DSWT/KWS Anti-Poaching Report April 2016

DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST

ANTI-POACHING UNITS MONTHLY REPORT

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APRIL 2016 MONTHLY SUMMARY: ALL UNITS TOTAL SNARES RECOVERED & CONFISCATED: TOTAL ARRESTS MADE: TOTAL WEAPON/EQUIPMENT CONFISCATIONS: TOTAL ILLEGAL STRUCTURES DESTROYED:

238 31 77 30

Of the 31 arrests made during April, the Mtito team made the most apprehensions including mostly offenders caught logging and charcoal burning inside Tsavo East National Park. The Burra team was also successful in arresting two bush-meat poachers caught with snares and meat in the Park. Other arrests included livestock herding, trespassing and the illegal harvesting of marijuana.

In total 238 snares were recovered and confiscated from poachers during the month. The Meru team lifted the most snares, which were found in Meru National Park, whilst the Burra and Ithumba teams were also effective in discovering and removing a large number of snares. The Burra team came across a number or large wire and cable snares set by poachers to trap elephants, giraffe buffalo and larger game.

Most illegal structures found and destroyed within the Parks and Protected Areas included charcoal kilns, whilst 5 shooting platforms constructed in trees overlooking watering holes were also taken down by the teams. Along with the illegal structures found, the teams uncovered tools and equipment used by offenders in makeshift camps including axes, saws, ropes and pangas, all used for logging and charcoal burning activities.

The Burra team supported the Tsavo Vet Unit in one elephant treatment during the month, which was a successful operation whilst the team was also active in 9 Human-Wildlife Conflict cases, involving elephants getting caught in community lands and coming into conflict with the local human population.

Likewise, the Kenze team was also supporting these activities in partnership with the DSWT fixed-wing aircrafts and helicopter, which are well-suited to drive elephants out of problem areas and back into the Parks with support from all ground teams.

The Tiva and Ziwani teams were on annual leave for the month of April, whilst the other teams were patrolling full-time whilst also covering both teams’ areas to continue a security presence.

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MAP OF ALL UNIT’S PATROL ROUTES

MAP OF ALL UNIT’S ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES

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DAILY SITUATION REPORT MONTHLY SUMMARY – APRIL 2016

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TOTAL SNARES COLLECTED – APRIL 2016 - All Teams

TOTAL ARRESTS MADE – APRIL 2016 - All Teams

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INDIVIDUAL TEAM REPORTS APRIL 2016

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APRIL 2016 MTITO TEAM PATROL AREA: Tsavo Triangle, northern sector of Tsavo West NP & surrounding communities DAYS ON DUTY: 30

SECURITY & INCIDENTS SANDALWOOD 1/4/16

Sacks of sandal wood recovered at the Chyulu pump area in Tsavo West after the owners escaped arrest

SHOOTING BLIND 4/4/16

A waterhole with an old shooting blind in the Triangle was found and destroyed by the team

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CHARCOAL KILN 8/4/16

An old and new charcoal kiln were sighted at the Mangelete area in Tsavo West during patrols having first been spotted by the DSWT Aerial Unit

LIFTING SNARES 8/4/16

A member of the team holding a medium snare lifted at Kamboyo in Tsavo West

SHOOTING BLIND 11/4/16

A member of the team destroying an old shooting blind inside the Triangle. Several snares were also lifted from around the area

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WOODCARVING CAMP 13/4/16

A fresh wood carver’s hideout was found in the Chuylu Hills during patrols

POACHERS HIDEOUTS 16/4/16

A number of poachers’ hideouts were revisited by the team in the Triangle to check on any illegal activities

LIFTING SNARES 17/4/16

Members of the team lift some small snares after a follow-up of human foot prints

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LOGGING & FIREWOOD 19/4/16

Arrested illegal loggers in Mangelete area in Tsavo West. Livestock was also in the area and pushed out of the Park

LIFTING SNARES 23/4/16

Members of the team lifting up small snares in the Triangle set by poachers to catch small game animals

SHOOTING PLATFORM 25/4/16

Member of the team destroying a shooting platform in the Triangle

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ILLEGAL LOGGING 26/4/16

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Piles of wet posts found at Mangelete in Tsavo West along with abandoned tools

MTITO UNIT MONTHLY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES AND PATROL ROUTES

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APRIL 2016 CHYULU TEAM PATROL AREA: Chyulu National Park, Kibwezi Forest and surrounding communities D DAYS ON DUTY: 30

SECURITY & INCIDENTS ILLEGAL LIVESTOCK 5/4/16

Illegal livestock grazing was discovered in the Park area and evicted by the team

CHARCOAL BURNING 6/4/16

Charcoal burners were arrested by the team found operating in the Park

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SANDALWOOD 9/4/16

Sandalwood harvester was arrested by the team cutting trees in the Park

CHARCOAL BURNING 9/4/16

Apprehended charcoal burner at the Mbokoni area in the Park

MARIJUANA PLANTATION Marijuana plantation sighted on patrol in the Park and destroyed. A 11/4/16 harvester was captured and arrested

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CHARCOAL KILN 14/4/16

A recently made charcoal kiln was found and destroyed

CHARCOAL CAMP 18/4/16

The Chyulu team organised a night ambush on a charcoal burning camp and arrested culprits in action transporting charcoal out of the Park

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CHYULU UNIT MONTHLY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES AND PATROL ROUTES

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APRIL 2016 KENZE TEAM PATROL AREA: Kibwezi Forest and surrounding communities DAYS ON DUTY: 30

SECURITY & INCIDENTS CHARCOAL BURNERS 6/4/16

The Kenze team arrested a two charcoal burners in the Duwa area who also had snares and had been trapping wild animals

LIVESTOCK INTRUSION 11/4/16

Cattle were found illegally grazing in the Metava area and driven out with the team vehicle

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ELEPHANT CONFLICT 12/4/16

The Kenze team worked with the DSWT helicopter to drive elephants out of community land and back into the Park

ILLEGAL LOGGING 15/4/16

The Kenze team arrested charcoal burners found cutting trees in the Forest

LIFTING SNARES 16/4/16

The Kenze team lifted a number of small snares from the Metava area, set by people to trap small animals like dikdik

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TREE PLANTING 27/4/16

The Kenze team worked with community members and other Kibwezi Forest staff during a Tree Planting Day in the forest

OFFICIAL MEETINGS 28/4/16

The Kenze team met with KFS officials and Makueni county officials inspecting the forest and projects

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KENZE UNIT MONTHLY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES AND PATROL ROUTES

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APRIL 2016 BURRA TEAM PATROL AREA: Southern sector of Tsavo East NP & the Taita Ranches DAYS ON DUTY:30

SECURITY & INCIDENTS ILLEGAL LOGGING 8/4/16

Illegal logging was discovered at Mbulia Ranch

LOGGING & SNARING 8/4/16

A poacher was arrested at Mbulia Ranch who was caught logging and snaring

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CHARCOAL BURNING 12/4/16

A charcoal burner arrested at Kajire Ranch having set up a camp and built a kiln

ELEPHANT TUSK 16/4/16

A piece of an elephant’s tusk was found in Irima Plains and handed over to the KWS

LIFTING SNARES 16/4/16

The team members with KWS rangers lifting snares at Irima plains. They also caught the bush-meat poacher responsible for setting the snares

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BIRD TRAP 19/4/16

A bird trap was found by the team during patrol and disassembled

CHARCOAL BURNING 23/4/16

Team members have noticed an increase in the number of charcoal kilns in the Mbulia Ranch area. Another fresh kiln was destroyed

ELEPHANT TREATMENT 25/4/16

The team assisted the DSWT Vet Unit in treating an injured elephant in the Mrondo area

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BURRA UNIT MONTHLY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES AND PATROL ROUTES

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APRIL 2016 YATTA MOBILE TEAM (Meru National Park) PATROL AREA: This is a mobile team operating in the Meru Conservation Area and National Park DAYS ON DUTY: 30

SECURITY & INCIDENTS LIFTING SNARES 3/4/16

The Yatta team during April continued to Patrol Meru National Park.

During this operation they were lifting medium snares at Ura upstream

LIFTING SNARES 5/4/16

The team lifted medium snares set in the Kiolu area

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POACHERS CAMP 9/4/16

A recently used poacher's fire was found at Mughwango area and tracks were followed

POACHERS CAMP 12/4/16

Another recently used poacher's fire was found, this time in the Rojewero area

ILLEGAL LOGGING 15/4/16

Logging activities in the Mike 9 area were discovered in the Park. The logs were confiscated

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LIFTING SNARES 15/4/16

Lifting big snares in the Mike 9 area set to trap buffalo and larger animals in the Park

LIFTING SNARES 25/4/16

Lifting big more snares in the Mike 11 area including a mix of medium and large wire snares

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YATTA UNIT MONTHLY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES AND PATROL ROUTES

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APRIL 2016 ITHUMBA TEAM PATROL AREA: Northern sector of Tsavo East NP, northern boundary & Gazi DAYS ON DUTY:30

SECURITY & INCIDENTS ELEPHANT CARCASS 6/4/16

The Ithumba found a carcass of an elephant in the Tundani area. The tusks were missing so the elephants is presumed to be a poaching victim

LIFTING SNARES 10/4/16

Collecting snares set to trap small game for bush-meat

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POACHERS CAMP 17/4/16

An old poachers camp was investigated at the Kyairock Area to make sure there was no recent activity

LIVESTOCK INTRUSION 17/4/16

Livestock was found illegally grazing in the Gazi area of Tsavo East National Park

CHARCOAL BURNING 20/4/16

The team destroyed a charcoal kiln in the Gazi area as well as a camp set up by the charcoal burners

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CABLE TRAP 20/4/16

The team found a large cable snare trap set to trap an elephant in the Gazi area. The contraption was removed and confiscated

LIFTING SNARES 22/4/16

The team lifted a number of medium and large snares from the Tiva River area set to trap Kudu and other medium sized game

SHOOTING BLIND 26/4/16

The team destroyed a shooting blind in the Lesilau area built by poachers over a watering hole to target elephants

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ITHUMBA UNIT MONTHLY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES AND PATROL ROUTES

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