General
The first half of June was dry, giving us the chance to burn an area along the escarpment and a small block near Mugoro. However, during the next two weeks there were a number of heavy thunderstorms, leaving parts of the Triangle and Northern Serengeti very wet – this will almost certainly delay the migration and it may not arrive until mid-July. Mara Serena missed most of the storms and we only recorded 75 mm (3”).
We held a Board meeting on the 9th, also attended by HE Patrick Ntutu, the Governor of Narok and the County Executive for Finance (CEC), Mr D Muntet. The Governor has appointed Mr J Mayani Tuya, the County Secretary to represent the County on the Board. The Board approved the Annual Work Plan and Budget for 2023/24.
The Chief Executive met with the CEC, Mr David Muntet, on the 26th to discuss matters of mutual interest and the retention of revenue. We hope to have a proposal ready to present to the County Government in early July.
Collaboration Agreement
We held a meeting with senior officers of the County Government on the 24th to discuss progress in the Main Reserve. So far we have:
· Completed Phase 1 of the road works – all the roads between Talek and Look Out have been completed, together with drifts and most culverts;
· Completed our work at Mara Simba;
· We had to replace several hundred meters of piping at Musiara, between the well and gate. We now have water again at the camp;
· Maintained road equipment and up to 16 vehicles;
· Ordered a solar pump for the borehole at Keekorok – this should be installed in early July;
· Paid deposits for three boreholes to be drilled at strategic points;
· Surveyed Olare Orok and ordered all the supplies required to rebuild the ranger station;
· Surveyed site for toilet block at Look Out;
· Deployed four vehicles to help in anti-harassment and ticket monitoring;
· Ordered signs for the main Reserve and placed new signs indicating the Park Rules at the main entrance points.
Research
Drs Amanda Subaluski and Chris Dutton will return for a month to continue with their research on the Mara River.
The Kenya Wildlife Research and Training Institute (KWRTI) presented the results of a recent aerial census – Aerial Census of Large Mammals in Maasai Mara Ecosystem (2021). They divided the area into five blocks – Main Reserve, Mara Triangle, Conservancies, Dispersal area and Nyakweri. The overall results are shown in the Table below:
Two species that are doing well within the ecosystem are elephant and buffalo. Elephant have shown an annual increase of 2.34% since 1984 and buffalo have been showing an annual increase of 7%, both these species do best in areas with little or no human interference.
There were an estimated 186,290 cattle and 344,381 sheep and goats within the ecosystem – most of these animals were within the dispersal area although significant numbers were found in the conservancies (26.1% & 11.46% respectively).
Tourism
Tourist numbers increased dramatically by mid-June and most camps and lodges are reporting full occupancy.
The map above is taken from the Ten-year Management Plan and indicates the different zones. When we started working in the Triangle 22 years ago the number of visitors was probably less than a third of the current numbers and we were able to be lenient on off-road driving. However, recent vehicle concentrations, coupled with large numbers of predators in the burnt areas has highlighted the need to be more restrictive on off-road driving. All the areas highlighted in red are now classified as “High Use” area with the condition that there be NO off-road driving. To date we have only designated the area shaded in green as “high Use”. We are beginning to suffer from the effects of over tourism – with all the effects: significant damage to the environment from tracking, especially when it is wet; and large concentrations of vehicles following key animals all day. It is unfortunate, but we will be expanding the no-off road zones over the coming months and in time the rule will apply to all areas shaded in red.
The County Government have decided to implement a 12 hour ticket, effective 1st July. After some discussion, people staying within the Reserve will be exempted from paying on the day they leave if before 10.00 am. It should be noted that clients staying in Lodges like Mara Serena will have to leave the entire Reserve before 10.00 am, not just the Triangle.
Staff
Our section heads went on a three day tour of Ol Pejeta and Samburu Game Reserve. They found it extremely interesting, most of them had never been to those areas. In particular, they commented on the numbers of rhino on Ol Pejeta, the harsh environment around Samburu and the different species of wildlife that they saw.
The County conducted their third staff audit in nine months, all County staff had to appear in person with all their certificates.
We have interviewed four people for the position of Alpha Scout, three will be offered a position.
Wildlife
The burnt areas continue to attract large numbers of animals and are filled with topi, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle. This has in turn attracted lions and cheetah, we have been seeing up to eight different cheetah on a regular basis, three of them females.
Security
A total of 21 poachers were arrested in June, all of them in the Northern Serengeti. Eleven zebra, four wildebeest, a buffalo and one impala were killed. It is interesting that there was only one real sign of poaching in the Lemai Wedge, such a contrast from the past, when the Wedge was a focal point for poachers.
The Iseiya rangers managed to arrest one person on the 2nd near Bologonja in the Northern Serengeti. The poachers saw the rangers and ran off but Morani managed to track one of them for several kilometers. He and his companion had been fishing and had caught six fish. These were the only people seen in a two day patrol that covered as far as Tabora B.
The Ngiro-are team crossed over into the Northern Serengeti and managed to arrest one person on the 6th near Matroro. The same team managed to arrest two more people on the night of the 12th at Zonzo in the Serengeti. The two were part of a group of five who were hunting with torches – nothing had been killed.
The Iseiya team went on a three day patrol into the Northern Serengeti on the 12th, they saw nothing on the first day around Tabora B and then moved closer to Lobo, there they found large concentrations of zebra. They then set an ambush on the upper reaches of the Grumetti River and managed to arrest one person from a group of four. The patrol continued and four more people were arrested near the Bologonja river on the night of the 13th, they had not yet killed anything. They then arrested three more people at 5.00 am on the 14th – this group had killed two zebra, an impala and one wildebeest. That day two people were arrested with donkeys, they were on their way to collect meat from a poachers’ camp. Our team was joined by their TANAPA and Ngiro-are counterparts and managed to arrest three more people who had killed six zebra. In all, 13 people were arrested, eight zebra had been killed, as were one impala and one wildebeest.
Our teams crossed the river on the 23rd and patrolled along the headwaters of the Grumetti River. They found that most of the zebra that had started moving North had turned back as a result of heavy rain but they did manage to find one poachers’ camp. The poachers had heard the oncoming vehicles and ran off, but after a long search two of them were arrested. The poachers had killed three wildebeest and seven zebra and had called in eleven donkeys to carry the meat - they were actually in the process of packing the meat when found.
Our Tanzanian counterparts from Kinyangaga reported a buffalo carrying a spear on the 28th. That night the rangers set up an ambush in the vicinity but with no luck. The buffalo was still alive the following day and it was decided to set another ambush. That night, the 29th, about 8 people came down the escarpment to kill the buffalo – two people were arrested.
Revenue and Accounts
The Narok County Government has issued a Public Notice, saying that as from 1stJuly 2023 all tickets will only be issued for a twelve hour period “applicable from 6.00 am to 6.00 pm the time of entry notwithstanding”.
Our management accounts for the first 11 months of our financial year are summarized below. Our income was considerably above our somewhat conservative estimates, partly as a result of more than expected tourists but also helped by the devaluation in the Kenya Shilling – currently trading at around Ksh 140:1US$. We have managed to keep expenditure to around 12% above budget, it can essentially be explained by inflation and increased staff costs.
Repairs and Maintenance
We managed to grade the roads to Ngiro-are and Mara Bridge but were hampered by days of rain and overcast weather.
We cut most of the grass tracks but again the rain delayed some of the cutting.
We built a roof over two uni-huts at Purungat and installed solar power to the huts and to the toilet block. We also installed solar power to the GSU base at Zacharia.
We managed to put murram on some of the roads in the rhino area, this will cut down on the multiple tracks in the area.
We are increasing the size of the kitchen, mess and store in the staff camp at Iseiya.
We were unable to burn the block we wanted but did burn two blocks, one along the escarpment and one near the Four Kilometer sign.
We have installed new signs at the entrance points, highlighting the Park rules.
Report on focus for June
Focus for July 2023
· Finalize extension to contract;
· Complete grading roads;
· Increase anti-harassment patrols;
· Install a mobile speed camera;
· Purchase vehicles;
· Plan on building staff housing; and
· Complete extension on kitchen, mess and store.
Work on Collaboration Agreement
· Install radios;
· Start Phase II roads;
· Drill boreholes;
· Install pump at Keekorok;
· Cut grass tracks;
· Install signs;
· Start work at Olare Orok;
· Provide rations; and
· Continue maintaining vehicles.