One cheetah cub died today in Nairobi National Park’s orphanage. An article regarding what is happening is on examiner.
The last two cubs need to be released to the Mara Conservancy immediately!
Kenya’s wildlife is so precious, so for this tragedy to occur while these cubs remain in the custody of the Kenya Wildlife Service does not bode well.
Poaching: It’s not Kenya’s problem, nor South Africa’s nor every other country where the vile act is occurring. It is everyone’s problem. A worldwide issue.
Therefore, this morning the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing labeled:
Ivory and Insecurity: The Global Implications of Poaching in Africa.
Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, the internationally renowned founder of Save the Elephants testified along with two other witnesses.
I have been sending clients on safari since 1982. Kenya’s tourism industry is essential to the country. Without it devastation will reign, leaving the United States and other countries with no recourse but to intervene financially. This is one of the many scenarios that could happen if poaching is not brought under control.
For those who missed the live video, the testimonies can be downloaded. Please click on ELEPHANT.
Amboseli Elephants taken by Mary Purvis
The Kenya Wildlife Service has relocated the three cheetah cubs to Nairobi National Park’s orphanage. The latest video portrays the cubs in a cement cell. Even if they are moved within the orphanage is this in their best interest? 
Unless dire circumstances dictate, every option should be explored and implemented to keep wildlife in the wild. After all that is what the name wildlife means.
In this situation the option to move the cubs to an orphanage instead of rehab and reintroducing them into the wild within the Mara Conservancy as conservancy officials were in the process of doing may backfire.
The international outcry over this debacle is enormous and one can only think that perhaps tourism dollars will be lost as a result. My safaris will never include Nairobi National Park’s orphanage unless clients request a visit to the Sheldrick orphanage.
The following is a statement from Sybelle Foxcroft, wildlife biologist and CEO of an Australian based organization www.Cee4life.org
“The situation with the cubs from Mara conservancy is tragic, not just for the cubs themselves, but also regarding the law which KWS is bound by. The very definition of conservation means to protect wildlife and the environment, both plants and animals sustainably. This is both the law which KWS work by and which Mara Conservancy work by. Ironically, each organisation involved in this has done their job exactly inside the laws which both are bound by. KWS has adhered to their law, and Mara Conservancy adhered to the conservation and protection of the Mara Triangle that they are deemed to do. There is a gap between the framework in which KWS has to operate and places such as the Mara Conservancy. And it is that gap which has resulted in 3 protected cheetah cubs taken for a release program and put into the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, which has a history of no animals being released. This is the tragedy as these 3 cubs were vital for the gene pool of the Mara Serengeti area. Now that the problem area has been identified, it must be fixed. Cee4life is willing to work with KWS Director to bridge the gap between KWS wildlife law structure and a create mandated cheetah release program. In the meantime, an urgent agreement must be made to ensure that these cubs are returned to Mara Conservancy as soon as possible so the cubs can continue their journey towards release into the wild. This benefits the cubs and all parties concerned. The Cheetah are IUCN listed vulnerable species, every cheetah counts.”
There still may be time for these cubs. Please go to the petition site to sign the petition
Photo courtesy of anonymous
Three cheetah cubs are the center of controversy brewing in Kenya’s Mara Triangle, which is managed by the Mara Conservancy. The link I have provided describes the circumstances surrounding the three orphans.
Their precarious state represents the quandary officials face when tasked to protect a species.
Please click on CHEETAH to read the article
Plastic bags – a convenience for our society with a plethora of uses, but not so for wildlife.
Increasingly, these bags or plastic containers are shown in news footage enshrouding the head of an inquisitive animal, or much worse smothering the animal to death after attempts to eat it.
Now these plastic products of doom have made their way into parks, reserves and conservancies in Kenya. I’m not even getting into how they have been introduced into those areas – that’s a given, but there is something we can do to stop this.
A link is attached to sign a petition on change.org to support the ban on polythene bags in Kenya. Please sign – Kenya’s wildlife will be forever grateful!
To sign the petition click on: plastic bags
