Stef's home!
Another beautiful clear morning on the slopes of Mount Kenya in March saw the arrival home of busy actress and friend Stefanie Powers.
While here, Stefanie will help the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy raise funds for its conservation projects.
The President of Kenya, Hon. Mwai Kibaki gave a directive to relocate some 400 Elephants from the Shimba Hills Game Reserve to the Northern Tsavo East National Park.
The Kenya Wildlife Service has done such a good job in preserving its Elephant population recently that some of the smaller parks are 'bursting at the seams' -so-to-speak. The growing Elephant populations are spilling over into human settlements, causing great damage. As a result the defenseless human population is living in fear of their lives.
But how do you move 400 giants who obviously don't agree, to a new location 200 miles away??
One Elephant at a time, seems to be the answer. A monumental undertaking, using the latest technique, veterinarians with capture guns loaded with narcotic drugs, helicopters, lorries and a large force of brave men and women.
What is the world coming to you might say.
News comes from the Uganda Wildlife Authority that there have been a number of attacks by 'drunken' Chimpanzees.
Local 'beer' is often brewed illegally along the river valleys where Chimp habitat meets that of humans. It seems the chimps let the humans do all the work and then move in to drink up the profit. The sad consequences have been attacks and murder of human children in some cases. Scientists, biologists and (chimp) psychologists differ as to the causes. All the same, this is human-wildlife conflict gone to the extreme. As usual it is our own specie that is supposed to have superiority.
Do we really need to create the hazard and then make the animal the scapegoat on whom to blame the victim's fate?
Studies are under way and great care is taken to keep elephant family units together. When they wake they will find themselves, once again with uninhabited wide open spaces: Elephant country!
- Mr. and Mrs. Julian McKeand
- Mr. and Mrs. Francois De Mey
- Mr. and Mrs. Don Hunt
- Mr. and Mrs. Vittorio Bettarello
- The Mount Kenya Art Galleries
All our tireless and dedicated staff, animal keepers and helpers.
John Eames, tireless and indefatigable Editor of this page.
