Participants

Wambua kikwatha - team leader Munywoki kisangi - tracker Wekesa Nyangweso - car guard Feisal muteti -de-snares Mwoni Ikuthu - cook KWS rangers

SNARES COLLECTED 494

The operation started on a very high note by checking the hot spots especially along the Tiva river. Even though the area had been patrolled the previous month we managed to collect both new and old snares. At this time of the year poaching is always on the higher side. Due to the dry season many poachers are now moving into the interior in search of big game. Snaring at this period is very easy because the animal movement can be predicted. Water holes and river points that retain water are the obvious hot spots.

This month’s operation was joined with the northern area section of rangers and five. The above-mentioned areas were thoroughly patrolled and we managed to lift a total of 494 snares.

Community Work

During this month, de-snaring ran con currently with community activities and a series of meetings took place.

• On the 5th of the month Mr and Mrs Moore visited the neighboring schools. Five schools were visited and given 25 Atlas’, 25 text books on social sciences class 1 and 2 as well as a foot ball. • 06.07.04 We visited schools at Mtito Andei. • 08.07.04 We showed a video show at kasaala secondary school. • 16.07.04 The team held a community wildlife committee meeting at Kasaala gate. The agenda was to find ways the committee can be proactive in the anti-poaching campaign. The fence maintenance people were told to assist in reporting all cases like poaching, sightings, footprints and intelligence reports. • Community self help group meeting. Six groups namely Mewano, Ngiluni, Furaha, Amani, Ithumla, Kokoto center and Kwa Kilile. The community self help groups are being mobilized to come up with development projects that are sustainable and can be effectively linked to sustainable conservation. The following meeting will be to strategize on possible ways to achieve the objectives. • Kone community was visited; the purpose of the visit was to strengthen the existing relationship. Kone had been very vital in providing very useful intelligence reports. A video show took place at night. The adjacent communities came to Kone to enjoy the film shows. • More videos at Ilamba were shown.

Report by Wambua kikwatha