Field Notes: July - December 2014

July-Dec 2014

FIELD NOTES

THE DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST

Saving lives together The past six months have seen our protection of wildlife in Kenya expand as we introduced our new and fully mobile Anti-Poaching Team and continue to work towards the preservation of Kenya’s wildlife and habitats.

With global support, our field teams are making strides every day in conservation, saving lives each day whilst securing vital habitats for the future.

Orphans’ Project

The Orphans’ Project offers hope for the future of Kenya’s threatened elephant and rhino populations as they struggle against the threat of poaching, the loss of habitat and human-wildlife conflict.

Our online digital Fostering Program allows friends to make a difference in the raising and rehabilitation of orphaned elephants.

Roi’s dramatic rescue

Emily gives birth to 2nd calf

Now living wild in Tsavo, exorphan Emily chose to return to our Voi Reintegration Centre on 23rd December 2014 to give birth amongst her human-elephant family who she had previously visited a few weeks previously with her her 16-strong herd.

Top left: © Swati Prasad Siddarth, Roi plays with her mother; Top right: © Swati Prasad Siddarth, Roi mourns her poached mother 24 hours later; Bottom centre: Roi smiling at our Orphanage; Right: Emily returns to Voi to give birth to Emma

Ivory poachers tore apart Roi’s family, but this tiny orphaned elephant now has a new herd to call her own at our Nairobi Elephant Orphanage.

On 22nd October 2014, we were called to rescue a young elephant who had been spotted standing over her poached mother’s body, deep in grief. Devastatingly, just 24 hours before, this youngster had been photographed by a passing tourist happily playing with her mother.

With other young mothers in the herd refusing to let the tiny traumatised orphan suckle, it was

clear that without action she would slowly starve to death and we were called to rescue the young baby who we have since named Roi. Understandably, Roi was in mourning when she first arrived at our Orphanage, but with the specialist physical and psychological help of our Keepers, she is now beginning to smile and play.

Foster Roi today and become part of her life story and journey back to a life in the wild: www.thedswt.org/roi Watch Roi’s dramatic rescue at: www.youtube.com/dswtkenya

A wonderful surprise for all and a magical gift just two days before Christmas, our Keepers were privileged to be allowed to witness the birth by Emily, who was rescued at just one month old in 1993 after being rejected by her mother.

Completing her own journey back to the wild, her new calf, named Emma joins Emily’s first wild born baby, Eve. With yet more ex-orphans expected to give birth in 2015, including Kinna, Edie, Sweet Sally and Icholta, we will, with your support, be working hard to keep Emily’s ex-orphan herd and other elephants safe through dedicated Aerial Surveillance and comprehensive patrolling by our nine Anti-Poaching Teams.

Mobile Veterinary Units Amboseli giant lives another day Top: Tusker ‘Tim’ looks on at our helicopter after treatment

In There are few things more magnificent than a big Tusker.

However it is estimated that there are just 100 of these irreplaceable individuals left across Africa.

Through your support, our DSWT/ Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Vet Units were able to afford iconic Amboseli Tusker, “Tim” a chance to roam the wilds once more, after he was injured in a spear attack.

At over 45 years old, Tim is a well-known bull and was reported injured with a wound caused by a spear on his leg on 8th November 2014. Unfortunately as he was hidden away in dense bush KWS Vets had been unable to locate him

for medical treatment and by 10 November, it became crucial that he was found before it became too late for this magnificent bull.

We called in our Aerial Surveillance Unit to assist and within 20 minutes, our rapid response helicopter was airborne. After picking up KWS Vet Dr Njoroge, who heads the DSWT funded Amboseli Mobile Veterinary Unit, they began the search and within 45 minutes sighted Tim with an infected wound high on his hip.

Dr Njoroge successfully darted Tim from the air and our team immediately landed to administer emergency treatment in the shadow of nearby Mount Kilimanjaro.

Fortunately the team had reached Tim in time, and Dr Njoroge thoroughly cleaned the deep infected wound and packed it with protective green clay before administering long-lasting antibiotics to help him recover.

The entire lifesaving operation lasted about 25 minutes and by 6pm, Tim had been revived and was back on his feet. As he wandered off, a huge bright rainbow formed overhead, giving us hope for Tim and other iconic individuals.

Read the full story at: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

Saving an elephant mother from poachers bullets On World Animal Day, 4th October 2014, whilst thousands of people took part in the Global Marches for Elephants, Rhinos and Lions, our DSWT/ KWS Sky Vets team were called to urgently treat a seriously injured elephant mother who had been shot by poachers.

With her two young calves still dependant on their injured mother for milk and protection, keeping this young family together was imperative. Quickly flown to the

scene, our Sky Vets KWS Vet Dr Fredrick Olianga safely darted the mother with tranquiliser to begin treatment. After fully cleaning the wound, Dr Olianga administered healing green clay before reviving her.

Thankfully she was back on her feet within minutes and re-joined her calves and herd which had congregated nearby.

The DSWT operates four fully equipped Mobile Veterinary Units in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service. These Units alleviate the suffering of injured wild animals on an unprecedented scale.

Equipped with custom-made vehicles, darting hatches, operating tables and necessary medicines, our Units are on hand to offer rapid and effective assistance to wildlife in need.

Aerial Surveillance

11 elephants treated in two weeks thanks to Aerial Support Top: A herd of elephants roam through Tsavo as spotted by our Pilot; Bottom: Radio Controller, Joseph, at work

Our Aerial Surveillance Unit is a vital tool in the effective prevention of illegal activities and for sighting/monitoring injured elephants.

Supporting our Anti-Poaching Teams are four aircraft and one helicopter which report all sightings and incidents to our headquarters for immediate action in the field.

In just two weeks in September 2014 our DSWT/KWS Veterinary Units treated 11 elephants for poisoned arrow wounds, all of whom have since successfully recovered.

attending to reported cases but has also increased the safety of vet staff and the animal itself by darting from the safe height of a chopper and leading darted animals to safe areas.

We are overjoyed when we spot the treated elephants thereafter fully recovered and back in good health.�

High tech equipment provided by global donations and the use of aircraft mean elephants targeted by poachers in the Tsavo Conservation Catch up with the latest news from Area now have a much higher chance our Aerial Surveillance Unit at: of survival. As Dr Poghon explains: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org “Our new helicopter has greatly reduced the response time in

Behind the scenes: Joseph Mzungu From coordinating our AntiPoaching Teams and rescues, your support ensures Joseph, our Radio Controller, can react quickly to any incident.

How is our Aerial Surveillance helping to battle poachers?

Even the sight of a plane flying above is enough to scare poachers away.

Our helicopter has allowed our DSWT/KWS Vet Units to reach Tell us about your daily routine? cases in just 30 minutes, saving time By 6am I am in the office and making and lives. radio calls to the teams. KWS may get in touch requesting a plane or Do you have a message to our additional help and I coordinate our donors? pilots ensuring we respond to the I know we are making a positive most urgent case. difference; invest in us and we will do our level best to ensure poaching goes down.

Anti-Poaching Teams To combat ivory and rhino horn poaching and protect wild places, the DSWT operates nine fullyequipped Anti-Poaching Teams working together with KWS to protect the greater Tsavo Conservation Area (TCA) and beyond.

These highly skilled teams, accompanied by armed KWS rangers, are equipped with vehicles, camping equipment, radios, GPS units and cameras, patrolling daily to combat wildlife poaching, as well as the threat of bushmeat poaching.

Saving lives every day

New elite and mobile Anti-Poaching Team to protect wildlife

Through your support, our aerial and ground patrols are preventing bushmeat hunting and charcoal burning from destroying the biodiversity of the delicate Tsavo ecosystem.

Thanks to your support, our new Anti-Poaching Team is ready to deploy anywhere within Kenya where wildlife is under threat.

The thousands of animals killed each year by bushmeat poachers include buffalo and lesser kudu, but the current unsustainable rate means animals such as the Galana subspecies of giraffe face possible extinction.

Without our Anti-Poaching patrols, poaching and charcoal burning gangs would operate uncontrolled and therefore irreparably damage wildlife populations. Through global donations, our highly trained teams confiscated 2,600 snares alone in 2014, saving thousands of lives.

Our elite team, in partnership with KWS, began its first mission in August to eradicate high levels of bushmeat poaching threatening Meru National Park. Within the first three weeks of operation the team arrested 8 prominent bush meat poachers, confiscated 55 poisoned arrows made specifically to target elephants and larger wild animals, and lifted nearly 300 wire and cable snares.

Fully equipped and with high levels of fitness to allow them to spend long periods in the bush, our new Team offers threatened wildlife a lifeline and protection where there was previously none.

Top: Our Anti-Poaching Team on patrol; Above; Lifting cable snares

Community Outreach

Beehives reduce human elephant conflict

Above: Children at the Waves/DSWT Sports Day; Right: Our new beehives

Sports Day reaches out to Tsavo schools Building sustainable relationships with communities is key to protecting our wild spaces and animals. What better way than reaching out to the children of these communities and teaching the next generation about the importance of wildlife.

and pupils took part in football and netball tournaments and there was a healthy rivalry between the schools, each keen to win their rounds, exemplified by the wild cheers of support by children from competing schools.

The day of competition was followed In partnership with The Waves by a fantastic series of poems, drama Charitable Trust in October 2014 and dancing, and the day was an we arranged the first Tsavo Sports undoubted success. Interaction Day with local schools as part of our between schools in the region is Community Outreach work. usually rare and the children were thrilled to be a part of the Hosted at Kalambe Primary School in tournament and have the chance to Voi, children from neighbouring return next year. schools, along with teachers, parents

We work to improve the livelihoods and educational standards of people living along the borders of Kenya's National Parks and protected areas through the introduction of community initiatives and local employment.

Our new Beehive Project offers a natural solution to humanelephant conflict and gives local people a way to generate an income from projects and programmes that work with, not against, wildlife.

Thanks to generous support from British Airways, we have completed the erection of 1km of innovative beehive fences to prevent elephants destroying crops and the risk of human retaliation.

Constructed alongside agricultural plots in the Tsavo Conservation Area where conflict for water and food is common, these beehive fences act as an effective barrier, repelling elephants that have a natural fear of bees and allow plot holders to benefit from the income that the honey collected provides.

We hope to extend the bee fences by a further 1km within the coming months to bring this sustainable project to more communities, and in the long term, allow elephants and humans to exist in harmony.

Saving Habitats Kibwezi Forest kept poacher free With the help of our global friends, we are managing over 110,000 acres of land, home to numerous unique and endangered species. Our regular patrols by our Mamba Anti-Poaching Team, in partnership with KWS, have kept the threatened paradise of the Kibwezi Forest, the location of our third Elephant Reintegration Centre, poacher free all year.

poaching incidences in the area to nil — an important achievement for wild elephants in the area and our new resident five orphans, Murera, Sonje, Quanza, Zongoloni and Lima Lima.

All these orphans have now completely reintegrated into the area since their move in June 2014. They have even begun to meet wild elephants during the day, and a first Once under threat from extensive for the group — meeting a big wild illegal logging, illegal hunting and bull in late November 2014. These human-wildlife conflict we have now new friendships formed with wild initiated sustainable management elephants are a vital part of the long measures to keep this forest safe. re-integration process of these Daily Anti-Poaching patrols as well as precious young elephants back into the construction and maintenance of the wild. electrically fenced boundaries have ensured the steady rehabilitation of Keeping the Kibwezi Forest poacher the area whilst safeguarding the local free has only been possible by communities and their livelihoods collaborating with the Kenya Forest from wildlife damage.

Service, the Kenya Wildlife Service and other organisations operating in Importantly our management has the region, and of course with your brought the total number of support.

The Tsavo Conservation Area is Kenya’s largest wildlife refuge, harbouring the country’s largest population of elephants and a greater bio-diversity of species than any other conservation area in the world.

Above and top right: Foliage in Project Amu

safeguard unique and endangered wild habitats by securing Public-Private partnerships with the Kenya Forest Service and Community Group Ranches.

Areas managed by the DSWT include, the Peregrine Conservation In order to protect the future of all Area, the Kibwezi Forest, Amu wildlife and biodiversity in the area, Ranch and the Witu Forest. the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is taking huge steps to

Make a difference

“All life has just one home - the earth - and we as the dominant species must take care of it.”

Dr Dame Daphne Sheldrick DBE The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a non-profit organisation in Kenya and a registered charity in the UK. US supporters of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s charitable mission can choose to make tax-deductible contributions to US Friends of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a US-based 501(c)(3) organization that supports the Trust's mission and projects.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

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