General
We were very sad to hear of Nigel Pavitt’s death, he was 86. He was a renowned photographer and author. Nigel was one of our Board members until August 2009 and acted as Chairman in 2005 and 2006.
We had heavy rain on the 8th and 9th and then isolated storms for the next two weeks, especially along the escarpment. It has since dried up, giving us a chance to work on the road to Nigro-are.
We held our Board meeting on the 17th. The Annual Work Plan and Budget were approved and it was agreed that all staff would receive a 7.5% salary increase in the coming financial year. The Board also approved an increase in filming fees to Ksh 300,000 per week, still well below the amount charged in the Main Reserve.
Mr Eric Becker visited the Triangle for two days and managed to repair one of our Flir, vehicle mounted cameras. Hopefully he will manage to get the necessary spares for the second one.
Eric Schmidt and Corey Lockman from Wildlife protection Solutions (WPS) arrived for a four day visit on the 30th. WPS were our saviour post Covid and we would never have managed to keep going without their support. We will never be able to thank Dave Weidner, Sue Thompson, Eric and Corey for their amazing support and should never forget George Powell who linked us together.
Collaboration Agreement
We had a meeting at Keekorok on the 21st with the Chief Park Warden and Director of Tourism for Narok County. We set the priorities for the coming three months and agreed to establish three anti-harassment units to try and control crossings. We held a brief follow-up meeting on the 30th to confirm arrangements.
We have agreed to move the Ranger post at Zacharia to the Mara River and base of the of anti-harassment vehicles there. The other two will e based at Ashnil and Musiara. Most of the roads are in good condition and we will repair sections of the road to Elewana but not make a road there. We will also make one road to Look Out hill and try and reduce the number tracks in that area.
Part of our agreement includes auditing all the camps and lodges in the Mara and we will combine this with developing signage for all the main roads. We will start on camps in the Reserve and this is scheduled to start in early July.
COVID-19
There has been a resurgence of Covid and the positivity rate is around 12-14%. The Government mandated the wearing of face masks in public places on the 20th, as a measure to curb its spread. The virus seems less virulent and there are few, if any, reported deaths.
Tourism
The resurgence of Covid does not seem to be impacting international travel and tourist numbers were good throughout the month, with dozens of vehicles crossing the Mara River to game drive on our burnt areas.
A routine patrol along the River downstream from Governors saw that there are now two new camps in the Main Reserve between Governors and Ngerende Camps. Every patch of forest or thicket along the Mara and Talek rivers now has a camp. This uncontrolled and unplanned development will destroy the Mara – if it has not already done so. We are already seeing the effects of over-tourism on the migration – far few wildebeest visiting the Mara and them staying 25% less time in the Mara.
Staff
The Board approved a 7.5% salary increase for all staff and this will be implemented in July.
The Governor was to announce staff promotions on the 30th at a big celebration held near Mara Serena, there were to be over 300 participants and it was to be attended by senior County officials. We were given one day’s notice of the event and had to cater for everyone! The event was postponed after all the people had arrived, the food, tentage and all the arrangements were in place. Apparently there were a number of irregular promotions and they all have to be re-evaluated before the 6th July.
Wildlife
Wildlife viewing was excellent throughout the month, mainly focused on the recent burn. This has resulted in every vehicle in the Triangle, and many from the Main Reserve, heading straight to the burn every day. As a result numerous new tracks have been developed and our anti-harassment teams have had a hard time controlling them.
A lion treated for wounds on his head on 8th. Our cheetah with cubs has not yet shown them, the longer she can keep them hidden the better.
A giraffe was killed in an electric fence on the escarpment on the 26th.
We have seen the very first one or two wildebeest and can expect the main herds around mid-July.
Security
The Tanzanians are working on the Kogatende causeway and it has been impassable for the whole month. This has limited our patrols to the Triangle and Lemai Wedge. Only one person was arrested in the whole month, one other escaped arrest after slashing one of our rangers on the foot with a machete.
One person was arrested by the Nigro-are team at Lempise on the 5th, his companion escaped.
The Nigiro-are team found four wire snares near Elengata Ol Tarboi on the 19th, they had been set for buffalo.
The Nigro-are team left very early on the 24th morning and came across a group of poachers. Ranger William Lempaka managed to catch one person but fell to the ground. The poacher slashed his foot and managed to escape. The injury was deep and Lempaka is still in hospital. We are constantly reminded of the dangers inherent in our anti-poaching work and the risks the rangers face on a daily basis.
The new camera that we set up at Elengata ol Tarboi was stolen on the 26th, probably by the same person who stole the camera last month. The rangers had moved it and thought that it was well concealed.
Revenue and Accounts
The number of visitors in May was up to 2,780 Non-residents, a fraction under the number in 2019, signaling a return to near normal before the Covid pandemic. However, we should not be too complacent. There are a number of real risks that may jeopardize travel and these include: the war in Ukraine, a resurgence of Covid and concern over the elections.
Our Management accounts for the first 11 months of the financial year show a 258% increase in revenue over the same period last year, thanks in part to increased tourism but also due to the incredible support we received from Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS). We have managed to keep expenditure at 14% above budget, no mean feat given the huge amount of work achieved, and the current rate of inflation.
Repairs and maintenance
We spent most of June working on the roads to Nigro-are. They had been badly damaged by a number of heavy storms along the escarpment.
We used Mara Stone to cover the floor in the new staff quarters at Iseiya.
We made new signboards to replace damaged ones, and for Hornbill and Kijito campsites. We also made Maji ya Ndege campsite into a picnic site.
We cut most of our grass tracks and also cleared the campsites in preparation for the high season.
We installed new TV sets at Oloololo, Mara Bridge and Nigro-are;
Collaboration agreement
We worked on the Ol Kiombo airstrip and it is now in good order. We also made a new road around the apron to stop vehicles from driving across it when aircraft are parked. We are planning to make a barrier around the apron and also to build a new toilet block for ladies. We will also build a barrier at Keekorok and renovate the toilets.
We patched the roads to Ol Kiombo and to Musiara.
We got an exhauster to empty the septic tank at Oloolaimutia but were unable to succeed at Sekenani.
We purchased 40 new tyres for vehicles in the Main Reserve and also purchased sufficient filters and oils to service them all.
Report on focus for June
Focus for July 2022
· Maintain roads in the Triangle;
· Maintain buildings at Nigro-are;
· Host CEO from WPS; and
· Prepare for Annual Audit;
Work on Collaboration Agreement
· Establish at least one anti-harassment team;
· Start on moving Ranger station at Zacharia;
· Audit camps in the Reserve.
o Road works;
§ Patch track to Elewana; and
§ Work on road to Look Out..