Tumaren

Category: Reptiles | Date: Dec 21 2007 | By: tumaren

Finally found a pancake tortoise north of tumaren during a walking safari. what an interesting species.
These guys occupy the cracks between rocks and have soft shells that enable them to wedge deep in crevices for protection.

3 responses so far

Category: Mammals | Date: Dec 16 2007 | By: tumaren

about 5 days ago, Kerry’s mum, julia rescued a giant rat who was being attacked by a black-tip mongoose. the rat is no ordinary rat, he is massive, and the largest rat-like rodent in Africa. He is a Gambian rat and this is the species that some people are using in Mozambique to look for landmines. Gambian rats tame down very quickly and are actually very friendly (as you can see from the pictures).
Anyway, a bit off subject as this report comes from Nairobi and not Laikipia but i thought it would be of interest for everyone to know about our recovering Gambian rat (he has sustained some minor injuries to the face and jaw but seems to be recovering fast). cheers, jc

10 responses so far

Category: Birds | Date: Dec 06 2007 | By: tumaren

First I would like to thank a very kind person named Sonja P for making a donation toward conservation in our area. The money will go toward scouts that are currently assisting the neighboring community ranch to patrol their large area. We appreciate your generosity very much Sonja.

Also we have had an influx of migrant birds in the past few weeks arriving from Europe, Asia and norhtern Kenya. Among the species that have been passing by, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Common Rock-thrush, Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Isabaline Shrike, Red-backed shrike, Pied Wheatear, Northern Whetear, Isabaline Whetear. Below is a picture of a non-migrant resident bird, our friend the Scops Owl.

4 responses so far

Category: Issues | Date: Dec 05 2007 | By: tumaren

In our area clearing woodland for charcoal is a rather new phenomena. The charcoal that is cut and prepared here is made for sale in the south near cities like nanyuki or meru. There, a bag of charcoal can sell for about 350 shillings equivalent to 5 or 6 US $. This can be a rather good business and so more and more Meru (a tribe that lives on the east side of Mt. Kenya around Meru town) have been coming to eastern Laikipia to cut charcoal. Typically they make a deal with the land owners who may want to clear a certain area to open it up (so kids can go to school along a road and not be bothered by elephants, or to clear a boundary etc.). We have entered into such a deal in order to open up a small area that is dangerous to pass when our elephants around. The area is not extensive and after the selective cutting the area remains vegetated with the broken elephant damaged bushes gone and the more pretty specimens left. The trees that are cut are predominantly Acacia mellifera, also known as the wait-a-bit-thorn. Mellifera is a short lived bush and so when cut returns rather quickly. Having watched this bush return vigorously i began to think about the sustainability of charcoal cutting in this kind of habitat, wondering if there should not be more conversation with the local communities about how to properly practice charcoal cutting. Like all natural resource extraction, the practice of charcoal cutting can be abused leaving too little woodland to repopulate or as wildlife habitat or as firewood for the local masai.
Charcoal is a bad word in nearly all conservation circles and this is typically because of abuse and over exploitation yet most africans are left with no other way of cooking their food. The conservation community have made efforts to introduce such technologies as solar ovens but these have led to limited success because of their physical limits (difficult to fry or boil on demand) as well as cultural barriers. I think that charcoal, till we come up with a better idea, is a reality and that the conservation community could serve itself well by beginning to address sustainability with regards to charcoal collecting in kenya. If we just sit back and say “thats bad” from the confines of our gas/electric fed lives we are being hypocrites and nobody will bother to listen anyway. just some thoughts for today. cheers, jamie

9 responses so far