I attach pictures of my late wife taken during her recent visit to the animal orphanage. I think they show far better than I can express in words the effect of our visit and subsequent involvement with your organization. I don’t think they show a woman who was very ill, terminally ill in fact, but instead show someone who is full of joy and wonder from being where she was. 

She was very proud of us becoming members of the Conservancy and her doctors confirmed that what happened there in Kenya improved her condition and extended her life in a very positive way.

Full of Joy & Wonder - Major & Mrs. Betterton visiting our Animal Orphanage

I know that this has nothing to do with the stated purpose of your work but I wanted you to know that, at least in my opinion, not only do you make an important contribution to the wildlife, environment and culture of Kenya but offer the possibility of enhancing the life of everyone who comes into contact with your organization and is open to hearing your message. If you can gain any benefit from using any or all of these pictures, or any of my comments, in any of your promotional or informational material, please feel free to do so.

Michael S. Betterton
Major USAF RET

Tweet This Post

A mere few days away from prominently displaying your find under the Christmas tree it becomes painfully clear that you’ve left it too late again – or did Father Time play tricks on you?

Suddenly, on what was supposed to be an idle weekend, you are faced with the familiar dilemma: another CD but which one did you buy last year? …a box of chocolates then but would someone else revert to the same emergency purchase?

Or, wait, how about a lasting gift of life…..to show you care, make a difference in the lives of our countless orhan animals waiting to be returned to their ancestral home: The African bush.

Here’s how it works:

For the young-at-heart who forever wonder whether there’s a Father Christmas after all

* Adopt a homeless animal

I am a young Sykes Monkey

I am a very active Hartebeeste

I am a very rare Bongo Antelope

I am an adorable Bushbuck

Honor a loved one with his/her very own tile on our famous “Wall of Tiles”

* Friends and Wildlife Guardian Permanent Tiles

Tile for our Platinum Friends

* Annual membership for the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.

A lasting gift for children – Father Christmas makes him/her…

* a Godparent …to one of the “Lion King’s” furry friends

* a Bush Baby …(up to 12 years) a permanent tile bearing baby’s name

Bush Baby Tiles for the very young

What will we do with your donation? Every animal in our care will receive its favourite treat for Christmas – you make it possible!!!

Jack Colobus an his Christmas Treat

HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!!

Your heart is with us but your purse won’t comply – download our free Christmas story…

Tweet This Post

Stately even after a mud bath

Noah – once bright chestnut colored, his coat darkened with age. Almost black at the end, Noah’s presence, like that of his famous namesake, was synonymous with continued life.

At the age of 3 he presented us with his firstborn, Karen, and over the years several brothers and sisters followed. Interestingly, in his prime, Noah seemed to have had a knack to add girls to his brood. In later years, the boys followed.

His offspring made him the proud grandfather of 14 adorable Bongos, every single one adopted by well-wishers from around the world. Did old Noah sense how much joy his amber-eyed family with their unmistakably big ears brought to everyone?

Some of his progeny have become famous in their own right: “Obama” whose namesake has since become President of the United States, “Hamsini” (ki-swahili for 50) marks the 50th bongo birth at the Conservancy and a true milestone, and a girl named after the special day she was born on, “Valentine”.

During his retirement Noah received special attention from his caregivers who understood the complexity of his age and ensured that his last years were comfortable. His home in the safety of the Conservancy looked out on Mount Kenya and the virgin forest where some of his offspring are being conditioned for release to the home of his ancestors, Mount Kenya.

Noah was always one for "the girls"

Noah and pregnant Msituni

In the wild, nature knows little “retirement”: to ensure the wellness of the herd, the old and the weak instinctively leave the group to face an uncertain death alone. They mostly fall prey to predators even before a natural death. Survival of the fittest – an intrinsic force of nature ensures that the herds are kept strong and healthy in order to multiply and thrive with no “burden” to slow them down or endanger their young. In captivity, receiving ultimate nutrition and care, Bongos have been known to live up to 19 years.

Noah's Progeny

Noah was bred and born at the Mount Kenya Game Ranch under the watchful eyes of the Hunt Family. He was, at first, a shy and weak calf, and it was soon apparent that his mother’s milk had dried up. Kevin Hunt (Don’s son) took him home where he thrived under the care of Lydia, his wife. Feeding him on her own formula the little fellow not only thrived but grew into one of the most handsome big bulls ever seen.

As the “posterboy” for bongo conservation he became the famous envy of many a hunter, zoo directors and animal buffs from all over the world came to admire him.

Noah remained with us until the end of his life. He is sadly missed by all who met and knew him. His genes continue on, visible in his very handsome progeny.

Noah was immortalized long ago when he was chosen to adorn the official poster of our Bongo Repatriation Programme.

Become a member of the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy and Noah, the “posterboy”, is yours for FREE as a desktop background image.

Tweet This Post

Can you believe this?? You will probably never see this again. A little miracle!… with all the gloomy news floating out there… here is a nice nature story that is uplifting…

This tiny deer was delivered by Cesarean section at a wildlife hospital after his mother was killed by a car. Little Rupert, who is so small he can fit in an adult’s hand, was born after vets failed in their battle to save his mother.

A deer you can hold in your hand!

Rupert weighs just over one pound

At just six inches tall and weighing just over a pound, he is now in an incubator in the intensive care unit at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire.

The dear little deer, Rupert, pulls a striking pose for the camera.
Staff are optimistic Rupert, now five days old, will make a full recovery.
Deer are very, very tricky but this one has spirit. He’s an extremely feisty little guy and quite pushy.

Asleep: Rupert takes 40 winks. How sweet eh?

Tweet This Post

A giant farm dog and a tiny piglet cuddle up as if they were family after the baby runt was dismissed by its own mother.
Surrogate mum Katjinga, an eight-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, took on motherly duties for grunter Paulinchen – a tiny pot-bellied pig – and seems to be taking the adoption in her stride.

Lonely Paulinchen was luckily discovered moments from death and placed in the care of the dog who gladly accepted it as one of her own. Thankfully for the two-week old mini porker, Katjinga fell in love with her at first sight and saved her bacon.

Motherly love: Baby piglet feeds on its new surrogate mum

And the unlikely relationship has made the wrinkly piggy a genuine sausage dog. In these adorable images Paulinchen can even be seen trying to suckle from her gigantic new mum.

The two animals live together on a huge 20-acre farm in Hoerstel, Germany, where Katjinga’s owners Roland Adam, 54, and his wife Edit, 44, a bank worker, keep a pair of breeding Vietnamese pigs.

Nose place like home: The baby piglet nuzzles up to its new mum

Property developer Roland found the weak and struggling piglet after she was abandoned by the rest of her family one evening after she was born.

He said: “The pigs run wild on our land and the sow had given birth to a litter of five in our forest.

“I found Paulinchen all alone and when I lifted her up she was really cold.

Feeding time: Piglet's new canine mother has no problem providing milk for the youngster

“I felt sure some local foxes would have taken the little pig that very night so I took it into my house and gave her to Katjinga.

“She had just finished with a litter of her own, who are now 10 months, so I thought there was a chance she might take on the duties of looking after her.

“Katjinga is the best mother you can imagine. She immediately fell in love with the piggy. Straight away she started to clean it like it was one of her own puppies.

“Days later she started lactating again and giving milk for the piggy. She obviously regards it now as her own baby.”

Mum of the year? Quite possibly.

The Chaircat Comments:

We have witnessed many such “strange liaisons” at our animal Orphanage. In the animal word, race plays no role.

Friendships are formed between the most unlikely species. Animal mothers often “adopt” the less fortunate, the needy without prejudice and remain close and loyal for the rest of their lives. There are many lessons to be learned in the animal kingdom!

Tweet This Post

The Hartebeest is often referred to as the clown of the plains. We like to think the Mount Kenya Hartebeest are much prettier, both in their more russet colour and their longer horns placed close together giving the animal a fashionable slender appearance.

One month of careful preparation for this special moment is coming to an end as the safari-green truck is winding its way across the grassy plains of our Conservancy. Three of these rare creatures already live at the Conservancy. They were rescued in unrelated incidences some time ago.

Here on the slopes of mighty Mount Kenya, these six beautiful creatures unite for the first time., one step closer to the goal of breeding them to prevent extinction. We mark the occasion with a new story for you, one that began at a ranch not far from here.

Early in 2008, the bush drums could be heard loud and clear: “Solio”, a 60,000-acre cattle and wildlife ranch in Kenya’s Rift Valley, allocated 15,000 acres of its land to the government to help them with re-settlement of refugees and other landless people.

The news was significant. Suddenly, the refuge for seven of Kenya’s most popular species of wildlife had become a potential target for poaching. The task at hand was enormous – nearly 3,000 animals urgently needed relocating to national parks and/or private land across Kenya.

Amongst those, and particularly endangered, were a number of Lelwel Hartebeest. Three of these long-legged antelopes easily recognisable by their unique narrow head have now found a safe haven at Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy to join 3 others already in residence there.

Their relocation to our Conservancy recognises our continuous commitment to conserving Kenya’s precious wildlife and gives our resident Hartebeest ladies the chance to produce much longed for offspring. Watch this space for our first baby news!!

In the meantime, why not become a fan of our six original Kongoni? How? Find out here

Tweet This Post

Miraculously, a brilliant spectrum of colours can be seen from afar within weeks. Hundreds of species of wild flowers and plants have reappeared on Mount Kenya dispersed by wildlife and birds, one dazzling colour fading into another.

Deep-blue Gentians compete with rocket-shaped Red-Hot Poker. The pale yellow flowers of the Sugar Bush shake hands with red-coloured African Gladiola. Erica, radiant in pink, add yet another shade, and dwarf shrubs and tussock grasses have made a home in gaps neglected by pole-like Giant Lobelia.

The recent fires have swept across the grasslands so rapidly that many deeper running plant roots have been left undamaged. Exposed to sunlight interrupted by periods of rain, the mineral-rich soil now offers ideal conditions for dormant seeds to germinate and grow.

A new floral generation has painted an incredible picture that truly tells a thousand words.

Did you know that magnificent Mount Kenya is a World Heritage Site?

Tweet This Post

Simultaneously, eight other forests in Kenya were burning ferociously destroying over 70,000 acres of forest, a damage estimated at over $ 4 million. No-one could put a value on the potential loss of some of the world’s most endangered species.

Weeks of hot weather without rain had parched the vegetation, easy food for hungry blazes that were being hurried along by strong winds. In most cases, signs pointed towards illegal charcoal-burners and beekeepers as the cause of the fires.

Unbeknown to us at that time: the moorlands above Kenya’s last indigenous forest would be ablaze for another 6 days before finally burning out. The fires severely threatened the homes of elephants, leopards, antelopes and countless other animals. Many of the mountain’s white zebras were bred and born at our Conservancy and released into the seemingly invincible wilderness.

The combined forces of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Forest Service, local communities and our own team ensured that man and beast on the slopes of Mount Kenya stayed out of harm’s way at all times.

While a truly spectacular sight at night, the fires are a vivid reminder of the volatile nature of Kenya’s most important watersheds. The Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy together with our William Holden Education Center aims to prevent this through ongoing education of all the surrounding communities.

Tweet This Post

5 years on – January 2009: In anticipation of a first wilderness release later this year, a BBC film crew has returned to Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy to film Mountain Bongo for a 3-part natural history series about Kenya. As the film rolls, we follow the crew around with our own camera and bear witness to a very special reunion.

It’s 6.30 in the morning. Whilst guests at the adjacent Mount Kenya Safari Club are still sleeping, our Wildlife Officer Fundi is directing a dark green Land Cruiser across the Conservancy, many pairs of eyes on us. Initially, we were reluctant to allow visitors into this remote forest area where our bongo are being conditioned to survive in the wild without any human interference.

Years ago, Mount Kenya was home to numerous herds of Mountain Bongo. Since 1995, none have been sighted on Mount Kenya. They may be have become extinct due to population pressure and pursuant poaching in the National Park, brought under control only recently.

The BBC and Kenyan film crew understand the sensitive nature of this endangered species. They come to highlight the many years of preservation and captive breeding at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy and to increase public awareness of the ongoing efforts to re-establish the bongo in its natural habitat.

As President Obama’s daughter Sasha is making her first steps in the spotlight, her namesake at our Conservancy is getting her own first taste of fame. Unsure of the lens pointed at her, she carefully circles the camera. Its highly experienced operator is so unobtrusive that mother “Miss Kenya” continues to graze within an arm length of him. A bongo with her newborn calf, in the distance, the sun is rising over Mount Kenya – a vision that has motivated us throughout the years has become a reality.

Lead by Fundi, we follow the film team deeper into the forest where the steep terrain and dense undergrowth make progress difficult. Here, only trained eyes can make out the camouflaged coat of the bongo whose white stripes resemble streaks of sunlight breaking through the bush.

Despite expert tracking, patient waiting and a powerful zoom lens, some of the bongo remain invisible. Never before have bongo been filmed in their natural habitat. Our efforts to turn captive born bongo back into wild animals appear to have born success – this first group of bongo earmarked for release already avoids human contact and seems ready for the last stage of their rehabilitation back to the wild.

5 years have past since the BBC’s first filming, a journey that has seen our initial small herd of bongo increase to 62. More than 43,000 Kenyan students have since seen this magnificent antelope and learned that the survival of this unique and rare species lies in their hands.

Bongo will continue to fascinate anyone who has ever laid eyes on them. Hopefully in the near future they will once again roam the land of their ancestors. Shy and elusive but their sightings will be rare. Meanwhile Mount Kenya Animal Orphanage continues to offer visitors the opportunity to view younger animals bred there and destined for future releases.

Adoption Program

Tweet This Post

During the course of the year, the monsoon’s low pressure belt moves between its northernmost point over Arabia and its southernmost point over Zambia. As it travels between these two extremes, the low pressure belt passes over Mount Kenya between Mid-March and June, then again from October to December dispensing much needed rain.

In January and February, however, while the low pressure area is situated over its southern extreme, it drives predominantly north-easterly winds across Mount Kenya. Unable to carry along moist air from the Indian Ocean, it results in the lowest rainfall of the year.

The green pastures of our conservancy, home to some 1,500 animals, give way to dry grass. Even the smallest uneaten leaf is longing for the occasion drop of rain, a mere 37 millimeters last month.

The dry seasons at Mount Kenya follow the same rites of passage -  cool nights reaching 40 degrees Fahrenheit give way to steadily rising temperatures reaching their peak, 85 degrees Fahrenheit, by noon. By then, the morning dew has been consumed by the merciless rays of the sun.

Famous botanist Olov Hedberg has given this fluctuation in temperatures the aphorism “winter every night and summer every day.”

On Saturday afternoon, however, we were treated to a spectacle of a very special kind. As the clouds wrapped themselves around Mount Kenya unusually low, all eyes turned skyward in anticipation of much needed rain. Slowly at first, it arrived in big drops sweeping over man and beast. It flowed downhill in little trickles forming puddles that the thirsty soil drunk greedily.

At any time of the year, precipitation is vital to the survival of Mount Kenya’s fauna and flora. Lacking it, the wildlife at our Conservancy relies on its caregivers to supplement the daily food ratio with expensive hay. Sadly, the rising demand has resulted in a simultaneous increase in cost and, once again, we turn to you, our loyal friends for support.

As if to remind us of her presence, the sun soon peeked through the clouds. 2 hours after the rain had started, nature treated us to a spectacular rainbow.

We are hopeful that the subtle green that has appeared within hours of the rain means renewed life in the weeks to come and so we continue to search for rain clouds over Mount Kenya.

Please will you consider making a donation towards food for the animals in our care? The following link will guide you: www.animalorphanagekenya.org/donate

Tweet This Post