Operation Areas.

De-snaring was affected by a lack of security due to bandit operations. As a result two of the team members took their accumulated offs while Patrick Mutuku was assigned to carry out a survey in preparation for Gazi- Cottars team establishment. The remaining team embarked on community awareness and other duties.

Community Project

On the 9th of May, a community meeting involving wildlife committee members met at Kakindu shopping center. Various issues concerning community projects and wildlife were discussed. Fence issues were also tackled with the community reconfirming their support of the project. The Sheldrick team and the community wildlife service at Mutomo as well as the community jointly organized the meeting. On behalf of the community the committee requested for the revival of the stalled honey project by KWS and also requested us to guide them and help them to identify other community projects to undertake.

Four schools namely Kaluluini, Kimweli, Ksou primary school and Kasaala seconday school were visited. The visits involved our routine conservation education talks as well as videos were shown. Preparation for teacher’s workshop also took place during this period. Each school within our areas of operation will send one teacher for training at Mtito Andei.

The workshop was held at Joana Chase secondary school and the participants came from Kitui, Makueni and Voi. The workshop was the first one aimed at educating the teachers on issues related to fauna and flora conservation particularly at rural level. The aim of the workshop was to create a forum for the teachers for define their goals in conservation and enable them to build a general consensus on rural biodiversity for the benefit the entire community. The workshop was very successful with all the invited participants turning up. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya jointly organized it. People also came from the Colobus Trust, KRFI and the KWS. Participants were taken for an educational tour in Tsavo West National Park. The final document about the workshop is being compiled and will be presented at a later date.

Compiled By Wambua kikwatha