Conservation Program Update - Aerial Game Count 2014

Kuku Group Ranch lies in the heart of the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem, and covers 1133km squared. It is an important conservation area for wildlife and critical ecosystem services, protecting crucial water resources from Mount Kilimanjaro and the Chyulu Forest, which supports millions of people across Kenya for water needs.

Kuku Group Ranch location in Kenya

Understanding wildlife and livestock distribution and abundance on Kuku Group Ranch (KGR), and being able to monitor trends and changes over time, is an important part of being able to develop appropriate conservation management strategies. Therefore, aerial surveys were started on KGR in 2010 as part of a long term monitoring plan.

This will provide valuable information to enable the monitoring of trends in the distribution and abundance of wildlife and livestock on KGR providing a basis for monitoring ecological changes and patterns of human use over time. A longterm dataset will enable MWCT to monitor major patterns of abundance and distribution of certain wildlife species in particular in relation to habitat and human presence and disturbance. The results will provide information to identify areas of conservation, which will guide conservation management.

The 2014 Game Count team after a very long day of hard work!

Fuelling the aircraft mid-day

In general, there has been an increase in wildlife as well as livestock numbers over the past few years since the drought of 2009. The most abundant wildlife species found on Kuku Group Ranch during the aerial survey of 2013 was the Burchell's zebra, followed by gazelle, Maasai giraffe, and Impala. The results of this year's aerial survey will be compared with the previous years.

Why the Lion Collars?

Recently, Namunyak and her group were around the lava fields close to the Iltilal Village. MWCT Conservation Team is well aware of a regular cattle route passing very close to where her location was. The team sent out the Simba Scouts to go inform these regular herders in the area to herd their livestock away from where Namunyak and her group were. 

Our team wanted to ensure that all precautions were taken to avoid Namunyak and the other lions predating on the livestock, as it may lead to conflict with the community, potentially resulting in a lion hunt. The herders were extremely thankful of this warning from our staff. The Simba Scouts also helped the herders to herd the cows away so that they could graze in a different area where it was safe. 

Many may not truly understand the importance of a lion collar. But this story explains one of the main reasons why they are crucially important. There are many many reasons for collaring a lion, but especially in community land where human-lion conflict is high, it is a very useful tool that can be used to protect the lions. With the collars you can track them and also study their behaviour/movement in relation to human settlements. This information can then be used to mitigate conflict and avoid the lions being killed, such as was done above. Once you understand the behaviour and movement of lions in community land, you can identify high risk areas that herdsmen can avoid. 

Conservation Program Update - Wildlife Pays Success Story

Although many people come to spend and visit a significant amount of time in Maasai land, many do not understand the importance and value of livestock herds as well as the value of living in the traditional Maasai way.

Recently, our Conservation Program became aware of a scenario in which 5 grown cow calves were killed near Olpukai swamp by lions in the daylight, with the herders present and nearby. Two lions were involved in the killing (one of the male collared lions and his companions), and the herders were standing very nearby, but unfortunately could not herd the calves away quickly enough to save them.

Olpukai Swamp - location of the incident

Historically and traditionally, the reaction would have resulted in a direct killing in retaliation, or a pursue of a lion hunt of these two lions. However, it is very clear that there is some major success to report in this story. The Wildlife Pays program with MWCT seeks to teach the Maasai that by not killing lions, by saving them in the ecosystem, that they will receive benefits. Through this program, with any loss of livestock due to predation with no negligence on the side of the herder and the boma (boma being a certain size, and herder acting appropriately) a compensation is paid to the owner of the affected livestock.

Livestock and wildlife grazing and living simultaneously at the swamp

To many Maasai, livestock is the sole source of income for the entire family. In this scenario, 5 cows is worth a compensation payment of 100 000 KSH. For this family to have a loss of five animals it was a very large detriment, despite the repayment. It is a large success for the Wildlife Pays program to know that the Maasai are compliant in not killing these lions, as they are aware of the negative consequences of a lion killing on themselves and their community,  as well as the potential economic compensation they may receive.