Participants

Wambua kikwatha - team leader Munywoki kisangi - tracker Mwoni ikuthu - cook Feisal muteti Wekesa mhebi - car guard Mhebi Nyangweso KWS ranger Samuel lochoraki KWS ranger

Findings During this month we collected 709 snares.

Our operation started after a one and a half month break, as we were short of KWS rangers who had all been posted to another area for anti poaching. However during this break we managed to monitor tracks and waterholes so that we could keep a check on all the hot spots. During this month we collected 709 snares and arrested one poacher in possession of 120 snares and were booked into Mtomo police station.

This month we also checked new areas such as Mkomwe, Shimo la Shetani and Lagaa kugu. Mkomwe is predominantly known as a transit route for armed poachers from Enyali and other areas however no snares were found there. Lagga Kugu is quite a way from the boundary and so we were surprised to recover 38 snares and we will visit this area again soon. We have not visited Shimo la shetani for some time now and it is once again a hot spot as we found a permanent hide and dismantled it

Community Work

Two schools were visited during this month; video shows and talks took place as well as the wildlife fence committee met on the 10th of June. The purpose of the meeting was to update the community on the latest development on the fence project as well as discuss other relevant conservation issues. The committee re-instated their commitment toward the betterment of the wildlife and the environmental conservation. Plans to visit Kone community failed due to the orphan’s re-location project, but we hope to include this visit in next month’s operation.

Report compiled by

Wambua Kikwatha.