Colobus Trust

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Saving Diani’s Colobus From Electrocution

Category: Human - Primate Conflict Resolution | Date: Feb 11 2008 | By: admin

We have worked with The Kenya Power & Lighting Company to reduce the number of primates lost by electrocutions for many years now. Initially our work involved coordinating with them to trim back the trees around all the major power lines in Diani. This has reduced the numbers, but many are still lost. In the last three years we have lost 12% of the Diani Forest Colobus population.

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A dead Colobus found in Diani.

Though we do what we can through our ongoing Tree Trimming Program, responding to an electrocution call is an all to frequent event for the Trust. The smell of burnt hair is pungent and the suffering these monkeys go through is terrible. The impact of 22,000 Volts is devastating. The animal’s flesh at the point of contact instantly cooks. This usually means any survivors we find lose the use of at least one of their forelimbs. Colobus can live with only one arm, and there are several in Diani we have treated and released, but they can never be the monkey they were before. An adult male Colobus amputee has never been seen as the leader of a troop, something every male aspires to be.

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A dead Colobus showing steriotypical burns on the forearms and face.

Unfortunately many lose more than one limb and these cannot survive in the wild. This is even more depressing though as the majority of cases are dead on arrival. It is horrible witnessing these needless deaths, and long have we known that a longer-term solution had to be found.

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A young male Colobus who’s forearm was amputated due to excessive burning.

Thankfully, during this tough time, it would appear that we have found a breakthrough! In January KLPC sent a team to us, with the intent purpose of trying to solve the problem in Diani. We took them to our 17 already identified Electrocution Hotspots in Diani & explained the situation.

When we received a letter from them this week. It was greeted with great anticipation. Inside was a proposal for the isolation of all the power lines at our hotspots that were publicly owned. This would be a great start towards the total annihilation of the problem.

KPLC have offered to supply the manpower as long as we can raise the funds to pay for the materials. This is a whopping KSh 950,000 (US$ 13,500), a figure way out of our budget, even before the economic crisis, we are currently in, arose. Don’t let this stop us. Through your support we can get the Trust out of these difficult times and work towards raising this amount and achieve this massive leap in the right direction.

Yours willingly,

The Colobus Team

16 Responses to “Saving Diani’s Colobus From Electrocution”

paula, on 11 Feb 2008

Hi Gwili and Machari, thanks for this, your photographs are horrific, it is a terrible terrible news and I can’t express how angry I am at the KPLC - I hope you are successful in raising the money, it’s about 800 dollars per electrocution spot! Thanks for bringing this up and do keep up the good posts.

THERESA SISKIND, on 11 Feb 2008

How tragic, it would seem to me that KPLC should assume a major part of the cost. If this happened in the US, a lawsuit could be filed against them and you would win. Is there anything that you can think of to keep these monkeys safe, in the mean time? I’m with Paula, you needed to show these photos, as everyone has to be made aware of this serious threat. You have my support, another donation is on the way.

Sheryl, Washington, DC, on 11 Feb 2008

My God, those pictures are horrible. I, too, don’t understand why the Trust has to bear the brunt of the costs? Shouldn’t this be an issue of national concern and the government can pick up the tab?

s.

Christine C., on 11 Feb 2008

Tragic pictures…is there no way at all to get the power company to eat some of the costs?

F. J. PECHIR, on 11 Feb 2008

I´m deeply sorry about this problem, wishing it can be solved soon.

Charles Tomalin, on 12 Feb 2008

Hi guys.
Horrible pictures, but worth their weight in gold when it comes to getting the message across.
A couple of years back, I brought a short piece of foam pipe lagging out to you, to see if it could be used as an insulator on the power lines. Unfortunately there were other priorities, and then the land problems, and the last I knoew, the lagging was used for blade protectors in your ‘toolshed’ and its probably still there. See http://www.tomalin.org/misc/coltrust1.jpg.
You might want to see if this could be a low cost option for some of the higher risk sections. A couple of tie-wraps or local string would secure each piece in place.

If so, it could be sent out from UK/US for very little as its so light.
Just a thought.

Charles

THERESA SISKIND, on 12 Feb 2008

Charles, sounds like a practical solution, at least in the short term. Gwili, if you think this might work, let us know. I’m willing to help with the purchase and transportation costs to get the ball rolling. My email address is siskind8@msn.com Please contact me if you decide to go this route.

THERESA SISKIND, on 12 Feb 2008

Hey Charles, I tried your link two separate times and it doesn’t work. Could you look into this. Thanks!

Gwili, on 12 Feb 2008

Thanks so much for all your thought. There’s some very promising ideas here.

Chris, I will look into the piping tomorrow and ask KPLC their thoughts.

Theresa, thank you for offering your support.

Watch this space and we’ll update you soon!

Charles Tomalin, on 12 Feb 2008

sorry - the last ‘full stop’ should n’t be there.
Try this http://www.tomalin.org/misc/coltrust1.jpg

THERESA SISKIND, on 12 Feb 2008

We thank you Charles; now that I have seen this photo, I understand exactly how this might work. Good stuff. Thanks Gwili for addressing our comments.

Gwili, on 13 Feb 2008

Charles,

I have been looking in to how the lagging would work as a tempory safeguard for the power lines. KPLC agree that this would be a much cheaper option but they worry about whether or not this material would last in the heat & humidity of the Kenyan coast. Do you reckon it would last?

Also, we have an issue in that KPLC have offered their workforce to help us in this project. This is not something that happens every day. The worry is that if we use this offer towards a tempory solution we may not get this chance again.

Let us try and work with KPLC to isulate these powerlines properly. Then, if this fails due to a lack of funding, we can use the lagging as a back up. Also, we can look into using lagging on the smaller voltage lines.

Thank you for your efforts. It’s great to have your help and thoughts on this situation. Hopefully we’ll see changes very soon.

Gwili

Charles Tomalin, on 13 Feb 2008

Hi Gwili /all

I think the lagging will be okay in the climate, so long as
it is secured with something like plastic tiewraps to hold it onto the
wires - sticky tape would not hold up.

Gwili - hopefully you have found the samples I left with the trust? If so, its been over there (albeit in your workshop) for 2 years, so you could assess directly how it is standing up to the climate. As it is designed for lagging hot water pipes, it should probably be okay.

If I have a concern, its over the effect of colobus/sykes climbing along it - whether their finger/nails might penetrate it or tear it.

Again, if you can find the samples, then your knowledge of the primates feet should help you make that assessment too.

The lagging already has a split cut down the side, so should be relatively safe/easy to fit, so long as the fitter has his gloves on!

I suggest that some form of ‘trial’ is the way forward - perhaps in an area
where the colobus are particularly active - to see if it stands up to them, and whether there are any unforeseen problems.

This could be done in parallel with any work you can get the KPLC to do/fund, as in future the lagging might provide you with an ‘emergency repair’ option anyway.

Rgds

Charles

THERESA SISKIND, on 13 Feb 2008

Very good suggestions, Charles!

jon smallie, on 20 Feb 2008

Hi there

I read with interest your item on the ongoing electrocution of Colobus monkeys. We have been involved in a partnership with the South African electrical utility Eskom to address wildlife interactions with electrical infrastructure since 1996. A great deal of experience has been gained in SA on the various issues – perhaps you would be interested in collaborating in some way? We work predominantly on birds – and are always looking for suitable partners in African countries, where we can collaborate on these issues.

With respect to your specific problem, perhaps approaching the suppliers of the insulation materials that are to be used for sponsorship might be useful – they may be prepared to sponsor the project in return for some positive publicity? I’m not sure which suppliers are involved, but they may be the same companies as those operating in SA –perhaps you could enquire?

Best regards

Jon Smallie

Eskom - EWT Strategic Partnership

Endangered Wildlife Trust

011 486 1102

082 444 8919

jons@ewt.org.za

me, on 16 Oct 2009

maybe they should stop monkeying around :)

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