The show ends as the wildebeests heads south on October 20th 2014

The migrating wildebeests and zebras have now embarked on a southbound trek. Due to the short rain we had recently in the Mara, which extended south to central Serengeti, the wildebeest after staying in the Mara and north Serengeti, have now embarked on a south bound journey. For the past four months since the arrival into Masai Mara in early June this year, the wildebeests have been crisscrossing the border between Serengeti and Masai Mara. This is because of the prolonged dry spell in the region which reduced availability of fresh water in central and south Serengeti.

 

I have just come back from Serengeti and the first herds are now in central Serengeti while some are still in the north but all in a general southbound trek. In my observation though, I think the herds might head south then come to central or western Serengeti unless there is sufficient rain int he south over the coming month.

  

Wildebeest heading South.

 In Masai Mara, there are still herds concentrated in certain areas in the main reserve and on the conservancies. Some of these are thought to be the Loita herds and some of the Serengeti herds which will leave later. These year, most people could not understand why the wildebeests kept going into Serengeti and back to the Mara so many times unlike in recent years. This all had to do with the prolonged drought and lack of the short rains in August.

I will keep you updated.

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Ation Plan Taken To Prevent Ebola Outbreak From Reaching Kenya.

Following extensive news coverage in the international media about concerns that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa could spread to other countries in Africa or to places with airports receiving flights from the affected areas, we are advised that the situation is now as follows:
1.      The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa was first reported in March 2014, and currently involves three countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, on the extreme West of the African Continent, thousands of kilometres from Kenya and indeed closer to Madrid, Paris and London than to Nairobi in East Africa on the other side of the continent.
 2.      Action has been taken by the international community with the involvement of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assist the governments in the three West African countries affected by the Ebola virus to contain the disease and to prevent the spread of the disease overland to the neighbouring countries in the region. It has been confirmed that Senegal and Nigeria, which recently had cases of Ebola, have now succeeded in controlling the situation and have eradicated the disease. The World Health Organization announced that it will increase efforts to prevent Ebola spreading beyond the three countries most affected by the deadly virus: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Neighbouring countries including Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Mauritania are being prioritized to receive more help in screening, prevention and rapid response to prevent the spread of Ebola into other parts of West Africa.
 3.      There has never been any case of Ebola in Kenya in the past and since the current outbreak in West Africa there has been no case of Ebola reaching this country. Read more on http://www.ktf.co.ke/section.asp?ID=131
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New Envoys Urged to Lobby Against Trade in Endangered Wildlife Species in Kenya Destinations Sites.

Kenya Wildlife Service has urged 32 newly-appointed ambassadors, high commissioners and heads of missions to help Kenya sustain advocacy on total ban on international ivory and rhino horn trade.

Ag. Director General William Kiprono asked the diplomats to help in demand reduction campaign on wildlife and wildlife products.

Ivory, rhino horns, reptiles, pangolins, and sandal wood are some of the wildlife and wildlife products being poached and trafficked for international black markets

While addressing their induction programme at KWS headquarters on Monday afternoon (October 6, 2014), Mr Kiprono asked them to use their diplomatic missions to lobby other countries to help reduce the demand for endangered species. 

Africa range states have faced unprecedented poaching in recent past with 302 elephants and 59 rhino poached in year 2013 in Kenya alone.  Since the beginning of the year, 116 elephants and 26 rhinos to poachers has been lost to poachers.

“In the last six months, however, we have turned the corner and the worst is behind us. We hope to keep the poaching cartels on the run and make them face the fullest extent of the law,” he said.

He said that the government is fully aware of the magnitude of wildlife crime and has mobilized resources locally and internationally to curb the vice. Besides poaching, he pointed habitat loss, human wildlife conflict due to growth in human population and climate change as other challenges facing wildlife conservation in the 21st century.

He urged the diplomats to use their missions to encourage international community to invest in conservation areas and assure tourists that Kenya’s national parks and the country are safe destinations. 

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KWS seeks partnership in raising awareness on plight of rhino

Ag. Director General KWS Mr. William Kiprono has advocated for sustained awareness campaigns on the plight of the rhino during a ceremony to mark this year’s World Rhino Day on Monday (September 22, 2014) at Nanyuki town, Laikipia County.

 He also sought application of deterrent severe penalties for poachers and dealers in rhino products to robustly tackle the current high poaching threat to rhinos. 26 rhinos has been poached this year compared to 59 in year 2013.

In a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Director Species Conservation and Management Mr. Patrick Omondi, Kiprono said that all of the world’s rhino species are under threat, mostly from poaching for their horn.

The horn is mainly used for traditional Eastern medicine. However, rhino horn does not have any proven medicinal properties.

“This day is therefore dedicated for actions and activities to raise awareness and let the world know that we care about the plight of rhinos,” he said.

There is currently an alarming rise in the number of rhino being killed in Africa affecting both the Black Rhinoceros and White Rhinoceros population.

Rhino at Nakuru National Park

The three Asian species, the Greater One-horned rhinoceros, the Sumatran rhinoceros and the Javan rhinoceros are also threatened by habitat destruction.Kiprono said that KWS is committed to combat this vice by modernizing its security operations, systems and troops deployment.

“Will ensure that troops and field operators use modern equipment and embrace the latest and appropriate technology in their day to day operations to stop any further poaching incidences,” he said.

KWS, County governments, private and community sanctuaries have been working together to minimize threats posed to rhinos. Cumulatively, Aberdare’s National Park, Solio, Olpajeta, Oljogi, Lewa, Borana and Illngwesi host more than half of Kenya’s rhino population currently estimated at 1041.

Other stakeholders who participated in the event included local communities, County Government of Laikipia, World Wide Fund for nature (WWF), Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF), African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and Association of Private & Community Land Rhino Sanctuaries . 

World Rhino Day, now in its fifth year, is a global phenomenon, uniting NGOs, zoos, cause-related organizations, businesses, and concerned individuals from across the globe in demystify the myths on use of rhino horns and to diminish the demand for the horns. https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8172082157967703180#editor/target=post;postID=6027964714864829425

TURKANA NATIONAL PARK AS TOURIST DESTINATION SITE IN KENYA SAFARIS

Lake Turkana National Parks consist of Sibiloi National Park and two islands on Lake Turkana Central Island and South Island.
The most saline of Africa's large lakes, Turkana is an outstanding laboratory for the study of plant and animal communities. The three National Parks serve as a stopover for migrant waterfowl and are major breeding grounds for the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus and a variety of venomous snakes. The Koobi Fora deposits, rich in mammalian,

Hippo in Lake Turkana.

molluscan and other fossil remains, have contributed more to the understanding of paleo-environments than any other site on the continent which has contributed to the UNESCO.
Turkana National Park was listed in 1997 on the UNESCO world heritage site. This park  is a massive inland sea, the largest desert lake in the world that have continued to attract various tourists for many decades. It has a single body of waters. This single body of water is over 250 kilometers long- longer than the entire Kenyan coast. It is widely known as the Jade Sea, because of the remarkable, almost incandescent, color of its waters.
Turkana has one of the longest living histories on earth, and recent fossil evidence unearthed at Koobi Fora has led to the Lake being referred to as ‘The Cradle of Mankind’. The site lies at the heart of the Sibiloi National Park, a place of stark beauty and prehistoric petrified forests.
The Lake itself is a natural treasure, with the world’s single largest crocodile population. In Turkana these reptiles grow to record size, with some of the largest specimens found on remote windswept Central Island. This has remained to be an excellent destination in Kenya safaris.

www.soinafricasafaris.com

Sharon C

Experience the Beauty of Kenyan’s destinations

Kenya safaris offer the traveler an unparalleled range of options. The incredible diversity of landscapes, cultures, wildlife and activities mean endless opportunities give you a true meaning of why Kenya safaris should be apriority to you. With so many choices at hand, some people find the prospect of planning a trip quite daunting. It doesn’t have to be that way.

In Kenya destination sites, it is very easy to plan and prepare for a safari that is as individual as you are, and that satisfies your own personal needs, suit your budget and interests. If you are planning a trip, use this website to explore Kenya in advance, and decide where you would like to go, what you would like to see and what you would like to do. Here are a few important first points to think about:

Kenya offers a diverse range of environments all within relatively close proximity to one another, and has an excellent domestic travel infrastructure. This means that you can choice to either stay based in a single location or to move around the country and see a range of different places.

Your first decision should be how long you want to stay and how much you want to see. Staying in a single place lets you explore that area in great detail. In wilderness areas, this is the best way to really get to experience many facets of an ecosystem.
Kenya’s rich diversity of wildlife means that no two experiences in the wild are ever the same.

Each day you’ll experience and see completely different things. Spending time in a single location also allows you to really get to know and learn from the local cultures, and to get to know locals on an individual level.

Alternatively, it is possible in Kenya to take a safari to a completely different destination every single day. This is a good option for travelers who like variety of experience and environment. In a single trip to Kenya, you can visit tropical forests, beautiful beaches, and deserts, climb mountains and explore the wild.

Another choice is to decide on 2 or 3 destinations and spend a few days exploring each one. The choice is yours. When you are planning your trip, think about how many destinations you’d like to visit and how long you’ll spend in each one.

www.soinafricasafaris.com

Sharon C