De-snaring report for October 2004

Participants

Patrick Mutuku – Team Leader Josphat Ajot Henry Lekochere Stephen Musyoka KWS rangers

SNARES COLLECTED 437

Area Covered

The areas patrolled were Ziwani, Maktau, Jipe, Lumo and Kishushe wildlife sanctuary, Mzima pipeline, Tsavo River and Oza Isangaipishe ranches.

Findings

Snaring in the above areas targets mostly larger animals which was coupled with lamping going on at night, mainly for the smaller mammals. A total of 437 snares were collected this month, 4 poachers arrested and a large number of animals were found dead in snares.

The poachers in the area seem to be turning to hunting at night, this is a highly successful way to poach and less time consuming then laying snares. Added to that poacher have less chance of being caught as we along with the KWS do mainly night patrols. Unfortunately we missed capturing 10 poachers and had to settle with only four out of the group of 14 which managed to run away as we closed in on them. At Maktau we collected a number of snares but also the chief in the area enabled us to meet with some poachers, as they were not in possession of anything illegal we could not arrest them. Instead we had a long discussion with them and explained what we did and that if we were to catch them poaching or even inside the park then they would be arrested. In Kishushe snaring has declined however there is an increase in night poaching in this area. We fond a small number of animals in snares here but in particular we found a Cheetah which was snared and had died perhaps no more then 2 days before we found it. Poachers are now working mainly at night, and it will not be long before we will have to start working at night too. The bush meat trade is becoming more profitable and certain poachers feel that the money received through poaching far out weighs the risk of being captured.

Report by Patrick Mutuku