Colobus Trust

Category: Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, deforestation | Date: Dec 21 2008 | By: colobus

Poverty is complex. One can never truly fault a person who is driven by the sole motive of putting a decent meal in front of their family should they be forced into illegal actions in order to do so. But when actions are taken purely for greed and self gain, for a sickening desire to accumulate more and more wealth at the cost of the environment and its inhabitants, it is a lot easier to confront but so much more difficult to do anything about. Conservation in Africa is a mixture of the two and there is not a place on the continent that has not been affected by the misery of poverty and the avarice of the wealthy.

And as if it is not hard enough in Kenya to deal with our own corruption and greed, we are often landed with foreign riffraff who think that this is Africa so they can do what they want. The Kenyan coastline has always been prime choice for spoils.

Chale Island, a beautiful little paradise south of Diani is under attack once again.

The other day, the Colobus Trust was informed that a foreigner had bought a plot at Chale Island, and had cut down with electric chain saw some very old (200+ years) beautiful indigenous trees and very old mangroves.

We have left contact numbers with the island security who have been instructed to call us as soon as the culprits return. On receiving a report from them our collective intention is to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators including the land owner. A clear message has been sent.

The Forestry Department is particularly keen to follow up. The ignorance of the clearing operation with a view to ‘development’ is frankly blinding and completely unnecessary. Some of the felled trees and mangroves are estimated to be around 200 years old and irreplaceable. You will see from the photos that any further cutting will encroach both further into the forest and the water line.

If you are aware of any similar grotesque actions, please use the NEW HOT LINE to report incidences of FOREST DESTRUCTION, CUTTING OF INDIGENOUS TREES, CHARCOAL MAKING, ETC.
The number is : 0800 2212323 and the people concerned are:
PERMANENT SECRETARY : MR WAMACHAI
DEPUTY PERMANENT SECRETARY : MR PETER KAMWERE
PUBLIC RELATIONS : MNRS MARY NGARUMA

Tags: Chale Island, deforestation, Development, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Illegal logging, Indian Ocean, Indigenous Trees, Mangroves

4 responses so far

Category: Human - Primate Conflict Resolution | Date: Dec 19 2008 | By: colobus

Re: Electrocution of Colobus Monkeys on your property

We are writing to ask for your personal support in our ongoing fight to protect the endangered Angolan Pied Colobus in Diani from extinction.

In the last 4 years The Colobus Trust has recorded over 60 confirmed deaths where the power lines that pass through the forest and your private property have killed arboreal primates instantly. Shockingly 46 of these cases were of the now highly endangered Angolan Colobus Monkeys. Our statistics confirm that electrocution from un-insulted power lines claims more Colobus monkey lives than any other threat, natural or man-made. The power lines also wound and severely maim many more primates when they come into contact with them, the results being flesh cooked and burnt to the bone, loss of limbs and more frequently infection, which leads to an agonising and slow death.

The data collected by The Colobus Trust has so far identified 17 “hotspots” where electrocutions most frequently occur. The total length of un-insulated power lines on the south coast runs into may hundreds of kilometres, however 4,888 meters of live cable have been identified as the most harmful. Working with Camps International and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) the Colobus Trust has recently completed a pilot project at the hotspot surrounding Diani Marine and the Ali Barbour’s properties; after identifying and installing a unique and highly cost effective insulation system, all the previously un-insulated cables in this area have now been made 100% primate safe. This is a very significant result for the Colobus population in this area who can now live peacefully without the risk of a traumatic death.

Initial finances to jump-start this program were contributed by the Camps International Trust, with the work being completed by volunteers and KPLC engineers under the supervision of the Colobus Trust.

The electric cables on your property have been identified as one of these leading electrocution ‘hot spots’ and an area where recorded Colobus deaths through electrocution have happened. We are now requesting you as a responsible landowner to contribute to the cost of insulating these power lines to save these magnificent animals for generations to come. The alternative to not acting is possibly the end of the wild Colobus monkey on Kenya’s South Coast forever.

We believe that the material costs (Average Ksh 7,500 per plot) are minimal, in return for the absolute privilege of being able to view these rare and beautiful primate, living at peace and without threat of electrocution in your garden. There is also a unique satisfaction in knowing that your personal contribution will have a significant and immediate effect in conserving these beautiful Colobus monkeys. Your contribution will be used entirely for the materials to insulate your power lines, which will be 100% effective after a very quick installation.

There is indeed a strong argument from many quarters that this project should be funded by KPLC, however after many years of appealing NOTHING has happened, with the result being continued deaths by electrocution and a steady decline in the Colobus population. It is for this reason that we are now acting directly to effect change. Other than your contribution the provision of materials there will be no further charges, as The Colobus Trust, Camps International and KPLC will provide the workforce, tools and expertise to place the insulating conduits.

Your voluntary contribution to fund this highly effective project will be recognised through a joint program grading landowners & local stakeholders on their efforts in conservation. The Camps International Trust will also provide indigenous hard wood tree saplings FREE OF CHARGE that can be planted on your property to reduce habitat loss & increase the local forest cover. Your contribution and support for this very important program will be recognized online, through e-newsletters and throughout the international conservation community.

We believe that the only way forward to conserve the now highly endangered Angolan Colobus Monkey is to work together with responsible conservation-minded landowners; in this regard we are appealing for your much needed and valuable support. Representatives of the Colobus Trust, KPLC & Camps International will be contacting you shortly to arrange for a survey and to provide an accurate cost for the required insulation work to be completed.

Many thanks in advance for your cooperation,

Kindest regards,

From caring Diani residents…

Tags: Camps International, Colobus Trust, diani, electrocutions, Human-Primate Conflict, Kenya Power Lighting Company, South Coast

One response so far

Category: Blogroll, Fundraising | Date: Dec 11 2008 | By: colobus

Tags: Appeal, Conservation Crises, Fundraising, Kenya, Mombasa, Post-election crises, South Coast, tourism

6 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Dec 10 2008 | By: colobus

Two and a half weeks ago we put out an appeal. The tyres on our sole vehicle were extremely worn down and we could not afford to buy new ones.

Thankfully a saviour came in the form of Camps International who donated four heavy duty tires from their office in Diani. We are extremely gratefully for this generous donation.

We have worked together for a number of years now and have recent made some serious progress on our joint insulation project. For more information on this please visit this blog. There are also many upcoming projects that we are doing in conjunction with Camps International so watch this space!

THANK YOU CAMPS INTERNATIONAL!

Tags: , Camps International, colobus, Electrocution, Human-Primate Conflict, Insulation, kplc

One response so far

Category: Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, Uncategorized | Date: Dec 04 2008 | By: colobus

Poaching through the use of snares has been on the increase in Diani in correlation with the human population, as people flock towards us in the hope of getting employment. Sadly there are never enough jobs and Ukunda (the nearest town to Diani and the home to the majority of Diani’s workers) experiences one of the highest unemployment rates in Kenya. This led people to turn to the already fragile remaining forest for food. This has decimated the remaining wildlife, especially this year when even more people were desperate after the effects of widespread post election violence and its over-dramatisation in the media. 

Desnaring has since become a key part of our work whenever we can afford it. Desnaring teams require several members and a lot of time. With funding having been an issue this year we have struggled to employ the casual labourers necessary. We have therefore relied on donations to fund the program. We pay our casual labourers a fair wage, which works out at USD 20 per week. Thanks to a generous donation from Maria-Louisa Cacopardo (a local resident) we were able to employ four desnaring casuals this last month. We would like to take this opportunity to send out a MASSIVE thank you to her. Below are the statistics detailing their work. As you can see this is a huge task, and a massive amount of snares, something a team of a hundred desnarers would still struggle to clear.

We are putting out a plea to all that read this to donate and allow our desnaring team to carry on their great work. Remember that you are not only helping conserve Diani’s wildlife but you are also promoting a nobel line of work and giving people a chance to feed their families without damaging the environment. Below are the snares our desnarers have collected in the last 10 months.

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2 responses so far

Category: Human - Primate Conflict Resolution | Date: Dec 03 2008 | By: colobus

On the 9th of September 2008 the Colobus Trust and Camps International worked in collaboration with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company to insulate two of Diani’s Primate Electrocution Hotspots. Now, nearly 3 month later we are looking for the next step.

The pilot project has been a great success. Over 400 meters of cables were insulated and there are holding strong and showing no sign of deterioration after the burning sun and heavy rains they have experienced. There have also been no incidents of electrocution along them. Below is a picture.

Since completing the pilot project we have been in talks with KPLC. They pledged to cover the costs of insulating the hotspots in a meeting held in August and we have been waiting to see action on their part. It was at this meeting that they also stated that they could be left to deal with the insulation of the transformers we had identified within the “hotspots”. In the last month we have been reassured that KPLC are still going to live up to their promise. We have, however, been asked to wait for them to go through their length procurement process. The events that occurred the other day have, however, confirmed our decision to move on to insulating the rest of the hotspots and hope that the funding comes through at a later date.

The events that convinced us to take this risky step occurred in the evening of Monday the 1st of December. When the Colobus Trust Animal Rescue Unit received the first electrocution alerts it has had in the last 5 months. What was most shocking was that both incidents were on hotspots and that three cases happened within half an hour of each other.

The first case involved two members of the Leisure Lodge Hotel Colobus Troop. This troop has been decimated by one particular transformer, which in my 14 months has claimed four, but now possibly six, troop member’s lives. In my opinion the transformer is as badly placed as is humanly possible. It is located next to a tin roofed building (see below) at a perfect level to appear as a “step” up to the trees and is easily accessible. Sadly, we turned up to the hotel the staff had not followed our instructions and followed the injured monkeys so we could therefore locate the individuals and tell how badly the injuries were. The troop is now being followed and if injuries are bad enough to warrant capture we will act. Thankfully the Leisure Lodge management have pledged to help finance the insulation of the hotspot on their site.

The second case was a female Colobus who was found under the power lines at another of our hotspots in Diani. She was brought in to us whilst we were out on the first call. She had an open wound on her chin and her body temperature was way above 40°C. We treated her immediately and were surprised by her strength. The next day we prepared a cage with lots of branches and food for her but sadly she died during the course of the day. This is often the way electrocution cases go, as internal burns are hard to diagnose.

This sudden burst of electrocution cases confused many at the Trust. As it has become apparent, through our years of data collection, that primate electrocution cases are more common around the new-year period. The reasons for this are unproven, but it is my opinion that the increased amount of pedestrian traffic caused by Diani’s “peak season”, when tourists flock to Diani’ Hotels. Where nearly all of the remaining forest and hotspots are found. This increase in movement on the ground makes timid primates, something the Colobus is renowned for, less likely to come to the ground and they therefore choose pathways through trees, where they are more likely to come into contact with live electricity. This theory also explains why there was a noticeable “lull” in primate electrocutions in the aftermath of post-election violence, when all hotels were nearly, if not completely empty. Below is a map showing the un-insulated hotspots in red and the insulated ones in blue. Note how they are all in the coastal stretch, where the hotels are located.

The events of this week have served as a reminder, to all of us, that immediate action is needed to avoid the horrible suffering Diani’s primates, such as the one pictured below, are put through. The Colobus Trust and Camps International are pressing ahead with the project, without waiting for KPLC to fulfil their side of the deal (though we have been assured, that they will). We are sending out assessment teams to each of the properties within one of our hotspots on it. The teams will come up with an inspection report for each site, detailing the intended work and asking the landowner/proprietor to provide funding for the project.

We will keep you updated on all progress made.

Regards,

Gwili

Tags: Camps International, colobus, Electrocution, Human-Primate Conflict, Insulation, kplc, Primate

3 responses so far