Lewa News Feed

Take a Listen - A Song for Lewa

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:13:00 -0600

Around the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, there are many lives that have been positively affected by its community programme. It might be a child that has been able to go to school, thanks to Lewa’s bursary programme. It might be a woman that has started her own business, thanks to the Lewa Micro-Credit Programme. It might also be a village that now has water or livestock that is able to graze during time of drought. The stories are numerous and we are proud of each and every single one of them. So recently, when Isaac Munene, a 23-year old member of the Matunda community – one of Lewa’s close neighbours – composed a song about Lewa, we thought it was a story worth telling. The song is in Kimeru – Isaac’s local language – and is titled Maendeleo Lewa (Development on Lewa). It is the fifth track in his album, Mitugu ya Ameru (The culture of the Ameru), and it talks about the great work that Lewa is doing in promoting social change in its surrounding communities. Click here to listen to Isaac’s song. In his song, Isaac talks about how changes in the communities have taken place thanks to the Lewa Marathon, the clinics, water projects, agriculture projects, micro-credit loans, new roads, new classrooms for the children and all the books, desks and chairs that have been donated throughout the years. For this, he congratulates the Lewa team. In his chorus, he says that Lewa is leading the way for conservation. He thanks the dedicated staff of Lewa and reiterates that the world needs the Lewa model to follow. His message to the Lewa visitors is “Do not forget Lewa. Do not forget Kenya.” Isaac’s story is one of determination. In 2008, Isaac completed his secondary education but lacked the funds to pursue a University degree. With hard work and perseverance, he managed to put his first music album together and is hoping to sell enough copies to allow him to enrol in music school. In the meantime, he is doing all he can to educate his community and to tell them about the good work that Lewa is doing. Thanks Isaac! Click here to listen to Isaac’s song.

Lewa's Education Programme Initiates Culture Exchange Through Tag Rugby

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:06:00 -0600

One of the Lewa- sponsored schools, Ntalabany, located in the Leparua Conservancy, recently hosted a tag rugby training and competition. Tag rugby proved to be a very effective tool in breaking down social barriers by empowering girls with self-awareness and teaching them to take ownership of their bodies. Because the girls and boys play together – normally a big taboo in the community – many tensions that exist between them were broken down! Through the game, boys and girls were at ease and willing to share and learn from each other. Leparua School brought in a team for the four-day event and they all trained together, formed smaller teams and gave impressive performances all the way to the finals. Dr. Lucy Obolensky, a friend of Lewa, who has been supporting the education and health programme, carried out the training activity in partnership with Tag Rugby Kenya and Vista Consultants through Team Talk. The children spent time training and learning the game. They also got to air out the day-to-day issues and problems that affect both genders and collectively found harmonious solutions. Many parents and village elders came to watch the games. The sport and team play allowed the teenagers to be more receptive and interactive in the education sessions and also proved to be a successful way of closely bringing the girls together. The main lesson the girls learned was that they could play against and with boys and win. This boosted their self-esteem and confidence. We hope this experience will translate into their daily lives where they can feel empowered to denounce unwanted cultural practices - Female Genital Mutilation, early marriage and pregnancy and enforced marriage. We hope the same spirit of self-assertion will result in social change in the community and become evident in academic performance.

Health Education and De-Worming Programme

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:04:00 -0600

About 7,500 children will no longer face the risk of contracting worms thanks to Lewa staff volunteers. Recently, the Lewa Clinic staff, accompanied by several other volunteer staff launched a de-worming campaign for children attending a number of the Lewa-sponsored schools – and the results are stunning! In the schools surrounding the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a majority of the school age population is believed to be infected with worms, causing a risk of anemia and affecting the child’s ability to concentrate on his or her studies. This, in turn, has a negative impact on the child’s development. Globally, millions of children are infected with worms. Worms are a significant cause of malnutrition, stunting growth and can cause severe anemia, dysentery, delayed puberty and problems with learning and memory. Transmission is easy, especially where hygiene and sanitation are inadequate. A child walking barefoot can pick up hookworm; by putting a dirty finger in her mouth, she may ingest roundworm eggs. It is not uncommon for a child to carry up to 1,000 hookworms, roundworms and whipworms that deplete blood and nutrients. So recently, thanks to the generous support of the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation, Lewa embarked on school visits to provide treatment for de-worming the children. The medicine was administered at the schools, highlighting the important role that school rooms play in addition to providing education. This campaign was extremely successful and was also complimented by health and hygiene education for all the children. The deworming exercise will go a long way in ensuring increased school attendance and free from worm’s related illnesses. Lewa is also grateful to Monica Villiger – Lewa Switzerland – who was greatly involved in this exercise during her recent visit to Lewa in October.

Subuiga Community's Cause for Celebration

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:48:00 -0500

The 20th Sept 2011 called for great celebration for members of the Subuiga community, who were also thrilled by recent completion of their water project. The Subuiga Community water project will provide safe and clean drinking water to a population of over 4,500 people and in the long run, solve many socio-economic problems such as poverty and poor nutrition. The community is already engaging in small-scale irrigation farming methods. The construction of this water tank was the community’s own initiative. The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy supported this project through fund raising by Peter and Joanne Kenny, and the Pace Family Foundation that enabled installation of the main infrastructure: construction of the main intake, main piping of the water from the source - which covered 9kms, construction of the main tank – 100cubic meters, and installation of four sub-mainlines. The construction of the water tank was officially inaugurated on 21st July, 2010, which saw the ground breaking ceremony officiated by local Divisional Officer and LWC staff.
Many heartfelt thanks to Lewa supporters who funded this project: Peter and Joanne Kenny and by the Pace Family Foundation.

KADESH COMMUNITY WATER PROJECT IS COMPLETED

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:16:00 -0500

Members of the Kadesh community have something to be happy about with the recent completion of their community’s water project that was officially opened on 15^th September. The Kadesh Community water project will provide clean drinking water to a population of over 3,000 people in their community and in the long run, solve many socio-economic problems such as poverty and poor nutrition since the community will eventually engage in small scale irrigation farming methods.

This water project is located in Ntumburi community which is on Eastern boarder of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. It was initiated by the local community who for long time had experienced hardships in completing the project due insufficient funds. Lewa stepped in to support and revive the project with much needed pipes and construction of a storage tank.

The construction of the Kadesh Community water project tank was officially inaugurated on 10^th March, 2011. The occasion was presided over by the local Divisional Officer and Lewa staff. This date marked the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the tank.

The 100 cubic meter storage tank will serve the purposes of storage and distribution. It has been constructed in a central and elevated point where it receives water from the intake and also feeds water to the sub mainlines through gravitational force.

Many heartfelt thanks to Lewa supporters who funded this project: Jason and Barbara Stewart and the funds raised by the Safaricom Marathon 2009. The quality of life of the Kadesh Community has tremendously been improved. Water is life, and they now have better access to this vital resource.

Artist Camille Wekesa Gives the Conservation Education Center a Beautiful Gift

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:56:00 -0500

The Conservation Education Center received a remarkable gift from Camille Wekesa who painted a wonderful mural on one of its inside walls. The mural is not only a beautiful work of art but also serves to deliver a memorable visual conservation message for the children who visit the center to learn more about the importance of conservation. The painting shows a lush green natural wildlife habitat where flora and fauna flourish in abundance. This is separated from the right side of the painting that portrays deforestation and encroachment of human settlement. Here we see the resulting destruction of wildlife habitat and depletion of natural resources (such as water where both human beings and wildlife suffer). The trees in the mural are in simple relief form and the children can touch the barks. Camille studied Art in Italy at the L’Universita’ Internazionale dell’Arte’in Florence for two years and received a Diploma in Museology, The History of Art (including the History of African Art) and Restoration. She then completed a four-year course at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan and Rome, specializing in various painting techniques, design and oil painting. Visit www.maasaihouse.com to view more of Camille’s work.

Elvis Reunites With His Mother Mawingo

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:30:00 -0500

Mawingo is well-known on the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. She is a partially blind 22-year old female black rhino. As a result of her blindness, whenever she gives birth, she ends up losing her calves. Her first one was eaten by hyenas and the second was devoured by a leopard. Her latest calf, Charlie, died as a result of a stomach illness. Her only surviving calves are Omni, Lola and Elvis who, soon after birth, were taken from Mawingo to be hand-reared for their own safety. Omni and Lola were moved to other conservancies but Elvis remains here with us on Lewa. Elvis, her fifth calf, is Lewa’s most popular, friendly six year-old black rhino who is constantly up to all sorts of antics: He can actually turn on taps for oh-so-refreshing drinks of clean water! He trims wall creepers around the office block, demolishes brick walls, scratches his itchy sides on any solid object and peeps inside doorways and windows while breaking panes. He doesn’t seem to know his own strength. He gently nudges cars and dents them in the process. He takes shelter from the rain on many of our front porches...And the list goes on. Regardless, everyone just loves Elvis! The funniest incident occurred years ago when he managed to get into his caregiver, Tula’s house and shut the door behind him. Tullah had actually gone out to look for Elvis. Elvis proceeded to make himself comfortable on Tula’s bed, which of course broke under his tremendous weight! He broke glasses and started fooling around with the pots and pans. The commotion caused so much noise and poor Tulah returned to his quarters to find Elvis fighting with a sufuria (saucepan). His sister, Lola, used to be his partner in crime but when she was translocated to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Elvis was all alone again with just us curious humans for company. However, several weeks ago he was spotted with a new friend! We thought he had found himself a girlfriend but upon closer inspection we found that he was actually in the company of his mother Mawingo! We now believe that she has impeccable maternal instincts and once she bumped into Elvis, quite literally, she must have sensed that he was her long lost son. And so Elvis is lonely no more! Mawingo still loses him occasionally and can be seen spinning around nervously searching for the slightest whiff of his scent. Once she picks it up, she rushes to his side, giving him the odd bump. It is rather amusing watching the two of them together. Elvis seems to know that Mawingo is not quite used to us and does not bring her too close to the offices and staff quarters, preferring to keep her at a safer, comfortable distance. However, a couple of water taps have been found running in the middle of the night. Is Mawingo being taught a thing or two by her clever, cheeky son?

LEWA STAFF VOLUNTEERS RID COMMUNITIES OF JIGGERS

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:36:00 -0500

A jigger is a tiny sand flea that feeds by burrowing into the skin of its host, mostly humans. It is very unfortunate that many rural dwellers in Kenya suffer the inability to walk easily due to pain in the affected areas of their legs and cannot carry out normal day to day activities, are subjected to stigmatization by their neighbours, and suffer low self esteem resulting from the stigmatization. Furthermore, they are exposed to the risk of getting infections such as HIV/Aids that are passed from person to person due to sharing of pins that they use to remove jiggers embedded in their feet. Such is a village neighboring Lewa, called Manyangalo. Ahadi Kenya Trust, who run an anti jigger campaign. With the support of Safaricom Limited and the Lewa Clinic staff, they took the initiative to visit this community nearly a month ago. Approximately 300 of its members, mostly children, suffer from jigger infestation not only on their feet and hands but also knees and elbows. What cause it? Many may assume that it is the lack of shoes as most people do walk around bare foot, but the main cause is poor hygiene conditions that provides an environment in which sand fleas thrive. On the 28th July, Lewa staff members volunteered and conducted a follow-up anti-jigger campaign. They cleaned feet and hands, removed jiggers, chemically treated the environments in which the community live and educated this community on the importance of good hygiene. Lewa Staff plan to conduct a series of anti-jigger campaigns within this neighbouring community in the near future.

ELEPHANT GETS A NEW LEASE OF LIFE

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:23:00 -0500

In mid July, an elephant was spotted by a herdsman in a community grazing land neighbouring Lewa. She had a spear lodged in her head. The concerned herdsman reported it to the Lewa rangers and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Vet based in Lewa was quickly mobilised to the elephant’s location. She was accompanied by a very young calf. On the 18th July, the Lewa vet and team went to the elephant's rescue. Without help, she would probably die. In order to get to the elephant and her calf, they had to make their way down a steep descent into the valley where she and her calf were feeding. Once she was darted and the drugs took effect, her calf was ushered away and the treatment begun. Luckily, the spear had not damaged her brain. Once the spear head was removed and the flesh wound cleaned out, she was given a dose of antibiotics and revived. Her calf quickly came back to her side as soon as the team walked away to watch from a distance. She nudged her mother and encouraged her to get up. It was a bit of a struggle, but once she was up on her feet, she faced the Lewa team and seemed to realise that she felt much better and that we had something to do with it! After a few moments, she turned around and jovially wandered away from us with her calf leading the way.
She was probably injured as a result of human wildlife conflict given that there is prevailing drought in the region that has led to is scarcity of water and vegetation. Latest reports say that she has been spotted, is in good health and has even regained enough strength to climb up the valley is search of food.
For more photos on this story have a look at our facebook album

More Rhinos Get Their Identities

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:18:00 -0500

The Lewa Wildlife and Security departments set out to ear notch black and white rhinos in June. Ear notching is essential in rhino monitoring primarily for their safety as it ensures that the rangers accurately identify and report on rhino sightings on a daily basis. For research, it is most critical for accurate data collection. Lewa currently has a population of 125 rhinos of which 67 are black and 58 are white. Most rhinos have been ear notched, but over time the population has grown and more rhinos have now come of age. In addition, some rhinos had been brought in from other conservancies. It was therefore becoming rather difficult to identify them. So far eight black rhinos and four white rhinos have been ear notched out of a targeted 11 black rhinos and 6 white rhinos. The rhinos are first tracked and their locations confirmed. If they are in a location that is accessible and considered safe for the exercise, the team quickly makes their way to the rhino using land cruisers, while the CEO Mike Watson provides aerial support. On the ground, once the team gets close to the rhino, the Vet prepares the dart and is accompanied by two to three rangers on foot to get as close as possible to dart the rhino. They constantly communicate via radio with aerial support and other rangers on higher ground to figure out how best to approach the rhino. Once it is darted and immobilised, the rest of the team rushes to the rhino and the notching is usually done in five to ten minutes. An antidote is then administered to the rhino, after which the animal gets up and in most cases wanders off. On some occasions, the rhinos have charged at the team in their vehicles, chasing us out of their territory!
For more photos please go to our facebook album

A Generous Gift From Wildlife Artist Robert Bateman

Mon, 30 May 2011 08:08:00 -0500

Robert Bateman, a regular and generous contributor to Lewa each year, is considered to be the leading wildlife artist in America and has donated a marvellous painting titled “Cheetah at Lewa Downs” which will be auctioned to raise funds in support of Lewa.

The beautiful 36 x 48 inches oil painting is estimated at $50,000-70,000 and will be auctioned by Copley Fine Arts Auctions on the 21st of July, 2011 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Please click here for cataloguing and auction details. Robert Bateman’s description of this masterpiece is: "As an artist-naturalist my favourite place in the world to visit is Africa. And my favourite place in Africa is Lewa Downs. It is like dropping in on the Garden of Eden - the way the world used to be before modern man brought about wholesale destruction. Although many animals have been introduced, there is enough space for them to live their lives as they have always done in nature. This painting epitomizes this aspect of Lewa. The cheetah is an orphan cub that was raised to live wild and free and safe from human enemies. The landscape in the background is indicative of the great sense of endless, wide open space." We do hope that you will take this opportunity to bid for the painting and support Lewa.

Conservation Education Center Receives a Boost From Upper Canada College Students

Mon, 30 May 2011 07:40:00 -0500

Kids Against Poverty raised funds to construct the Conservation Education Centre (CEC) that consists of three rooms where students will come in for interactive lessons in addition to a game drive around the Conservancy thereby providing a better learning experience. Lewa’s newly appointed Conservation Education Coordinator, Ephantus Mugo has been hard at work getting the education centre ready to begin receiving students and giving them a fantastic learning experience on conservation in Lewa. Denver Zoo’s Jennifer Bahmeier came all the way to Lewa to assist Ephantus with the development of a curriculum for the education centre and give him ideas in determining what would go into the conservation education centre’s three rooms and how a nature trail would be designed. The CEC received a much needed boost for the young gentlemen of Upper Canada College when they donated 10 computers to the CEC and are currently developing interactive computer software with conservation messages that will run on these computers to give students visiting the centre an interesting, fun and memorable learning experience! The UCC students and two teachers were visiting Ntugi and Subuiga Secondary Schools that are supported by the Lewa Education Programme. They have also donated several computers to the two schools that have led to better academic performance of the students especially at Ntugi Secondary School. During their stay, they participated and taught in classes and sports, sat for examinations, re-painted walls and even attended a science congress event. We appreciate their contributions and look forward to another visit for UCC students soon. Future plans for the CEC are to construct a hostel so that students who travel long distances can be hosted there, get a good night’s rest and have a good learning experience the following day. With closure of the old Matunda Gate and the old road, we now have a bigger area for conservation education activities to take place.

FROM OX CART TO E-MAIL- The Kenya Story of Delia Craig by Natasha Breed

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:29:00 -0500

Today a thriving wildlife sanctuary and safari destination, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, in the heart of Kenya, began life almost 100 years ago as a plot of black cotton soil and tangled savannah parcelled out to a British immigrant from South Africa. This is the compelling true story of life at Lewa from its early days as a family ranch to its current success as a globally recognised wildlife conservancy. Two remarkable women are at the heart of this book: Elizabeth Cross and her daughter Delia Craig. Their story spans the past century, from early pioneering days, through two World Wars, the Mau Mau rebellion during the last days of colonial administration and through to Kenya’s independence. Beautifully evocative of a unique piece of land on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya, and of the indomitable women who made Africa their home, From Oxcart to Email is the true saga of a family, a nation and a wonderful tract of wilderness. Publication date 30 June 2011
Published by the Book Guild Copies can be ordered online from:
Amazon www.amazon.co.uk
The Book Guild www.bookguild.co.uk And will be available on Lewa to buy at:
Wilderness Trails Sirikoi Game Lodge Lewa Safari Camp

Lewa Gets a Much Improved Matunda Gate Thanks to Denver Zoo

Fri, 20 May 2011 07:31:00 -0500

On the 25th of March the Lewa Kenya Board Chairman, Hon. Francis Ole Kaparo, officially opened the newly constructed entrance to Lewa. Jennifer Bahmeier from Denver Zoo was present and Hon.Francis Ole Kaparo gave his vote of thanks on behalf of Lewa. The new Matunda Gate was constructed in order to create some more room for the Conservation Education Centre that is located where the old Matunda Gate was. The old gate has since been demolished. Matunda is the Swahili word for ‘fruits’ and it is said that the gate got its name from a fruit shop that was based there several years ago. The new main entrance is wider and a few meters inside there are two more gates that serve as different entry and exit points. One gate is to be used by heavy commercial vehicles that deliver supplies and the other is to be used by smaller vehicles. Previously at the old gate, the guards would have a hard time identifying vehicles and seeing their occupants in the dark as there was no electricity. Instead of relying on flashlights at night the guards can now rely on the lights powered by electricity installed at the main gate and at the guard house. A waiting bay has been built so that people who are waiting for transport into the Conservancy are comfortable. In addition, a charming, thatched roof bus shelter has been built by the main tarmac road for those who will be waiting for public transport on the main highway. Many thanks to Denver Zoo for our new Matunda Gate!

Elvis is De-horned for His Safety

Fri, 20 May 2011 06:49:00 -0500

Elvis is the most curious and friendly of all the black rhinos on the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. His territory lies around the Lewa Headquarters where he makes frequent visits especially when he is thirsty. In the last few years, he has learned how to turn on the taps and drink to his fill. Elvis has an easygoing temperament; his familiarity with people makes him easily approachable. This and the fact that his territory is very close to a public road that passes through Lewa poses a threat to his well being given the increased poaching threat to rhinos. It was decided that he should be de-horned for his own safety as these two factors make him a prime target for poachers. On the morning of Tuesday, 15th March, we found Elvis happily feeding in an area known as Luai ya Richard. He was not in the least bit anxious as we approached him and was darted successfully by the vet. After a few minutes; he staggered around and gently went down. The vet, Dr. Matthew Mutinda , Ian Craig and a team of people moved quickly to soothe and hold him down, remove the dart, monitor his temperature, measure and mark the section of horns to be cut off, and cool him down with some water. A chain saw was quickly powered up and the first of his horns was soon cut off by Ian Craig. The edges were neatly rounded by clipping bits of the remaining horn off. Once that was done, the smaller horn was also cut off and neatly trimmed. Everyone worked well as a team and the de-horning exercise was successful. The security team collected the rhino horn and smaller clippings for safekeeping. There was an atmosphere of sadness during the exercise as we felt that a part of Elvis was being taken away all because of senseless poaching driven by the high demand and price of rhino horn. However, we understood that this needed to be done for his safety.
The antidote was administered to Elvis who woke up after a few minutes and immediately started feeding. He then walked up to the Vet’s vehicle and started rubbing his snout against it. He seemed to wonder where his horns had gone off to as he managed to get his head in between the tyre and body of the vehicle. He hung around for some petting from the rangers and after a short while one of them slowly led him away. We can now rest assured that our friendly black rhino, Elvis, will be safe from poachers.

In Fond Remembrance of the “Third Brother”

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:02:00 -0600

Last week the oldest of Lewa’s famous “Three Brothers” died after a series of skirmishes with a nearby pride of lions. The veterinary team tried their best to treat this elderly cheetah but after several days he finally succumbed to his wounds. The three brothers are possibly the most famous family of cheetahs in the world. They have ruled the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy's grounds for over 13 years and were featured in a "Life" documentary narrated by David Attenborough where they were lauded for their amazing cooperation and teamwork to bring down challenging kills, such as adult ostrich and the common eland (the largest antelope in East Africa).

Because of cheetahs’ slight build, they usually hunt small grazers like gazelle and impalas. However, because of their extraordinary teamwork, the Three Brothers were able to take down far more impressive prizes. On most occasions the team would coordinate to surround their prey, then one brother would leap and land on top of the target while the other two would get underneath and topple animals three times their size. This cooperation allowed the cheetah family to eat large meals with minimal effort, leaving them to spend the rest of their time basking in the sun and posing for tourist photos. The Brothers appeared to enjoy their celebrity status, posing for pictures and relishing the attention of visitors and scientists alike.

While two brothers remain, it is unlikely that they will continue to hunt in the same manner. Their technique was reliant on the power of three and our research and veterinary teams will be keeping close watch on the remaining members of this family as they shift their hunting techniques to focus on safer prey. There is no doubt that the eldest brother will be sorely missed by everyone here at Lewa, but most of all by his hunting team who will never be the same.

Mike Watson Appointed New CEO of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:50:00 -0600

Dear Friends: The Chairman and Board of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy ("Lewa") are delighted to announce that Mr. Mike Watson has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Lewa effective April 1st, 2011.

This follows the completion of a three year contract by Dr. Jonathan Moss, who moves to take on a wider conservation role across the region.

Mike is well known to Lewa, having been Lewa’s Wildlife and Security Manager from 1996 to 2002. He has served as an officer in the British Army, and is an accomplished helicopter and fixed wing pilot. His international conservation career spans wildlife capture work in South Africa, work with FFI in Mozambique, and his current role as Executive Officer of the Kibodo Trust, a position he has held since 2005. He brings strong leadership to Lewa at a critical stage in its transition under Project Milele.

Much has been achieved by Lewa over recent years – and we are in an extremely strong position in terms of our administration, finances, and efficiency. We are justifiably proud of our achievements in serving a genuine conservation agenda, supporting the real needs of neighbouring communities, and applying donor funds responsibly. Nevertheless, much yet needs to be done, particularly in light of the escalating poaching threat faced by our rhino, the need to continue to enhance Lewa’s income generating capacity, and the opportunity to further Lewa’s connectivity with adjacent areas. We are very pleased that Mike will be leading our determined efforts to both address these challenges, and sustain Lewa’s role in transforming the landscapes and communities of northern Kenya through conservation.

Mike has worked in Kenya for more than 12 years and has great knowledge and experience of the conservation issues relevant to northern Kenya. He is already resident on Lewa, together with his wife, Sarah, and their two children.

Francis Ole Kaparo
Chairman, Board of Directors
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Breaking News - Elephant Makes Use of Underpass on New Year's Day

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 03:21:00 -0600

The night of 1st January 2011 will go down in the history of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and indeed Kenya when the first elephant – an individual known as "Tony" – made use of the new underpass on the main Nanyuki-Meru Road (A2) adjoining the Ngare Ndare Forest/Lewa with the Mt. Kenya Forest. This formerly re-establishes the only remaining connection between Kenya’s second largest elephant population of 7,500 animals in Samburu with the estimated 2,000 in Mt Kenya. The establishment of this corridor and the underpass was the brain child of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Kisima Farm, Marania Farm, The Bill Woodley Mt. Kenya Trust , the Ngare Ndare Forest Trust and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The underpass itself was an ambitious idea with many professional conservationists skeptical about its potential success, yet in a short four days after the underpass was opened, the first elephant passed through. The long-term implications of the success of this corridor are massive in terms of re-establishing genetic connectivity between these two elephant populations, reducing the habitat pressure within Lewa, and being a key element on the application for inclusion as a World Heritage Site with Mt. Kenya.

As a follow up to this success and recognizing the need for credible information on the movement of elephant, Dr. Iain Douglas Hamilton together with Save the Elephants (STE) provided the equipment and technical backup to collar a total of seven elephant on either side of the corridor. Four of these animals were collared by KWS on the 2nd of January 2011, including the pioneering bull “Tony” who first stepped into the new underpass. Also collared was a massive bull “Kazita” with ivory estimated at over 70 pounds per side living in the forest on the Mt. Kenya side of the corridor. With the current upsurge in poaching this animal is seen as a prime target and through STE’s new technology that has been developed within the collar, it will inform the responsible authorities if this animal was to be poached.

2011 has kicked off to a wonderful start and once again Lewa is pioneering new thinking in conservation and catalyzing the restoration of these historical migration routes. As this exciting development progresses, we will continue to keep you informed and share the movement of these animals in the coming months.

Happy New Year - A Message from our CEO, Dr. Jonathan Moss

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:28:00 -0600

Please accept my very best wishes for a happy New Year and prosperous 2011. 2010 was a particularly challenging year for the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and will be remembered, above all, for the immense pressure placed on our rhino population, in light of rising demand for rhino horn. Whilst we can be proud of the fact that, of the four individuals poached in the last 12 months, only one set of horns were successfully removed by the poachers concerned, we are acutely aware of the reality of the rapidly escalating threat we face – a threat that is being felt across the continent.

Throughout 2011 we will be determined to do all we can to counter that threat, and minimise the risk to our rhino population, something that will require the complete dedication of all Lewa staff, and the support of all those who uphold Lewa’s core conservation agenda.

Yet success in meeting our core conservation objectives depends not only on effective wildlife management and security, but also on the efficacy of all other aspects of Lewa’s operations. We are immensely proud of the way that Lewa continues to serve as the vehicle for an incredible flow of value to communities through education, healthcare, enterprise, and water development; that we are sustaining best practise in conservation management , optimising habitat maintenance, and continually enhancing research and monitoring; and that we are meeting the highest standards of financial administration, logistics, and human resources management. This capacity to serve a genuine conservation agenda, to support the real needs of neighbouring communities, and to apply donor funds responsibly, owes everything to the incredible commitment of Lewa’s staff and supporters over this past year, for which I am immensely grateful.

2010 will also be remembered for eight rhino births; for an outstandingly successful, record breaking, 11th Safaricom Marathon (with particular thanks to Tusk Trust and Safaricom ); for three major new community water projects, serving the needs of over 5,000 people (with particular thanks to Lewa Canada and Tusk Trust); for the completion of new Education Programme offices and the Conservation Education Centre at Matunda (with particular thanks to KAP California), and for remarkable progress in securing Lewa’s future through Project Milele (with particular thanks to The Nature Conservancy).

In closing, I would again like to express my personal thanks to all staff at Lewa, who continue to work tirelessly to ensure our mission is fulfilled; to old and new friends across the world who continue to support Lewa financially; and to Lewa’s many conservation partners, with whom we work to transform the landscapes and communities of northern Kenya through conservation.

With very best wishes, Dr. Jonathan Moss Chief Executive Officer

Happy Holidays!

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:46:00 -0600

A BIG THANK YOU and GOODBYE from RICHARD MOLLER

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 01:41:00 -0600

They say that as one gets older and “longer in the tooth” time goes faster – well it is true as over the last three months since making that very difficult decision to leave Lewa, the time has flown by just way too fast, let alone the last ten and a half years at Lewa! Having started to pack a few bags and boxes for the move to Tsavo at the end of this month, it has now hit me “between the eyes” that I am actually leaving, something I never thought would happen.

For the last decade, Lewa and its wildlife has meant everything to me, and I have been honored to have worked with many extremely dedicated staff, its Board of Directors, and for a highly respected organization that is regarded by many as a leader in wildlife conservation. I have been very proud and fortunate to have been a part of Lewa over this time frame and I leave with a huge lump in my throat. Lewa has been extremely fulfilling and rewarding in so many ways and the decision to leave was not an easy one. I have learnt much during my time here and I hope that I too have given back to Lewa what it has given me. It encourages me that I leave behind an extremely able and dedicated team and Lewa will remain with this strength, as it is they who will take Lewa to the next level and stage of its growth. I hope that, that next level places the betterment of wildlife at the forefront of all future decisions.

During my spell at Lewa I have also been lucky enough to have made some very good friends, met many different people both locally and from abroad and for this I am very grateful. Lewa would not be viewed as a leader in conservation and would not have achieved so much had it not been for the fact that it has so many friends and supporters from all walks of life from across the globe. It is actually they that have made Lewa to a large extent and so before moving on I just wanted to say a big thank you for this support during my time at Lewa. I know that if the wildlife on Lewa could speak out, it would be echoing those same words.

In case you wish to contact me in my position at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust my new email address is r.moller@sheldrickwildlifetrust.org and my telephone number remains the same on (+254) 0722 203554.

Many thanks again and look forward to staying in touch “down the bouncy road”

Kwaheri
Richard

The Lady of Lewa and Her Family

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:13:00 -0600

The Lady of Lewa first become famous a number of years ago when a documentary was made about her mother. She was just a cub then and the film crew followed her through life until she was a young adult. She certainly grew up to be a special lion and had a family of her own. She was an excellent mother and the survival of her latest three cubs after her tragic death, is a fine example of the unique strength and skill she had and which she passed down to them.

She was easy to find because she wore a radio-tracking collar and could often be sighted in one of her select hunting grounds around the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Occasionally she was seen having joined a small pride consisting of a few other females and their cubs, however it was more common for her to be solitary. What made her so special was the fact that she was always around and everyone knew her. She was never shy of vehicles and cameras and always provided Lewa's visitors with an educational experience in the lives of lion. As her cubs became older, she was often seen teaching them how to hunt. She would appear to take a back seat and oversee her cubs' training sessions with the dedication of a sports team coach.

Earlier this year, the appearance of two very large males on Lewa got everyone talking. They had quite a presence and it was obvious they were looking for mates. It is not uncommon for male lion to kill cubs, even their own, in order to bring a female back into season so that they can mate her. It soon became clear that these two males had that precise intention and on several occasions, Lady was seen with serious injuries after fighting to defend her cubs. On one occasion, the Lewa Veterinary Team successfully treated the injuries and she made a full recovery. However, it was not long before the two males attacked her cubs for the third time, this time their brave mother fought to her death. That night, thanks to their mother’s valiant efforts, the cubs escaped. They were seen the next morning looking lost and frightened. No one expected them to survive as they were barely one year old, which in the best of circumstances is too young to survive without a mother. Lewa, has a high concentration of predators, especially lion and the circumstances were far from best for these three cubs, not to mention the two new males lurking around. Incredibly, three months on, the cubs have been seen preying on birds, young impalas and rabbits. They are still together, getting fatter and somehow managing to survive. They are defeating all the odds and surprising everyone with their skills. It is still too early to say if they will continue to survive, they still have a long way to go and nature has a habit of getting everyone’s hopes up before whipping it all away in one devastating swoop. However, nature also has a way of surprising and everyone here is hoping for a bright future for these three, as they are special and after everything they have survived, deserve to prosper. They are a fine reflection of their mother’s strength and we are all praying that they go on and for fill her legacy. The cubs were most recently sighted this week, near the swamp. They had come, it seems, to say goodbye to Richard Moller, by spending time at the waterhole near his house.