Archive for the ‘Blogroll’ Category
Hi! I’m Claire, and I’m a 9-year-old volunteer at the Colobus Trust. I am from Seattle, Washington, in the U.S.A. It is an amazing and beautiful place here, with monkeys everywhere! A troop of nine Colobus monkeys roam around these grounds. Tumaini, born in April (the baby Colobus monkey) is acting so grown up (or at least trying to) but is still so tiny and cute!
Yesterday, 15 kids from Magutu Primary School came to learn about the Colobus Trust and what they do. I think they learned a lot and I learned a lot too! Afterwards we played on the beach and that was fun too (I think it was the most fun My favorite place here is the beach with white sand, palm trees, crabs crawling all around, and the beautiful warm water. Me If you ever come to Diani, COME HERE AND HELP SAVE THE COLOBUS MONKEYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Check out our family photos on the Flickr Colobus Trust photo group:
Today I’m in Diani Beach for a week now and the first week of working at the Trust has passed very quickly. I will give a short impression of the Trust and my first week of volunteering, after introducing myself. The first day of my stay I have helped John with animal welfare. In the beginning it was strange standing in the cages and feeding the vervets, while they are jumping around. But now I’m used to it and I really enjoy doing it. The second day I have seen my first Colobus. In the garden of the Trust lives a group of approximately 8 Colobus. These animals are so beautiful! Egbert Jager
In 2005 i graduated with BSc honours in Zoology at Glasgow University in Scotland. During my student years I took part in one of the university expeditions to Ecuador and I helped organize another to Bolivia. While there I studied an array of animals from tropical birds in the Andes and the Amazon to leaf cutter ants, bats and, most inspiring of all, primates. In 2007 I started my MSc in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes and the course has been able to award me with essential skills needed for a future career in conservation, such as; Primate Diversity and Biogeography (eg threats to primates, taxonomy, systematics, speciation, ecology, behaviour, biodiversity, habitat protection), Human Wildlife Conflict Issues (eg hunting, pest control, eco-tourism, economic pressures on forests, design and management of reserves and parks), Environmental Education (eg philosophy - the relationship of awareness to action, planning and practice) Helen Simmons
On the 25th of April, a consultative stakeholders meeting was convened as stipulated by National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), at the Baobab Resort to discuss the Environmental Impact Assessment report. In attendance were representatives from Baobab Beach Resort’s management, Pollmans, The South Coast Residents Association, The Colobus Trust & the District Environmental Officer designated by NEMA and Mr Suresh Patel, the lead expert undertaking the EIA for Baobab Resort. Mr. Suresh led the discussions and the meeting was open and candid in discussing all the concerns on environment impacts envisaged that the development could have on the forest. We firstly discussed as to why this process was 5 months overdue. Our main concern was the impact the extra guests and additional staff would have on the environment and other pertinent environmental concerns, namely the water recycling system, electricity, sewage and garbage disposal systems. We have assurance that Baobab Beach Resort’s has adequate facilities and this was confirmed by the District Environment Officer and as with any other tourism establishment, would be assessed by NEMA periodically. We were also told that these systems were to be evaluated (using scientific analysis where possible) and this would be published in the final report. Encouraging is the involvement of Abdulaziz Abdalla, Pollmans Special Project Executive who is also representing Baobab Resort. Over the years he has worked in conservation undertakings involved with the Kenya Wildlife Service. He presented a balanced reporting on the matter and has pledged to work with the Colobus Trust in a mutual cooperation in addressing issues pertaining to tourism development and its effects on the Diani’s Forest Ecosystem. We report to our supporters and readers that we are glad that this matter has taken an amicable turn and look forward to seeing the final report and hope that Baobab Resort can be an example for others. We are still being notified of numerous developments underway in Diani, where large areas of natural beauty, and importance, have been cleared. Sadly this is a nationwide problem and soon many unique habitats, and their inhabitants, will be lost due uncontrolled development. Therefore we desperately need NEMA to clarify the laws governing development and see these upheld. If this is not the case and development goes on unabated then we are faced with a bleak future for Diani. The forest cannot take this level of disturbance and fragmentation, and at current rates it will not be able to support a viable Colobus population (and many other species) within the next decade. Please help us fight for what is right, without your help all our work will be in vain. We are currently forming a partnership with other like-minded organisations and people to promote truly eco-friendly tourism in Kenya. But this work will be undone, unless the government and developers commit themselves, in action, to protect Kenya’s remaining beauty, before it is too late. Watch this space! Gwili Gibbon
As always, things at the Colobus Trust are very busy this week. We have increased the amount of desnaring teams we send out in response to a large amount of hunting parties reported to us by local residents. As well as this we have been continuing to try and find a way forward in our fight to have the EMCA Laws (put in place to control development) upheld and to see them followed by developers. Yesterday we learnt of 3 plots in the forest to the south of Diani that have been cleared for development. This is ridiculous because this is an area where the Land Rights are still in question! We really have our work cut out for us!
Still, spirits are high at our base. We are currently being visited, daily, by Luciana’s Troop (one of our Flamboyant Trees is in flower) and everyone is happy to see the youngest member of the troop. Renamed Tumaini, the Swahili for ‘hope”, after we saw what a strong, inquisitive, young monkey he/she was. Tumaini has already grown considerably and will continue to do on a diet of nutritious milk. During the next 3 months Tumaini will stay near her mother or nanny (Colobus share care of their infants within the troop) and rarely venture more than a couple of feet away. After these 3 months Tumaini will start to develop the coat of mature Colobus, going through a bizarre looking “grey” stage. Tumaini has already had a warm welcome from the family and is learning fast. Though she is a bit neurotic when it comes to his/her brother who is very interested in playing mum and constantly tugs at her tail! Gwili
We are happy to announce the birth of one little white baby Colobus within Luciana’s Troop (one of our resident troops). Spotted by Luciana last week we all went down to see this small ball of fluff. Now on its fifth day, the newest member of the troop named Doa, looks healthy and is the centre of attention for the other 8 members of its family. Unfortunately though we have been unable to gather his/her gender. When Colobus are born they have a coat of pure white. This white coat acts as a trigger for the other members of the troop to pay attention to the infant. Therefore by sharing parental responsibilities the mother has time to feed. This can be seen in the troop where the infant is now the centre of attention. In fact the affinity Colobus have for white is quite outstanding. They have even been known to come to the ground to pick up and care for white-coated kittens! Dola, the adult female mother, is a great mother and has sired several offspring, the last being born almost exactly one year ago. You can see in the photo below that her last child, Dhani, and another member of the troop are showing interest their new sibling. Unfortunately, though she has stayed close to Dola have not been able to get a decent photo of his/her face. Doa will have to put up with a lot of this poking, pulling and being passed around over the next 3 months whilst he/she develops her full coat and learns to be independent. Its all character building though!
This is a great time of year for a Colobus to give birth as the soft shoots, fruits, leaves and flowers that abound during the rains will give it’s mother, Dola, the nutriment she needs to produce milk. So we have every hope for Doa’s future and are keeping a close eye on her/him. With the next chance we have we intend to observe Doa and try and identify whether he or she is a he or a she! We’ll keep you updated! Regards, Gwili
Despite the constant extra work we have had put upon us by the illegal clearing of the forest at Baobab Beach Resort I can happily report that the rest of The Colobus Trust’s responsibilities are being carried out as normal! This morning we rescued and relocated a and a half meter long Water Monitor Lizard from Leisure Lodge Hotel, to a more suitable area of thick forest (which is becoming much harder to find in Diani!). Our team responded swiftly with Peter, John (two of our field-staff) and myself responding within 20 minutes of being notified.
Once at the site we collected the animal, which had already been captured by the gardeners. This had been done because it had been terrorising (though we suspect terrifying would be a better word) tourists. We could understand their fears, it was a large and impressive specimen with a formidable temper. But it proved no trouble to us as it had already been captured and we put it in the back of our pick-up (above) ready for its journey. It did however give a terrible fright to the Askari (security guard) at the gate when he inspected our vehicle! We were then left with the job of working out where was best to release it. This was decided on a number of factors. Monitor lizards require a constant terrestrial source of water (more than other animals) and are often persecuted by local peoples (sometimes rightly so, as they often eat chickens) so our local Kayas were out of the question. Luckily though we knew of a large area of thicket within the Diani Forest that would be perfect as it has a near by water source and is of a substantial size.
Once at the location I got my camera ready, whilst John and Peter prepared to release the animal. They made sure they were well out of its path and then opened the cage. Above it can be seen rapidly running off into the forest! After this Peter took a team out to maintain our Colobridges and I have returned to the office to keep you all updated on our work. Hopefully either this afternoon or tomorrow we will have posted an update on the Baobab situation. Gwili Gibbon
I’m currently staying in Diani, visiting a good friend of mine, who is the assistant manager of the Colobus Trust. Even though I have only been here for just over a week it is clear that the work they are doing here is having a positive impact on the environment, and the education of tourists and locals alike. The bridges constructed above the roads by the Trust, which provide a safe passage for the monkeys, are a huge success. Every day I have seen, Sykes, Vervet and Colobus monkeys using them to cross the road safely. However, these bridges are also being utilised by other creatures such as squirrels and bush babies, so it is clear that these bridges are working. The Vervet monkeys that are currently in the Trust’s rehabilitation program are improving and becoming more self sufficient, meaning that, someday, they will be able to be released into the wild to fend for themselves. All injured animals have been welcomed here including an African wood owl, named Twit Twoo, and even a wild kitten who was delivered safely, as well having been neatly groomed, to the Trust by a baboon. Since I have been here, as well as the days leading up to my arrival, there have been no calls concerning injured monkeys, which obviously demonstrates the work being done here is working despite the Trust going through a tough period. However, the trust is now on the mend, financially, but its good work cannot continue for long unless more volunteers visit to lend a hand for a few weeks or months, or the trust receives some donations. The bridges are expensive to build and maintain, more and more of the remaining forest is being chopped down for the sake of more hotels along the coast, destroying the natural habitats of all the local animals. Its a sad thing to witness, but the Trust is putting up a valiant fight against the destructive forces of man, and with the help of other like minded individuals, we can save these species and create a better environment for both humans and animals. Harry Bristow
Before we start with our update we would like to take a moment to thank, on behalf of the Trust, our supporters. Since we appealed to you last week we have received donations from several generous people. Thank you so much to those of you who donated. It looks now as if we are in safe waters for at least the next month! The last week has been a very busy one, for all at the trust. We started the week with a crisis meeting. This was attended by all members of staff, our two remaining volunteers and two of our directors (see picture below). We discussed everyones thoughts and suggestions for the future of the trust. As well as evaluating our current programmes and how we can cut costs.
The descisions made in, and since, this meeting have been set in to action over the last week and we are all getting used to working on an even tighter budget. However, despite these changes, we have continued our hard work. We have continued our normal work such as the maintainance of our colobridges. As well as addressing the new situations that constantly arise in our line of work. Some of you may remember a story about two dead Colobus we recieved in December. The two were reported to us as being found dead. This was rather strange as both Colobus looked in the best health. We suspected it as poisoning and took the available measures to find out what really happened. This week we finally received the results for the stomach toxin analysis undertaken by the Governement Chemist in Mombasa. As we suspected there was a positive result found. A component of numerous insecticides, called a Carbamate Group, was found in abundance in the stomach contents we sent them. We are now looking into how this substance came to be included in the deit of an arboreal forager. As well as this, work was ongoing with KPLC (the Kenya Power & Lighting Corportation) to reduce the numbers of Colobus lost through electrocutions. This relationship looks promising. KPLC are currently forming a plan of approach and we look forward to a progressive future with them. Remember, without your help we cannot survive for more than a month with the money we have. Please, help us by keeping up the support, both financially and morally, and together we can secure a future for this special forest & its inhabitatants. Thank you, Gwili Gibbon
TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS AND WELL WISHERS,In May last year the Colobus Trust reached out to you for a helping hand to enable us to overcome one of its worst crises since conception in 1996. You gave generously and helped us through this difficult time. We are in the midst of a new crisis. And we have to reach out to you, our dear supporters, again, for help. The current political crisis in Kenya has hit us hard. The Colobus Trust is apolitical and caught in the cross fire witnessing, firsthand, the collapse of tourism in Kenya. The trust depends on overseas volunteers as the backbone funding of our work. With visiting tourists who come to us for eco-tours as our secondary. The month of February was to be our busiest time. As well as expecting the busiest time for eco-tour we had 14 volunteers due over the month. Unfortunately, within the last month every one of these have had, or chosen to, cancelled their trip. Along with numerous cancellations and early departures during the last month, this has left us stranded. Even money we had already received in the form of deposits has had to be returned. This is usually our most financially productive time of year. Now the Colobus Trust is faced with the reality that unless we receive funding soon, we will not survive. As well as volunteers the trust relies on our 12 local staff for their expertise, dedication and hard work. It is due to them giving us their all, in this time of need, that we can survive. We need help desperately. The trusts future is in jeopardy, along with that of its staff. Money will allow us to continue our work and pay our staff, who have stuck with us throughout. During an average year at The Colobus Trust we: v Provide veterinary treatment care for 115 primate casualties of human / wildlife conflict. v Prepare 1095 meals for the ex-pet monkeys in rehabilitation at the Trust. v Trim back overhanging vegetation from 18,595 metres of un-insulated power lines, to prevent monkeys from being electrocuted and work hand in hand with The Kenya Power and Lighting Corporation with the aim of insulating these lines. v Spend 52 days building and maintaining monkey bridges to allow monkeys to cross busy Diani Beach road in safety. v Collect 300 illegally set mammal-snares from areas of forest and bush. v Educate 1058 school children during activity-filled, all-day environmental workshops. v Work on a daily basis with local community groups on a range of issues including; habitat protection; support for local environmental initiatives; support for wood carvers working with sustainably produced timber; primate pest management, and much more. v Conduct 2250 eco-tours of the Colobus Trust plot for Kenyan and international visitors, to educate them about the importance and value of Diani’s wildlife. Another source These activities have formed the basis of our efforts to ensure the survival of Diani’s amazing primates and beautiful forest. Please help us be there for Colobus such as Toto (below), the youngest member of our resident troop, and the myriad of other creatures that call Diani Forest home.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? · Donate directly through Wildlife Direct. · Encourage volunteer organisations working in your country to send us volunteers if the situation permits. · Encourage your friends visiting Kenya to come and visit us. · Visit our website and see how else you can support us (www.colobustrust.org) We are currently relying on money raised at our recent fundraiser, thanks to everyone again! But, this money is running out fast so please, please dig deep and make a difference. Gratefully yours, The Colobus Management Team |
|
The Colobus Trust was established in Diani Beach, Kenya, in 1997 to save the endangered Angolan colobus monkey which was a frequent victim of roadkills. The Trust's trademark is Colobridges - bridges over the roads for save overpass. Gwili, a Welsh volunteer at the Trust reports on the day to day activities in an busy local primate conservation charity 
