of the area since the African Wildlife Foundation update in 2005. Paulus has started an in-depth database, which can be added to by future GIS students. He has proposed to do his PhD. on MNC and will be assisted by 3 Masters students for the next 5 years. The tuition fees are 2,100£ per year, which he would request funding for from MNC. He will be available to start in September, once he is finished with his masters. Alternatively, students from a Kenyan institution can be sourced for this work.
Tyler Peterson and Susan Reeve voiced the need for aerial photographs of the area, which will be a useful tool for map-making and planning. One very important issue discussed was the need for a research centre on Koyiaki. This centre would serve multiple needs; building a research database for the area, day-to-day research and recording, employment needs for guides, field assistants and interpreters, and an education and interpretation centre. Hopefully, funding for this will be sourced with the help of Tyler and Susan.
Most of the permanent boma structures and houses have attempted to be incorporated when drawing the grazing areas. As has access water and access to other areas outside MNC. In the proposed area 14 structures are outside the proposed area and should be moved. Changes to this area, with agreement from the committee and the directors of MNC, should be agreed upon as soon as possible.
From the 20th of this month many of the cattle owners moved their livestock to the boundary of the reserve in search of better grazing. There is not much grass on Koyiaki left.
Staff
All staff members are adjusting well to their new duties and responsibilities.
Successful operations have been carried out this month with Ol Choro and MNC Seiya rangers.
Next month a proposed 15 additional rangers will be employed. Rangers representing previous Great Plains interests will be interviewed first.
Developments:
Six signs have been competed and erected.
“Fly Camp” erected and manned near Mararienta.
1 gate erected, and awaits painting, off-cuts and inner walls. The second gate will be erected in the first week of August. The third gate will be built when land disputes around Musiara gate are resolved.
| Implement a curfew and enforce stricter traversing rights | Continuing |
| Construct signage | Completed |
| Develop grazing area | Done |
| Identify sites and start work on three possible gates | Continuing |
| Patrol and man southern boundary | Done |
| Work more closely with other armed Seiya rangers | 2 joint operations done |
| Evaluate school kitchen | Not done-Next month |
| Assign tasks to Denis Mako | Continuing |
| Evaluate proposed airstrip | Done |
| Develop and present 3 month work plan | Presented for approval next month. |
Focus for August
Complete and man 2 MNC gates
Employ 15 new rangers
Rehabilitate office complex (HQ)
Evaluate school kitchen
Present budget for proposed airstrip
Enforce grazing policy in restricted proposed areas.
Improve security in the Lemek Hills area
Request support from Chloride Excide to supply solar equipment for gates, ranger accommodation, and office complex.
Meet with MNC directors and Committee Members to agree on common goals and start planning process.
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