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

Their precarious state represents the quandary officials face when tasked to protect a species. 

Please click on CHEETAH to read the article

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

I pray that 2012 will bring solutions to the many issues that plague the world’s wildlife: poaching, human/wildlife conflict, wildlife harassment, vanishing habitat, trophy hunting and the bushmeat trade.

As this last day of 2011 comes to a close, it is very sad to hear that three lions have been killed in Nairobi National Park – a result of human/wildlife conflict.  So I pray that news such as this will be few and far between in 2012.

I’ve decided that I will make a conscious effort to write more articles about wildlife that are upbeat and positive.  Perhaps about that conservation group making a difference or that the Maasai actually decided not to kill a lion in retribution.

If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them!

Happy New Years!

Photo taken by Mary Purvis

Filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, who live in Botswana and document the lives of lions mentioned this on Nightline last night. Their documentary “The Last Lions” will air during National Geographic’s Big Cat Week.

With Africa’s big cat population declining rapidly for a variety of reasons, lions are having a hard enough time without hunters butting in.

How do we stop these hunters before they butcher lions into extinction?  They have all sorts of excuses why it is ok to hunt these majestic creatures. Do they think there is a bottomless pit of wildlife to kill for their enjoyment, and that they are here just for them to hunt? 

Somehow the selling of these hunting licenses must be stopped, and awareness is the first step.

If this is not stopped along with other atrocities against big cats, then there is a good chance that our great-grandchildren will never see a big cat in the wild, and that infuriates me no-end.

National Geographic channel’s Big Cat Week commences Sunday, December 11th with the airing of “The Last Lions” on Friday, December 16th. 

The link for the Nightline segment is below:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/jouberts-film-worlds-lions-expose-peril-big-cats/story?id=15117528

National Geographic’s web-site has further information:  www.causeanuproar.org

Please pass the links along – it’s so important!

I was unable to attach the video to part three due to a software glitch, so here it is:

Thank you Margaret for filming this! It brings to the world a vital issue that needs to be resolved and soon!     Please click below to view:

Leopard harassment in Maasai Mara  documented by Margaret Lamont

tourist crowding in front of a leopard

Years ago during my first trip to Kenya, I was one of those participants.  The driver tore after a cheetah that was going for a kill.  When the dust settled we all had amazing photos.

It wasn’t until later I realized what the driver had done, and what the ramifications were.  I had no idea it was wrong, since safari code and conduct had never been discussed.

Because of my experiences I have written a nine part series about wildlife harassment.  In the process I realized I dug up more questions than answers and only touched the surface – but it’s a start.

So here’s the link to part one:

wildlife harassment taints Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve

Wanted Dead or Alive

Please check out African Environmental Film Foundation’s site for additional information

Leopard circa 1983 by Mary Purvis

Ohio’s scandalous shooting of way too many exotic animals gave us pause. It takes a tragedy such as this for state officials to realize that laws need to be in place in order to have dominion over humans who insist on acting out the wrong definition of dominion over wildlife.

Enactment of new laws will prevail, but it doesn’t solve the world’s wildlife crisis.

Africa’s poaching epidemic is now a catastrophe. Habitats around the world are disappearing for one reason or another.  Human/wildlife conflicts are becoming common. The bushmeat trade is on the rise.

A group that has said enough to these issues and is gaining momentum is “Kenyans for Wildlife.” Originating in Nairobi, members are comprised of Kenyans and individuals from around the globe who care about Kenya’s wildlife heritage and are concerned about its precarious state.

Now that we’ve seen the occupation of Wall Street go global, perhaps it’s about time to start our own occupation – An international wildlife occupation.   

The seed has been planted for an international wildlife movement. If we wait it’s too late.

There’s a reason why humans are collectively called mankind. We have an inherent kindness and capacity to care for the creatures we share this earth with, not eliminate them. They are counting on us.

To join Kenyans for Wildlife please go to their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/kenyansforwildlife