By ANGELA HENSHALL – Link to Full Article

MIKUMI VILLAGE, Tanzania

Snap. Crack. Pop.

That’s the sound of an African elephant with a dangerous case of the munchies crashing through underbrush at 25 miles per hour.

Said Longwa, a 52-year-old farmer and father of nine, used to face down crop-raiding elephants with nothing but a flashlight. Others in Mikumi village would beat tin cans or light fires; some exploded homemade pipe bombs. But the sound and fury didn’t deter the largest land mammals on Earth from staging nightly assaults on fields of corn and watermelon.

During the worst period of crop raids several years ago, charging elephants killed three people from Mr. Longwa’s village, in the Morogoro region in central Tanzania, more than 118 miles from the coastal capital of Dar es Salaam.

When the elephants visit Mr. Longwa’s cornfield these days, they screw up their long noses and trumpet in consternation.

Mr. Longwa has treated his fence with chili mixed with engine oil-a preparation that adheres to the fence, even in heavy rain. “They will mull it over and often circle two to three times,” the farmer says of the elephants that approach his fence. “But once they get a real whiff of the chili, they snuffle and sneeze.” And leave the scene.

A successful campaign against poachers-and the expansion of national park land-has seen a rise in the elephant population in parts of east Africa. Meanwhile, more farmers are settling nearby in search of fertile land. The result is a rising number of face-to-face meetings between man and elephant.

The encounters, in turn, have spawned an industry of elephant whisperers, or fundi, as they are known in Swahili-each with his own homegrown remedy for keeping pachyderms at bay.

Birds and insects cause crop damage, too. But they don’t consume 660 pounds of food in 18 hours, as big elephants tend to do. Herds of 15 to 20 can quickly wipe out an entire field and obliterate all the work of a subsistence farmer.

African elephants also can be very sneaky.

Crop raiders tend to work as teams-typically involving three to five elephant family members. Farmers say a lone elephant will scout for tasty, ripe crops. The next night, the scout returns with ravenously hungry reinforcements.

Wildlife experts ruled out some proposals, such as electric fences. They worried fences would prevent wildlife migration. And maintenance and generator costs struck them as too high.

Enter Lucas Malugu, a young expert in elephant behavior and psychology at the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute who came up with the chili concoction after researching elephant repellents.

In 2006, he started a two-year research project to study crop-raiding on the western boundary of the Serengeti, the national park Tanzania shares with Kenya. Pachyderms, he discovered, had developed a penchant for maize, as corn is called here.

The farm crops often taste better than dry grass and contain more calories, thereby luring elephants from national parks into farms. The more delectable the crop the worse the damage; maize and watermelon topped the menu.

Researchers demonstrating the use of chilli bricks at Rwamchanga village in the Mara region in Tanzania.

“It was an epidemic,” said Mr. Malugu of the elephants in the Serengeti.

Even though elephants don’t eat cotton and tobacco, they trample through these cash crops anyway. The raiding increases sharply during harvest times and in a drought. Between 2007 and 2009, about 60 districts in Tanzania reported serious conflicts between elephants and people, according to government figures.

Following consultation with colleagues in neighboring Zambia, and talks with local farmers, Mr. Malugu hit on his chili strategy. It came to him after observing the reactions of elephants after they get the slightest whiff of the stuff.

Elephants don’t see well, but they have very sensitive noses. When elephants want to assess a situation, they lift their trunks into a so-called snorkel maneuver, says Mr. Malugu.

Wildlife experts began testing the chili solution in several areas of the country. Nongovernment organizations, including World Society for Protection of Animals, World Wildlife Fund and Unesco Rapid Response, have stepped in with funding and with help training farmers.

The farmers themselves remained skeptical through the initial stages of the program. “We didn’t believe it would work,” says Mr. Longwa, the maize farmer in Mikumi. “When we looked at the size of the elephant… we thought the chili fence is just too simple.”

Yet weary farmers in Mikumi village were ready to try alternatives to round-the-clock crop surveillance. Soon villagers began noticing elephant footprints stopping abruptly at the edge of chili fields and tracking back to other plots. One farmer says he watched an elephant pause at the fence and then try to reverse through it holding his trunk up in the air to avoid the stink.

More than 31 villages, in at least four areas of Tanzania, are now using chili fences, according to the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. Most are now equipped with “an elephant toolbox” to build the fencing and instructed in maintenance, and there are hopes the strategy will be rolled out nationally.

Anticipating that elephants will adjust to the chili, however, and no longer be warded off by it, experts such as Mr. Malugu are studying still other methods. One possibility is putting radio collars on problem elephants.

Another promising method is bees.

Elephants don’t like being stung by bees flying up their noses. African elephants are known to avoid acacia trees occupied by honey bees, so villagers in the south of the country are now constructing lines of beehives spaced around fields. When an elephant crosses these lines, says Mr. Malugu, villagers “shake the hive and release the bees, sending the elephants running.”

Leopard trapped at Mt. Kenya

For the last few months our game scouts have found a number of remains of some of our free ranging animals. The tell tale signs of leopard could be seen in the vicinity of the kills.

Footprints revealed there were at least 3 or more different leopards that visited the Conservancy regularly. Of late, they had taken up permanent residence at this most convenient “dinner table”.

They obviously had discovered a favorite gourmet food provider: easy to catch gazelles, Llama, even one baby bongo fell prey. Meanwhile, at the adjacent Mount Kenya Safari Club leopard sightings were reported by guests, confirming just how bold these intelligent hunters had become.

That did it. Muraya, one of our keepers and expert at trapping, went to work. Within a week he was able to catch a magnificent female and her two adult male cubs in a trap in 3 separate nights.

They were speedily sent of to a National Park near us, but not near enough for them to return.

The release took place at the same spot so the family could be united again. Having had the “luxury” life feeding of our plentiful and unaware wildlife they need to forget the easy life and go back to hunting for a living.

Still we are thrilled to see the leopard population on the increase on Mount Kenya!

Enthusiastic students' first encounter with wild animals at the orphanage.

The majority of Kenyan kids have no opportunity to see the wealth of wildlife their country has to offer. They may live in cities or remote rural areas. Most of them would normally have no access to the game rich areas. There are of course no Zoos and a trip to the game park is out of reach for most families.

Many years ago, Bill Holden and the Hunts started inviting area schools to visit the animal orphanage at their Mount Kenya Game Ranch. The children had a wonderful time. From there grew our educational programs. Later we founded the William Holden Wildlife Foundation in order to carry on the educational programs in earnest and in the memory of our friend and partner Bill Holden. Chaired by Stefanie Powers, the Foundation has grown into the premier wildlife educational facility for visiting Kenya students in the region.

A close encounter with the largest of wild birds: An African Ostrich

The highlight of course remains a visit to the Conservancy and the Orphanage.

Here the kids get to “touch and feel” whatever species of indigenous wildlife are in our care at the time. The program has made a major impression on most of the part tacking students… so much so that some of them become involved in Conservation as they enter their professional lives.

One example is Peter Fundi, who still works as a Wildlife Manager at the Conservancy when he is not away at University working on his masters degree.
He has based his dissertation on the bongo rehabilitation program, in which he has been involved from the start. We can’t wait to see him graduate….

Wildlife Manager Peter Fundi with Education coordinator Michael Nganga taking a break at the orphanage.

Meanwhile the Conservancy has also taken interns and helped facilitate their studies. Julia was one such enthusiastic volunteer that gave up some of her holidays to learn about wildlife at the Conservancy. We just received this letter from her Mom:

May I take this opportunity to update you on Julia. She has applied universities and already has received a few conditional offers, including from the university of her first choice – the Imperial College in London. She is very happy with these offers, and very motivated to study hard to obtain the points that are required for the Imperial College. In all applications, she has chosen the subjects related environmental conservation as planned. Her experience in Mount Kenya has been extremely precious in deciding her future path. The real exams are conducted in May, so she has quite an extended period of hard work. We are confident that she has a determination and commitment required to get through this important stage of her life.

(Signed: Tomoko Nishimoto)

To her and all you enthusiastic young people out there: we wish you all the best and don’t give up on your dream!

Donations may be made online from this page:
www.animalorphanagekenya.org/donate.php

It has been an exciting long year!

Duma Duke has not been too talkative of late. Exercising his well-earned right of seniority, he prefers to laze around, showing off his still impressive magnificence.

He and siblings are up early each morning on their high “throne” overlooking all the other residents of the Orphanage and the Conservancy’s plains beyond.

Not quite expected so soon, our “New Years’s baby” arrived a few days early… this precious fawn, born on Christmas day is our newest and as yet very shy baby bongo. Instinct demands the infant antelope to stay hidden, safe where “Mom” left it in some bushes in the suni sanctuary. For now only “mom” is aware of its sex. We do not interfere and let ultimate privacy ensure the well-being of the precious new born.

Soon though curiosity will win and the new arrival will join the other youngsters.

We are now feeding 80 bongo and counting.

While this is an overwhelming sight and signifies great success, it also presents great problems in the pocket book. Animal feeds alone have doubled in price over the last 12 months. So have costs of vet care, fuel, man power and everything else. We are budgeting with great care and our senior staff and keepers have been wonderful not demanding double pay as so many other striking workers all over the country.

The good news is that the rains have been plentiful and Kenyans expect a bumper harvest. For the Conservancy that means lots of grass for our free ranging animals.

The excellent rains also give the forest a chance to recuperate from the recent drought, making conditions perfect for a scheduled release of our bongo onto Mount Kenya.

We are ready! Working closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service there have been numerous delays. The main hold up is that the Wildlife Service has not felt comfortable with ensuring the safety of the animals once they are beyond our own care. They need to reinforce their anti poaching patrols and there is talk of further fencing sections of Mount Kenya. It all makes great sense to wait until conditions are improved in that respect.

The future looks bright although the long wait brings other challenges. To continue with our successful breeding of this vanishing species, more “bomas” for their safekeeping have to be constructed, increasing amounts of food have to be purchased, vaccinations and veterinary care doubles. More dedicated keepers have to be found and trained and financial help is desperately needed to continue with the project.

Meanwhile, we are happy to report that the white Zebra we rescued and saved from extinction are now successfully re-established in the vast forests of Mount Kenya and can often be seen grazing on the glades.

Similarly, many of our breeding troupes of Colobus monkeys are now well established and once again thriving in the forest above. Some of them return time after time to visit their relatives still at the orphanage, much to the delight of our own human visitors.

Many more orphans, too many to mention have been treated and released this year. Some of them have returned, insisting that the orphanage is their rightful place and we do not deny them to come back into the home of their choice. This is why you may see some animals in residence at their old place in the Orphanage even after release to the wild.

This year we also celebrated Bwana Don’s eightieth birthday. Blessed with good health he’s still the first up every morning touring the Conservancy and actively involved assisting and directing our Wildlife managers with their tasks.

Mama Duma has been battling some health issues but with great success, and is happy to report that she’s back “at it” and will assist ‘Duma Duke’, the talking cheetah on this page to update you more often.

As you make your New Years plans and resolutions, please don’t forget your four legged friends at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy and Orphanage.

Like countless generations before them, freedom to roam their ancient habitat on Mount Kenya must be ensured for all, including mankind.

Their future is in our hands. Help us to continue to lead the way and remain a shining light in the world of wildlife conservation.

Wishing you continued health and the warmth of love in your heart,

from
MAMA DUMA and BWANA DON (aka Don and Iris Hunt)
and all of us here at the
Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy

Donations may be made online from this page:
www.animalorphanagekenya.org/donate.php

Getting ready for the party…

Bea, dressed as a bride herself, feeding Ms Kate!

While over 60 million viewers delighted in watching the royal English wedding, we were having a bit of fun with our own Ms. Kate and her friends at the Animal Orphanage.

Do you have a “Prince for Ms. Kate,” you asked.

While Prince William and his beautiful bride followed their heart, but there’s no such luxury in the animal world. Not unlike in mankind’s own ancestry, “good breeding” is regulated by science concerned with “lineage.”

Still, we do have a handsome young bongo in mind, But until they meet she will continue to delighting us all with her graceful beauty and exceptional good nature.

To help insure her future you can donate to Ms Kate’s “trousseau” benefiting the bongo rehabilitation back to the wild program
at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy with a click of your mouse:

www.animalorphanagekenya.org/donate

Ms Kate and her little sister all set for the royal wedding of her namesake

Bea with Ms. Kate get ready at the Animal Orphanage

A little more than 6 months ago we named this little new born baby bongo “Ms Kate” at the Animal Orphanage.

She has since stolen all of our hearts with her beauty and totally loving personality. The royal wedding fever has not missed the slopes of Mount Kenya, so Bea, Fundi and the keepers are organizing a “feast” for all the animals to celebrate!!

No better time than this to let your imagination run wild and make a donation towards a free future for these beautiful creatures.

Here is an article published in the March, 2011, edition of East Africa’s Destination magazine, written by Juliet Barnes.

“In the vast savannahs of Africa there is a dimension of time and space that is an echo of our own beginnings and which reminds us that we were not born initially to live in the concrete jungle” -William Holden

Snakes Suffer Too

Poor old puff adders – nobody likes them. I felt a shard of pity when I heard that they’re supposed to live in hot, dry areas, but nowadays they’re being found on the forested slopes of Mount Kenya. Like us, snakes are victims of climate change. I looked at the stuffed puff adders, amongst many other specimens at The William Holden Wildlife Foundation

Education Centre: The African monarch is more palatable because it’s beautiful, but actually it’s also poisonous – other butterfly species mimic it so they don’t get snapped up by predators either. Nature is indeed a stage for a myriad of miracles. However this intricate ecosystem on Africa’s second highest mountain, also a World Heritage Site, is – as the puff adders prove – under very serious threat. William Holden Wildlife Fund Education Centre.

This Centre inspires school children (aged 11 and up), from all over Kenya, irrespective of background, to think about conservation. It’s not open to the public, although representing Destination I was hosted by Administrator David McConnell and shown around by Michael Ng’ang’a, Educational Coordinator. This conservation guru imbues these youngsters with knowledge and wisdom, his lectures tailored to age and background. This unique educational experience is mainly conducted in the great outdoors, supplemented with talks and films in the impressively stocked library/ lecture theatre.

Day groups combine activities at the Centre with visiting the nearby Animal Orphanage. The more comprehensive three day programme adds in campfire discussions and quizzes, treasure hunts around the nature trail, a game drive in the Centre’s four wheel-drive vehicles (including the popular six-wheeler), a weather station visit, and activities like tree-planting, cleaning up litter, or dismantling snares. Older kids climb a hill, studying vegetation zones and the uses of indigenous plants. Groups bring food and bedding, otherwise the entire experience, including cooking facilities, washrooms and spacious dormitory tents, is free.

Animal Orphanage residents

However this is no frivolous picnic on Mount Kenya; alcohol and cigarettes are banned, and groups must partake in the programme. Before leaving they clean up. Afterwards they’re expected to write up their observations.

My kids did the three day visit and came back preaching conservation. They’d stroked a baby bongo and met llamas (No way! I thought. Ha! Perhaps we should listen to our kids…) Like the other 10,000 plus youngsters who visit annually, or benefit from the Centre’s outreach programmes, they learned valuable lessons to carry with them into adulthood in an ever challenging world where the destruction of natural resources is spiralling our planet into crisis.

Recycling and Conserving

This was about the only two days in the year the WHWF wasn’t fully booked, so it was relatively quiet, apart from the shouts of red-chested cuckoos from the treetops. As we toured the attractive, well-maintained buildings and grounds, I learned about combatting climate change (which we can all do at home) and Mount Kenya’s crucial importance. Nature is artfully designed to work in harmony, but bring in one factor and it all goes amiss. A sign in a glade on the nature trail directs you to open a door to see the environment’s greatest enemy. You find yourself gazing in a mirror!

Energy from Biogas

First we toured the wetland that recycles all the camp’s waste water, emerging in the last pond having been cleaned by plants and filtered through stones. I was shown a simple biogas plant converting llama dung (more on llamas later) – although cow dung is better – into cooking gas. One parent expressed much gratitude after his daughter forced him to make biogas at home. Every youngster also makes an eco-friendly briquette: gently squeezing and moulding a ball made of soaked sawdust, waste paper, dry grass, leaves and charcoal dust, then dried into a cheap, slow-burning fuel alternative that emits minimal smoke. Michael invented his own briquette press.

Then there’s a solar water boiler – a black kettle hung in a reflecting cone, tilted to catch the sun’s rays; a bush fridge and solar box oven. Youngsters also learn the importance of composting, separation of waste and recycling.

The nature trail winds through unspoiled forest alongside the clear, glacier-fed Nanyuki River. There’s information on everything from soil quality to climate change. All groups plant a tree and harvest seeds for the nursery, taking seedlings back to school. They’re also shown organic farming: there are trout ponds, ducks, geese and rabbits and vegetable gardens with space and water-saving examples in sacks and tyres. Across the fence denuded land beside Kaloleni village reminds us of this forest’s fragility: we’d seen butterflies, birds, monkeys and two rare, wild black river duck. The other side of the fence supports nothing.

Movie Stars and History

Stefanie Powers and Rana

Actress Stefanie Powers is the driving force behind the WHWF Education Centre. Best remembered co-starring with Robert Wagner in Hart to Hart (which earned her five Emmy award nominations), she’s still starring, mainly on stage nowadays. Stefanie’s nine-year love affair with actor William Holden kept her close to Kenya. A year after he died in 1981, Stefanie opened this Centre on land donated by the Hunts, fulfilling Holden’s dream. In her autobiography One from the Hart, she writes: “I see his legacy in the animals he helped to preserve and the people whose lives he bettered.”

Holden’s love affair with Kenya began when he first visited in 1964. He met a fellow big game hunter, Don Hunt, well known in America for his children’s educational TV show. Both realising the importance of protecting Africa’s animals, they bought land and founded the Mount Kenya Game Ranch in 1967 – the first in Kenya. Don also met his future wife, German-born Iris, in Kenya. Heavy poaching in the 70′s prompted their rescuing and translocating of many vulnerable species with the blessing of Kenya’s first President, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. The ranch offered safe sanctuary, while surplus stock were exported to zoos in the USA and to other African reserves. When Iris’s house and bedroom became too full of rescued creatures in need of expert care, she started the orphanage.

Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy

In 2004 the Game Ranch became the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy. Separate from the WHWF, albeit working together side by side, this 1,200 acre sanctuary is still home to Stefanie Powers and Don and Iris Hunt, as well as 1,500 animals – some 28 species. Reserved for the breeding and rehabilitation of wild animals, it’s not open to the public.

We drove around in the evening light, watched over by Mount Kenya’s peaks, the glaciers elusive behind a shifting wreath of cloud. There’s only one white rhino left after “big muma” was machine-gunned by a gang hell-bent on getting her horn.

Happier news was the golden-eyed, white zebras; early British explorers reported these ghostly creatures on the Leroghi Plateau near Maralal. Later a couple more were sighted on Mount Kenya and zoologists labelled them Albinistic Sports.

As poaching escalated, the Hunts captured the four remaining white zebra from Leroghi and moved them to their game ranch where they bred well. Now over 100 have now been released on the mountain and future plans include releasing more up north.

There are non-indigenous, rescued animals too: two pygmy hippo who yawn for a cookie from Iris, an elderly zebroid (horse-zebra cross) – one of the original pack animals used on Mount Kenya and South American llamas. These crazy-looking creatures (I just love the toothy stare), woolly relatives of our camel, were originally donated by Don’s brother and have bred so well that 12 have been donated to Kenyan universities in the highlands. Amongst their many uses, they are wonderful pack animals, used for scaling the high Andes. The kids at the WHWF Centre actually get to walk with them!

The Animal Orphanage

Iris Hunt with orphaned baby zebra

Some released orphans return, like the caracal who has been released three times – now being prepared for release further away. Karen the bushbuck, whose mother was eaten by a leopard, has been resident for six years: she leaves to find mates, but returns to her comfort zone to give birth.

Karen and her two grown babies, who haven’t left yet either, were happily playing chase with a baby bongo in the evening sun. Other animals, like the monkeys, are released in family groups. Meanwhile they’re breeding: a Colobus nursed her baby and a Pattas monkey restrained hers from coming too close to us. Patricia the ostrich looked on as I met the world’s first “mangaboon.” A crested Mangabey, confiscated in Zurich, made friends with a baboon and this was the result! Things that wouldn’t happen in the wild happen here: three cheetahs, abandoned cubs who were hand-raised, ignore the Mount Kenya Hartebeest. Romeo the porcupine tolerates Matata, half-whitenosed monkey and half-Sykes, who steals his food. The bush pig wants a scratch. Sokoke wild cats mew for their dinner. The whole place takes on the slightly surreal feeling of an incredibly cosmopolitan, blissfully happy boarding school.

The Bongo Project

Don Hunt with Bongos

I met Kate, a beautiful young bongo, named in honour of Prince William’s engagement. William Holden called bongos the “stars” of the Mount Kenya ecosystem. A big, dark male, with impressive horns, wanders by. Fundi says he’ll grow to over 450 kg. “Aren’t they beautiful?” Iris echoes my thoughts. “They used to be all over Mount Kenya…” I notice her pendant is painted with a bongo.

Back in the 1970′s, after studies indicated a drastic decrease in bongo populations, 20 animals were sent by the Hunts to the USA to breed. In 2004, when bongos had become officially endangered, the first group arrived back home. After settling back in they bred successfully in special designated areas within the conservancy, slowly encouraged to become wild again. Several years later this was named one of the world’s top ten Most Successful Conservation Projects, focussing worldwide attention on the importance of Mount Kenya.

Now there are over 80 bongos, with the first group ready to be released back into the Mount Kenya forest. Don’s vision is to have 400 wild bongos back on the mountain in ten years time.

Classroom at WHWF

Money Matters

At the WHWF Centre a plaque acknowledges donors – including Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Martina Navratilova, Paul Newman and Robert Wagner. The orphanage has “tiles” displaying similar. Youngsters in Kenya, whether from private or government schools, benefit from their generosity. Iris assured me that these outfits are transparent – true music to any Kenyan’s ears: every cent of every donor dollar goes back in. “William Holden”, Iris smiled, “used to be sent off to do a film when we needed a new tractor.” They pay their Kenyan staff, but everyone else (international staff) does it for love. But why is it always up to foreign donors? Kenya is surely reaching a place where we are able to give back – to join in protecting our natural resources. Isn’t it time we gave back to our priceless natural heritage?

Click Here to make a Donation Online

Outreach

The WHWF Education Centre also runs outreach programmes for rural schools and communities. Their Bongo Outreach Programme targeted 61,000 people in 2009: many didn’t even know this endangered antelope existed.

David took me to two of the five government schools where the WHWF have built libraries and kitchens. At Guara Primary it was heartening to see the spotless building housing offices, a lecture hall and a library with the emphasis being on conservation. Wathituga Primary had an older, more established library, creatively decorated with maps, charts and posters. They also had a kitchen with an innovative environmentally friendly cooking pot.

Facing the Future

Flying back to Nairobi, via Loisaba and Samburu, I had the chance to see the desperate drought below. A former lifeline, the Ewaso Nyiro River, fed by Mount Kenya’s streams had dried up. Here was a horrifying reminder of the importance of educating the next generation so they can endeavor to repair a frail future.

Useful Info

Getting There

The Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, Animal Orphanage and William Holden Wildlife Fund Education Centre are situated beside the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club. Urgent assistance with funding is required.

Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy
Tel: +254 62 32788 / + 254 20 239 7751
Website: www.animalorphanagekenya.org
Donate: donate.animalorphanagekenya.org

Accommodation:
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club
Tel: +254 20 226 5000
Email: Kenya.reservations@fairmont.com
Website: www.fairmont.com

Visit Destination magazine

Prince William proposed to his long time love Kate Middleton and she gracefully accepted to become his future Queen of England.

Newborn Bongo: "Miss Kate"

We named the beautiful little antelope ‘Miss Kate’ in honor of the future queen of England.

‘Miss Kate’ will remain here in the safety of the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy until she reaches breeding age and her own suitable “Prince” can be selected.

It is hoped that together they will one day roam free and raise their own young in the wilderness of the Mount Kenya Forests where their ancestors once roamed.

Please support our bongo rehabilitation program.

Miss Kate is growing quickly

You can join our international family of friends by becoming a member of the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.

You can even adopt your own live bongo or any of our needy animals to sponsor their care and release.

All donations are used solely for the care of the animals. That is our pledge!

The Founders and Trustees of the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy have pooled their recourses for more than 40 years to save the flora and fauna of Mount Kenya for our future generations.

Please join us!

www.animalorphanagekenya.org/donate

A charitable Kenyan Trust and a registered U.S. nonprofit Corporation

Two days before the actual release, with all preparations, staff and equipment “at the ready” the Kenya Wildlife Service advised us that they wished to postpone the first release until they could clarify some technical issues.

One of our handsome bulls earmarked for release wearing the radio transmitter that will record his movements and can be tracked on the Internet via Satellite from anywhere in the world!! After 1 year of tests it has proved reliable. Ron Surratt of the International Bongo Foundation has arranged for the donation of new revised transmitters that will be smaller and sit better on the bongo’s horn to avoid accidental loss in the bush. Much will be learned from these initial releases.

The KWS called for another meeting of the bongo Task force to resolve these issues.

During the meeting in July the KWS stated that they would hold on the release until genetic testing could be done. Mike Prettejohn of the Bongo Surveillance Project stated that the estimated numbers of any surviving bongo are speculative and most likely high. This meeting was followed by a “bongo workshop”. The workshop was attended by many stakeholders and a full report is in preparation. Issues such as security, genetics, species interaction, status review, vision and targets were discussed amongst others.

The meetings were also attended by Dr. Jamie Ivy the well known Population Biologist/Geneticist of the Zoological Society of San Diego as well as Ron Surratt, Chair, Bongo Species Survival program and President, International Bongo Foundation as well as Dr. Tom De Maar, DVM (Brownsville Zoo) Wildlife Veterinarian, who worked in Kenya for many years.

Dr. Ivy offered expertise that any small group of remaining wild bongo could only benefit and would not be jeopardised genetically in the unlikely event

Dr. de Maar answered questions relating to disease issues putting any reservations and assumptions in this regard to rest.

Dr’s. Reillo and Estes expressed their desire to do extensive studies on genetics on worldwide bongo populations and are in the process of securing funding for a project that would take several years and be carried out under the umbrella of their Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in the USA.

The American Association of Zoological Parks and the Bongo Species Survival Program are ready and in favour of a first release. They have offered and acquired new bongo satellite transmitters and much valuable information could be gathered following a release as had been planned.

Where does this leave the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy?

The Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy has successfully saved and bred up a large herd of bongo. The plan to release groups of up to 10 animals per year has temporarily been delayed but will continue in due course in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Services.

We feel the single most pressing issue is that of security of the animals to be released.

We believe in the scientific approach and value the studies to be done.

However since it has been shown that no danger from a scientific standpoint is valid, MKWC will continue with captive breeding under the guidance of Dr. Jamie Ivy and others.

To sum up, in the words of Dr. Betsy Dresser, world famous scientist, and Sr. Vice President and Director, Audubon Nature Institute Center for Research of Endangered Species,

“There are many, many examples of herds or groups that have dropped to low numbers and built right back up again and are doing just fine. I really believe that DNA is a lot more hearty than we give it credit and able to revive itself in populations.”

MKWC fully supports the efforts and commitment of the Kenya Wildlife Service to secure the release sites from poachers and the encroachment of
civilisation and much progress has been made in this aspect.

Our education programs spearheaded and funded by our William Holden Wildlife Foundation will continue to make a difference in the education of the local area inhabitants adjacent to the Mount Kenya forest to assure their support in saving this magnificent specie.

The owners of the Mount Kenya Game Ranch have saved and bred bongo antelope since 1970 entirely with private funding of its directors, until the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy was formed to take over in 2004.

To carry on our projects continued funding is urgently needed. It is used solely to benefit the animals and their rehabilitation to their ancestral habitat on Mount Kenya.

Together we can do that!!

Donations may be made online from this page:

www.animalorphanagekenya.org/donate.php

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