Partners for Raptors Lifetime Achievement Award

Simon Thomsett, leading world authority on birds of prey, one of the founders of the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust, and Director of the Soysambu Raptor Centre, has been awarded the Partners for Raptors Lifetime Achievement Award from the Raptor Research Foundation and Peregrine Fund in the US. This prestigious award was presented to Simon in recognition and profound appreciation of a lifetime of distinguished service to raptors, their biology and conservation.

Since the 1970s, numbers in 19 out of 22 species of raptor in Kenya have fallen by 70 per cent. The list of Endangered or Critically Endangered raptor species is about to be updated globally and Simon expects to see over 45 percent of Kenya’s resident species up-listed.

Electrocution, persecution and poisoning are the main threats to wild birds of prey in Kenya and the chief cause of their rapid demise in the last 30 years.

Through the rehabilitation of injured and poisoned birds Simon Thomsett has come to recognise these threats, and bring them to the attention of bird organisation partners.

In 2015, together with MCC Members, the late Sarah Higgins and Shiv Kapila, Simon formed the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust to oversee their conservation objectives – namely to understand, protect and restore raptor populations in Kenya - it has grown today into a fully fledged organisation, and supports both the Soysambu and Naivasha Raptor Rehabilitation Centres, the latter is run by Shiv.

Based on Soysambu Ranch, which has the security and habitats raptors need to thrive and regain numbers, Simon’s work is to rescue and rehabilitate birds of prey. His work varies from scrambling to retrieve birds from a poisoning – time is key and victims need to be injected with atropine sulphate immediately – and rescuing victims of persecution. Some communities kill and maim birds by stoning them or setting them on fire and destroying their nests and chicks.

Working closely with the KWS, Simon gives training courses in responding to poisoned birds, as well as working with school children, his former students and decision-makers to try to change human attitudes towards birds of prey. For many people there is no value to raptors, so persecuting and killing them is done in ignorance as much as malice. Simon believes raptors will not be appreciated if they can’t be seen, so by showing these magnificent creatures close-up and alive in both Raptor Rehabilitation Centres, he is slowly demystifying cultural beliefs and changing people’s attitudes towards them.

Simon currently has 27 birds at his rehabilitation centre on Soysambu and 25 birds in Naivasha, a total of 11 different species.

Helena the Crowned Eagle (pictured with Simon above and below) was rescued when she was caught by a local community as a chick and beaten so viciously her left wing and eyesight were severely damaged. She can no longer survive on her own in the wild but since arriving at Soysambu, in Simon’s care, she has done much for the plight of raptors and has already featured in Disney and National Geographic and is the superstar performer for Simon’s Educational programmes.

The Kenya Bird of Prey Trust is a not for profit organisation, and visiting the Raptor Rehabilitation centres in Naivasha and Soysambu are free (although donations are welcome.)

www.kenyabirdofpreytrust.org

Simon will be giving a fundraising talk about his work with raptors at the Club later this year (date to be confirmed.)