December De-snaring report 2004

Participants

Isaac Maina Mutua Koti Samuel Adero Phillip Kipkorir 2 KWS Rangers

Area Of operation

Lion hill, Ngutuni, Irima, Ndii and Kajire

SNARES COLLECTED 167

Findings

The rain continued into the beginning of the month. The poaching incidences were found to be lower, a factor that can be contributed to the rainy season when many people are tendering their farms. However not everybody was keen on farming since a number of snares were freshly laid. Just outside the gate at lion hill, 46 snares were recovered which were freshly laid and an Impala with a snare was seen in the same area. All of the snares recovered were medium sized. These snares were found in the area between park access roads and the Voi River which is regularly visited by a large group of Impala. On the other side of the road adjacent to the hill a foot path was found entering the park through the fence heading toward Voi safari lodge area. We patrolled the area for several days trying to locate the destination of the path but with no success. However on our way to patrol, we sighted two people from our vehicle who ran away on seeing us and hid in the bush. We circled around to the outer side and laid an ambush from the foot path, one of the team leaders stood on a hill to keep watch and the rest of the team pursued the perpetrators from the inner side. After three hours wait and patrol we located them carrying a load of fire wood. We captured one while the other escaped. The caught poacher denied setting snares but admitted to collecting wood in the park for fire wood.

Across the Voi River and neighbouring the park, 44 snares were found in Ngutuni 25 being medium sized. Kirumbi area in the neighbourhood of Ngutuni across the Mombassa- Nairobi highway a dikdik was found dead on a snare. Thirty four snares were lifted in Irima. All were medium sized and we think is that only one man is responsible for these snares. We decided that laying an ambush for this person would be pointless as word had by that stage got out that we were in the area from the poacher who had escaped earlier on Four snares were gathered in Ndii all small sized. Also recovered were 5 arrows and a bow from a suspected poacher who left them and ran away. Another 26 small sized snares were found in Kajire area and a dikdiks strangled to death by a snare. A total of 167 snares and a bow with five arrows recovered, two dikdiks found dead, an Impala sighted with a snare and one person arrested.

Compiled by Isaac Maina.