September report

General
This month only light showers prevailed. Heaver showers were frequent around the Mararienta area and grazing has improved there. The rest of MNC remains dry but heavy rains are expected with El Niño forecasts.

At the end of last month a draft Annual Work Plan was submitted to the Board of Directors of MNC. The work plan was well received by most of the BoDs some small queries have been made about budget amounts but this will hopefully be agreed upon next month. For the last 4 months 4th month that Seiya limited has managed MNC and quite a few projects have started. These will need the necessary funding to continue. The BoD is positive toward projects Seiya has submitted.

During the last Land Committee meeting it was decided that there would be more communication with Seiya and cattle owners; and that all restricted areas would remain status quotes. Also that, restricted areas were adaptable according to where predators were found. This has led to some difficulties on the ground but with better communication and patrol work conflicts should ease.

Choosing a common vision for the area has become a priority for the BoD and Seiya. Though we have a working Land Committee the BoD and Seiya feel it is necessary for committee members to have well defined roles while on the committee. This has become more important as new developments have been popping up which members of the committee have known about but not reported; to the management company or to the BoD. The BoD has recommended that we employ a number of community scouts to share information on MNC with community members whom also to report back to Seiya and the BoD. The next committee meeting will be held on the 10th of October and the main agenda will be to better define the role of the Land Committee and its responsibilities.

On the 25th a second Guiding etiquette meeting was held at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club. At this meeting a board of 9 individuals was elected, who will manage the association. A disciplinary board would be set up to inform the board of what is happening on the ground. Seiya ltd will enforce the rules and regulations defined by the board. Kicheche Camp distributed minutes of the meeting, and the next board meeting will be held at Serian camp on the 13th of October.

Wildlife

Plains wildlife have been concentrated in the area near Mararienta where there is better grazing. Wildlife viewing has been relatively good. There were four resident lion cubs near EPC camp but unfortunately; the lion named Cesar killed them. A pride of about 9 lion resident in the Military Bush have been seen daily.

Two dead elephants were found in the area this month. On the 6th a dead elephant was found in the forest near Olarai farm in the Emorijoi area. The cause of death is unclear but the tusks were intact and taken to our Ol Choro HQ where they were collected by the KWS on the 7th. On the 27th a second elephant was found dead in the Ol Donyo Erinka area. It had been followed by the Ngoswani unit for several days and was reported to have a fetid wound near its groin. The tusks were removed and taken to Lemek KWS post.
On the 22nd we found a dead buffalo that fell into a deep-water pool in Rekero River. We tried to remove the carcass in vain.

In the Ninety Forest a giraffe was found dead and butchered for meat. After extensive patrols in the area nothing was found. It is suspected that herders had taken the meat. The cause of death is unclear.

There were two cases of sick animals recorded this month. A hippo with a spear in its left flank was exterminated opposite Serian camp. The spear had ruptured its stomach cavity. It had a poor chance of recovering. One giraffe near Rekero Homes was found with an injured ankle, thought to be caused by a wire snare.

There was one incident of human wildlife conflict this month. On the 27th, an old man near Rekero Homes was knocked down by a buffalo, which broke his arm and leg.

Cattle

The Ol Peseta trip has been postponed until the 2nd of October due to a conflict of schedules. Cattle were counted form the 25th to the 27th, this month there were 16,670 cattle counted. This is a drop from 28,503 last month. On the 28th an estimated 10,000 head of cattle have been stationed near Musiara Gate but are expect to move shortly. The cattle are in bad shape and have come from as far as north of Narok Town over 100Km away. Most of the resident cattle have moved to the Transmara but they are complaining that the area is now becoming satiated.

Security

The frequent deaths of elephants, and signs of poaching in the Lemek Hills, has been a security concern for the last few months. In the last two years there have been over 10 elephants found dead in the greater Lemek Hills area stretching to Lemek Centre. In 3 cases their ivory was not recovered. Last month a large bull elephant was found poached and the tusks removed immediately by poachers. Senior Warden Benson Ketere and Deputy Warden Koitamet Sitany spent a majority of their time this month on clandestine intelligence work. On the 18th they received a lead that there was a deal taking place in Aitong Centre. An ambush was place on the evening of the 25th outside the residence of suspected persons. At 20:15 that evening, their house was raided, and the two suspects arrested after finding one complete tusk and two pieces. The total weight of ivory recovered was 18Kgs. The KWS intelligence unit then assisted them by sending a unit from Nairobi by vehicle. The KWS took them for further prosecution and interrogation. The culprits arrested were thought to be middlemen en route to a larger market place, rather than poachers. We are continuing with this work, the reporting of it, will sensitive at this time. We are hopeful that more recoveries will be made in the near future.

No other poachers were caught this month on MNC. While on a two-day training spell in the Mara Conservancy, two poachers were arrested by a joint team of rangers from Ol Choro and MNC in Tanzania. Our, and the Mara Conservancy rangers removed over a hundred snares the next day while on patrol. Many wildebeest that were caught in snares were released. Some were not as fortunate Even a vulture was found alive in a snare. An occurrence never been recorded by rangers before.


Research

The GIS work in MNC has been postponed until more funds can be made available to accommodate the students effectively in the field.

Mr. Papio from Living with lions is Sara Blackburn’s assistant and hopes to travel around with the patrol vehicle to identify and monitor lions. This will be easier when we have the anti harassment vehicle.

Development

The major development work this month has been the rehabilitation of the bad sections of road connecting MNC and Transmara. This section of road will be graveled and graded again in the first week of October.

A 5,000Ltr tank has been sourced and dung into the ground of the courtyard at the MNC HQ. A further 20,000Ltr soak pit is been dug outside the HQ. This will be used to channel water away from the main building and will also be an alternative water source for rangers. The rehabilitation of the offices continues.

The Mararienta toilet at the gate has been finished and only needs to be painted. The Ngoswani gate toilet has not been erected yet.

Focus for September

Complete and man 2 MNC gates Both gates manned, toilets and grass roofs are being constructed.
Employ 15 new rangers Postponed to 5th of October
Rehabilitate office complex (HQ)
Continuing
Evaluate school kitchen Not done
Evaluate Chief’s Nyayorori’s House
Done
Enforce grazing policy in restricted areas.
Continuing
Improve security in the Lemek Hills area
Continuing-gate manned with 4 patrol rangers.
Rehabilitate very bad sections of C13 road near Mara Bridge.
Continuing and should be completed by the 7th of October. The Mara Conservancy is doing much graveling and grader work.

Host responsible guiding meeting at MNC HQ Hosted by Fairmont Mara Safari Club
Rehabilitation of staff quarters Starting on the 4th of October.


Focus for October
∑ Finish previously started projects, gates, and office.
∑ Hire 15 rangers, and train them.
∑ Start staff housing rehabilitation.
∑ Attend guiding meeting at Serian Camp.
∑ Attend Land Committee meeting.