Elephant kill man in Imbuko village

We have been experiencing a surge of elephants in Merrueshi area. For the most part elephants are peaceful unless provoked. People from Imbuko and Kunchu villages are not comfortable with elephants that destroyed privately owned water pans and farms. Last night a group of young men tried to prevent a herd of elephants from entering into the water pan. The elephants in turn charge and killed one young man on the spot. The victim was brought to Merrueshi Village Health Center and was soon pronounced dead. 

This incident triggered a protest across the region. Women matched and blocked Emali-Loitokitok highway causing major traffic jam and delay to motorists travelling between Nairobi and Loitokitok town. The locals demanded that KWS must hunt the rogue elephant before dialogue. The rangers shot and killed the rogue elephant at 2pm. The locals open the highway and dispersed immediately after. Tension is still high in the area and we hope to find amicable solution between people and wildlife in Merrueshi and surrounding villages. Stay tuned for update.

Elephants in our backyard

It is about that time of the year when elephants are all over Merrueshi area. The elephants are migrating between Chyulu hills and Amboseli National Park. We made sure there is enough water in the troughs for them. Otherwise the elephants could rip out pipes or insert their trunk into the water cistern. We love these beasts but they can be dangerous if you don't yield them. With so much increased poaching activities in Kenya we are on a look out for any suspicious activities in the area. We are committed to protecting our wildlife for the sake of our great grand children.

Animals are killed daily by road traffic

The loss of wildlife and livestock to road traffic in Merrueshi area is alarming. 

Animals are killed nearly every day by road traffic in the newly built Emali-Loitokitok highway. 

The problem was less before the new highway. Unfortunately there aren’t many animal-crossing signs along the highway. 

Maasai Simba Camp is looking for financial resources to install animal crossing signs along Emali-Loitokitok highway and reduce the number of animals killed by road traffic every week. Merrueshi is a major wildlife corridor between Amboseli National Park/ Chyulu Hills National Park and Tsavo West Game Reserve. We believe that animal crossing signs will reduce the number of animals killed every week. Let us know if you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring animal sign project in Merrueshi area.

Below are pictures of animals killed by road traffic in Merrueshi area. Some photos are not suitable for children viewing.

This janet cat was killed by a car 5 kilometers away from Maasai Simba Camp

This giraffe barely escaped a speeding matatu with 14 passengers.

Porcupine occupied the conference hall

This porcupine has been visiting and spending the night in the conference hall without appointment! S/he forgot to check out of the room before day light. 

Another Zebra lost to road traffic

This morning, on our way to Emali town, we found a female zebra killed by a car, 15 kilometers away from Maasai Simba Camp. The animal was killed by a motorist at around 6:00am. Livestock and wildlife are killed by road traffic nearly every day in this part of the world. Unfortunately there aren't enough wildlife crossing signs on Emali-Loitokitok highway. The few signs available are often located in wrong places along the highway.

Maasai Association is raising funds to install animal crossing signs between Emali and Imbirikani trading center. Animal crossing signs will deter motorists from driving too fast in wildlife crossings.


Let us know if you or someone you know is interested on sponsoring animal crossing sign for Emali-Loitokitok highway. Our goal is to cover a stretch of 35 kilometers from Emali town.

The cost for animal crossing sign is $30 each.

Visit our website:
www.maasai-association.org/contact.html and donate towards animal crossing sign project.

Elephants visit Maasai Simba Camp

A herd of elephants visited Maasai Simba Camp last night. Several banana trees in the borehole compound was eaten to the ground.

Reteti, the boy pictured here, examined the elephant poo. He discovered that elephants eat lots of different species of plants. He also discovered a variety of seeds in the elephant poo. We used a portion of the elephant poo to fertilize our small garden. Elephant poo can make good fertilizer! This boy loves animal tracking. Next to him is his dog named Simba.

Good news for Nasha and Ole Mepukori

From the meeting held on August 13, Eseriani Wildlife Association agreed to compensate Nasha and Ole Mepukori for the loss of their cows to lions. Today Eseriani Wildlife Association came with two checks. Each herder received an estimated $300 for each cow. According to Nasha "the amount is not much but it is better than nothing."

Nasha receiving a check from Ibrahim Kantet, Director of Eseriani Wildlife Association

Ole Mepukori receiving a check from Ibrahim Kantet

Merueshi Leaders Meeting- Human Wildlife Conflicts Mitigatory Measures

Today we got all the leaders together and discussed about human wildlife conflicts in the Chyulu/Tsavo/Amboseli/Merueshi ecosystem. Leaders included area Chiefs, village elders, area chairman, volunteers and leaders from the game scout unit.The meeting held at Maasai Simba Camp was facilitated by Kakuta Maimai of Maasai Association and chaired by Daniel Sampu from The Big Life Foundation.

We discussed about challenges, failures, successes, and positive initiatives to successfully tackle human wildlife conflict in Merrueshi area.

ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED

• Big Life Foundation (BLF)
• Eseriani Wildlife Association (EWA)
• Maasai Association (MA)

RESOLUTIONS.

1. Eseriani Wildlife Association was officially accepted in Merueshi area. Eseriani Wildlife Association will provide the game scouts with cameras needed to document predator activities in the area  The association will contact Kenya Wildlife Service and request resources for capacity building and community out reach missions.

2. Meruesh community will be fully involved in wildlife conservation in the area.

3. Maasai Association will provide an office where game scouts will dispatch reports to partners for wildlife conservation in Merrueshi area. In addition to Maasai Association staff the scouts will take photos of every incidents by lions using GPS points and disburse the information through email, phone call, and text.

4. The Biglife Foundation will train and employ  two game scouts and equip them with GPSs and Cell phones. The organization will continue to provide a rescue vehicle and encounter poaching activities in the area.

Next meeting will be held at the Chief’s office in Merrueshi. The purpose of the meeting is to bring all the village elders together and show them how they can benefit from wildlife. Stay tuned for update.

Another cow was killed by a lion last night

A lioness with two cubs entered into a village last night and mauled one cow. The cow belongs to Nasha Musoongo. Other cows were not hurt. The lion struck the village at mid night. We went in to investigate the kill and found that carcass is the only part left of the animal. 

Judging from the lion's footprint the cubs were about 6 months old. The lioness and her cubs remain at large in Merruesi village. We called the game scout unit from the Big Life Foundation; they are on the way to the scene. Other partners for wildlife conservation such as Eseriani Wildlife Association have been informed.  We are hopeful that the game scout unit will arrive soon and scare the lion away into Chyulu Hills National Park. Very likely the lions will return to the area because many zebras and wildebeest are plenty in Merrueshi. Stay tuned for more update.

Nasha, pictured above, is not very happy about the loss of her cow. We must compensate her for the loss of her cow in order to deter the warriors from hunting the lion. "I'm debating whether to accept compensation for the loss of my cow or have the lion killed" said Nasha. 

Three lions killed a donkey

Three lions entered a village last nigh and killed a donkey. The donkey belongs to Lalepo Sipoi. Unfortunately none of the conservation organization compensate for the loss of a donkey.

Ole Kimpo showing us a carcass of the donkey killed by a lion last night.

Ruth, Ethan, Acacia and Reteti are perplexed over the donkey killed by the lion. The lion killed the donkey several yards away and dragged it into the bushes where he can eat without disturbance from the hungry hyenas.

Ethan and Acacia examining lion bites on the donkey's neck.

Above is the lion's foot prints. Kids herding goats have spotted the lions in a nearby ravine.