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

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…

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?

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!

He had received word from a (northern) Maasai that a zebra foal had followed his cows into his “manyatta” (a Maasai traditional homestead). The Maasai people are known for their benevolent ability to respect wildlife, sharing what little grazing there is for their live stock with zebras and other wild grazers and tolerating even the king of beasts, the lion on their turf.

The Maasai herdsman narrated the story, how only 2 days ago he had witnessed 2 lionesses making a kill of a zebra mare. Then, “the king” male lion who had been observing from a distance, claimed his right to feast first on the still warm and twitching Zebra, with the lionesses dutifully waiting their turn.

The whole commotion of the chase of course had totally unsettled his herd of cows who had fled in panic in every direction.

Unnoticed in the excitement, a zebra foal no more than two days old, had been swept up in the flight of the cows. Unable to locate her slain mother the confused little foal had followed the cows as they gathered for the trek home. Once united with their herdsman they entered the manyatta, a safe enclosure giving them protection from the predators at night. That’s when the odd one out was first noticed, now feeling quite safe amongst the warm assuring bodies of other larger animals even though they did not have stripes on their pelts. The Maasai herdsman just left the little one there and went to consult with the elders. When it was time to milk the cows, a little was spilled on a hollow stone for the foal who, following the lead of the calves, licked it up.

Left to chance, the foal might even have leaned to nurse from a cow if that had been permitted. But the council of elders decided it was better to send a message to the Government Game Warden than risk being accused of having killed the mother themselves.

Another day had passed before the familiar green land rover appeared and game scouts swiftly grabbed the foal and, holding it in their arms for the long journey back across the plains, finally delivered it to Fundi at our animal orphanage.

Domestic motherless foals are difficult to rear under any circumstances, let alone wild striped ones. Muraya, one of our animal attendants, offered to find donkey milk in the village, although I wondered what donkey would let you milk her! He of course returned empty handed (and bruised!!). Fundi agreed to “donate” his sleep for the first ten days to fed the little one on our special formula in a nursing bottle throughout the days and nights.

So far all the fuss and care has paid off: now, 2 weeks later, our foal has gained a little weight, getting stronger each day and with it boosts our hopes for its survival.

“Helping” of course is the never tiring “Chucky” the mini hog, and Bella the little buffalo, who, by example, has persuaded the foal to try some alfalfa leaves.

Each night these three unmatched creatures cuddle up together, having made their choice from all the other orphans around them.

Nature certainly has its ways to adapt and insure survival when the need is greatest.

Your help and support is indispensable for the continued success of the rehabilitation to the wild programs of the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy and animal orphanage.

“Striped Velvet” can be adopted, even named: click here for details:

adoption.animalorphanagekenya.org

No sooner had young Chucky settled in, another came along.

This one is a 3 months old bush pig. The medium size one amongst the three wild pigs found in Kenya. The largest, of course you knew, is the elusive giant forest hog.

This little piggy was actually found by our equestrian amazon friend Rose Caldwell.

On one of her daily outings on the slopes of Mount Kenya her horse shied away from some crows busy picking at ‘something’ in a ditch. Rose moved closer only to discover a tiny newborn and terrified piglet about to be assassinated by the crows sharp beaks.

She managed to scoop it up just in time and walked it back to the safety of their farm house. It would be unusual for crows to go after a bushpig even a small one but, trapped as it was in a ditch they saw their chance. No one knows what happened to “mom.” No doubt she was no longer around, because not only would she have managed the crows she would most certainly have had a go at Rose’s mare’s legs in defence of her young.

Rose reared the little pig on an infant bottle filled with milk, egg and sugar and the little bundle thrived, grew and soon made digging up the garden her favourite sport. So much that inevitably trouble brewed in the Caldwell household and to avoid total destruction not only to the beautiful garden but also their many years of happy marriage, the Caldwells decided it was time Piggy went somewhere she would meet creatures more her match and be prepared for a future in her ancestral wilderness home. That is how she came to us.

She is yet too young for return to the wild and must stay a few months longer before she begins her eventual journey back to the wild. Meanwhile she has exchanged digging for chasing the other orphans who jovially tolerate her antics. Our little Buffalo “Bella” is however specially taken with her and they are beginning to bond. One thing is for sure: Bella will always be bigger than the Ms. Piggy and that fact of life, she will probably continue to respect!

Ms. Piggy is looking for your sponsorship in fostering or adoption…
adoption.animalorphanagekenya.org

But not so at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy where the interests of wildlife are paramount.

Thanks to our dedicated wardens and keepers sacrificing their own holiday, the animals will benefit from their special care all through the season.

2007 has seen great achievements at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.

• More than 75 captive bred and otherwise extinct white zebras have been released and can now be seen roaming in the wilderness of the Mount Kenya forests.
• A total of 54 needy wild animals have been treated and/or rehabilitated at the refuge of our animal orphanage.
• Our bongo breeding program has just been graced with the 49th birth and counting….
• The first test group of bongo for release have been identified and work to fit satellite radio transmitters is progressing well.
• Our Cheetah breeding program is ongoing. We hope of more success in 2008.

Like a candle in the wind, we need your support to keep the flame alive.
Together we can make a difference.

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season in the hopes that the New Year will bring all that your heart desires.

Thank you for your continued support.
Don and Iris Hunt
with Donald Bunge, Peter Fundi, JaneOyugi
and all of us here at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.

In Kenya, rain is usually concentrated in two brief periods during the year. Oddly, this first half of the year it has been almost one long stretch of rain, denying the usual drought its disastrous effects.
 
Never have we seen so much green for so long.

Fewer animal orphans resulted. The vegetation around us has been regenerated almost overnight. Once again there is plenty of green grass and browse for the animals. The trees look alive and healthy with a new dress of shade-giving foliage.

Here at the Orphanage we used the time to make repairs and improve the facility. The older holding pens have had a makeover keeping in mind foremost the animals’ needs.

Oliver, our boisterous orphaned little Buffalo had to be banned from the general open area. He insists on furthering his fighting skills on what he considers his peers: our human guests!! The result were some cuts and bruises on our very tolerant keepers. He is now earmarked for an early re-introduction into an adult herd so he can rethink his identity before it is too late.

Karen our original bushbuck now has a family of 4. All were sired in the wild. Each time, Karen, a former orphan herself returns to introduce her newborn. She stays and spends time raising the calf in the safety of the orphanage, before she once again leaves for the wild. She makes us all feel proud.
 
Most recently our young caracal cat (African Lynx) has again given birth to two kittens. She was closely watched as she refused to raise her last litter and injured them. This time she devoted all her new learned motherly skills on only one of the kittens, abandoning the other.

Mama Duma came to the rescue and you can read the touching story on this page.

But folks, the BIG news just came with the dawn of this morning May 29th:

We have our first second generation baby bongo born to the “American herd,” a great milestone marking the success in the ongoing project to return the magnificent Bongo Antelope to Mount Kenya. See the article Baby Boomers in the Bush Drums section.

As I write this, unexpectedly as they came, the rains have left us overnight. It feels strangely like typical February days: bright sunshine and a strong gale blowing from the North East… but wait this is almost June, something seems terribly wrong. The mountain stands crystal clear and suddenly almost bare of snow, as if arrogantly backing Al Gore’s grisly predictions. The rivers that border the Conservancy still swollen yesterday, have receded already, a timely reminder of the urgency to preserve what’s left of our environment and all creatures within.

By saving and restocking the Mount Kenya National Park with some of its lost game populations we strive to help preserve the biodiversity of this unique ecosystem.

In those areas set aside for conservation flora and fauna must be considered paramount if we are to save our own kind as a species on this earth.

It is time for man to cease to conquer, but give way to nature to insure our own second place in this chain of earthly survivors.

This month we invite you to renew your memberships to remain part of this important ongoing effort. Your support now will mean so much for so many. Help us to make the future of our last remaining wilderness and the wildlife within less uncertain.

As I look up on this magnificent Mountain in whose shadow I was born I appeal to you to support all the creatures that need your help.

Without the Mount Kenya Animal Orphanage even I would be history!!