Participants:

Henry Lekochere – team leader Samuel Odero Peter Wambua Ezra Mbuthia Samuel Masaku Rajab Fundi

Area of operation:

During the month of December, the Burra team covered the following areas: Sagalla ranch, Mgeno ranch, Dida Harea, and the Ndii area.

126 SNARES RECOVERED 2 ARRESTS

FINDINGS During the months operations the team lifted a total of 126 snares, 74 of which targeted big game with 52 targeting small game.

Two poachers were arrested while checking their snares in the Ndii area. They were booked a Voi Police Station. A Dikdik was rescued from a snare that it had become trapped in at Sagalla ranch.

Observable evidence: There has been a decline in the level of snaring this month in comparison to last month which is attributed to the fact that it is the rainy season and the communities bordering the park are busy tending to their farms and thus most of them are not really engaging in poaching activities.

SAGALLA RANCH The most exciting and interesting event for the team in this area was the fact that we rescued a Dikdik from a snare and thus saved it from a very painful death. While patrolling we heard a scream from a nearby bush and rushed to investigate. We found the Dikdik fighting to escape from the snare that had trapped it. The more the Dikdik struggled the tighter the snare became slowly suffocating it.

We managed to hold the Dikdik still while we removed the snare from around its neck and set it free. The team was also able to lift 50 small snares in the area all of which targeted small animals.

MGENO RANCH 19 snares were lifted during our patrols in Mgeno ranch.

Charcoal burning and logging continue to be a major problem in the area. Heavy rain and the poor road network made it difficult for the team to patrol the area as extensively as we would have liked to. Some bird traps were also found during our patrols.

NDII AREA We ended the months desnaring activities by patrolling the Ndii area. The team was able to arrest two poachers when they entered the park to check the snares that they had set.

One of the arrested individuals was a notorious poacher who had been arrested by the team in the past. When we asked the poachers why they poach they replied it was because of poverty. They poach to supplement their diet with meat and to sell the meat at market so that they can buy food. They also told us that due to the fact that the festive season is approaching there is a high demand for bushmeat in the nearby villages. The poachers were booked at Voi police station where they are awaiting sentencing. The team was able to lift 57 snares in the area most of which targeted large game.

DIDA HAREA This area has been extremely dry as there has been no rain and the water windmill in the area broke. The team worked tirelessly together with Bob Harries engineers to repair the windmill.

There is now a water source that the animals can go to in order to quench their thirst.

Report by Henry Lekochere