Participants

Kasau Lerat – Team Leader Patrick Mutuku – Ass Team Leader Adan Abdi – Car guard Julius Mumo – Cook Samuel Lolchuraki– KWS ranger Kisangi Munywoki – KWS ranger Felsa Muteti

SNARES COLLECTED 561

The operation was a follow up of last months de-snaring on relatively the same area. The short dry spell has set in and the poachers have moved into the park in large numbers. We managed to collect 600 snares in total, 561 were for small game while the remainder were for big game. In a joint effort with the KWS rangers, who always accompany us on patrol, we managed to capture and arrest 3 out of eight poachers in the park, as well as confiscate 1 bicycle and some other items. At this time of year there is a large amount of human activities inside the park taking place ranging from snaring, heavy logging, honey harvesting and fishing.

At kyamanyenze and the foot of the Yatta there was fresh snaring and logging as well as evidence of paths used by poachers. There is little evidence of poaching at Tundani, human activities were minimal. The general area of Thalakana/ Yatta plateau was characterised by a lot of human activities ranging from snaring, honey hunting and logging. Fresh footprints were found on a number of occasions. Poachers prefer this area because it is deep inside the park and there are a variety of wild animals.

Between Tsavo safari camp downstream as well as upstream up to 20kms there was little evidence of human activities. At Corner ya nyati poaching seemed to increase, with a number of snares collected throughout the day. Poachers can access the park easily without being detected Gazi on the whole has little wildlife and plenty of tree cutting; the tree which is commonly cut down is the Mellia Voksenii. The wood loggers move into the park by bicycle on the paths that they have made.

Compiled by Kasao Lerat