DSWT Community Report February 2015

COMMUNITY OUTREACH MONTHLY REPORT FEBRUARY 2015 SUMMARY: February was a very hot and dry month across the Tsavo Conservation Area (TCA), with daily temperature averaging at 35â—Śc. Most watering holes in the protected areas had totally dried up, causing several cases of elephant-human conflict as elephants extend their range into the bordering community farms in search of water and pasture.

During our schools’ field trips, students have been lucky with the abundance of wildlife aggregating at the few surviving water holes.

In February, the David Sheldrick hosted eight school trips, two video shows and two conservation lectures and conducted regular maintenance of the elephant-beehive fence at Iviani.

FEBRUARY 2015 SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS

Two hundred (200) students and twenty four (24) teachers from Mtito-Andei and Kibwezi were taken for a fully sponsored field trip to the Tsavo West national park.

Accompanied by a DSWT field officer, the students had an opportunity to visit the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Information Centre, Shetani Lava Flow, Mzima Springs, Chaimu Hills and the Roaring Rocks.

This month, because of the drought, students were able to spot numerous wildlife aggregating at the few surviving water holes in the park. Contrary to the popular belief that the wild dogs population in the TCA has been wiped out, in February, during our field trips we regularly spotted a pack of more 20 individuals in Tsavo West.

SCHOOL TRIPS Mavindini Secondary (1) Avemaria Primary (1) Mavindini Secondary (2) Mavindini Secondry School (2) Ngiluni Primary School (1) Ngiluni Primary (2) Maikuu Primary (1) Maikuu Primary (2)

TOTAL

STUDENTS TEACHERS 2/2/2015 6/2/2015 7/2/2015 9/2/2015 19/2/2015 21/2/2015 24/2/2015 26/2/2015

25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

200

24

FEBRUARY 2015 ENVIRONMENT FILM SHOWS

The DSWT hosted two wildlife video shows in Ngiluni Primary School and Likoni Primary School reaching out to a total of 840 students living on the north western border of Tsavo East National Park.

The video ‘The Endangered Heritage’ by the African Environmental Film Foundation is filmed in an easy to understand local Swahili language and shows the dangers threatening wildlife by snaring/poaching as well as introducing the anti-poaching efforts taking place by the local conservation groups.

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FEBRUARY 2015 BEE-HIVE FENCES

The DSWT has installed 84 langstroth beehives along a fence perimeter spanning a 2Km strip of farms in Iviani village.

The Iviani community borders Tsavo East on the North western side along the Mtito River. In the past the village was the worst hit by crop-raiding elephant invasion.

In February 2015 there were four attempts by different herds of elephants to invade the farms but the community is positive the elephants were scared away by the beehive fence.

Out of the 84 modern beehives, 12 have already been colonized by bees and hopefully this number will rise during the expected March/April short rains. As observed, the presence of a beehive fence in Iviani has in a way increased elephant’s invasion of farms downstream and it will be important to extend the fence to protect more farms.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is reliant on your kind support in order to keep our community outreach projects running.

For more information about these projects please visit www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.com/community or email info@dswt.org