By Max Silvester

Butterflies are amongst the most popular insects in the animal kingdom. There is no shortage of these elegant and graceful creatures in East Africa, which boasts 2,500 species out of an estimated global 20,000, in excess of 10%! This is a huge testament to the variety and range of environments found in this diverse area of the globe.

Here at Loisaba, this is very much the same story, with deep dense vegetated valleys along seasonal streams, vast open grassland plains and dizzying rock cliffs- all areas that allow space for a range of species and sub species to thrive. Arguably the most prominent and exciting aspect surrounding the order of Lepidoptera, (which comes from the Greek lepis, lepid-scale and pteron-wing) is that there are vast gaps in human understanding. With very little known about an estimated 12.5 % of the global population, there is a huge likelihood of undiscovered species, hence vast swathes of ground-breaking discoveries are yet to be made.

At Loisaba, which is classified as arid and semi-arid bushland between 5000 and 6000 feet above sea level, we have a number of different species. One that is especially prominent is the order of the “whites and yellows” (Pieridae), these can be found in abundance especially after the rains. Furthermore, in our locality many species including the stunning and multi-patterned Charaxes order perform habitual dances gathering at the top of hills in displays known as ‘hill-topping’. Interestingly, these often impressive and acrobatic displays may indeed have an important biological function, it is here that butterflies of opposite sexes find suitable mates and assure the next cycle of life begins. Once a pair of butterflies has mated the female is under a certain amount of time pressure to find a suitable food plants on which to lay their eggs, since it is vital for caterpillars (usually formed in highly efficient cocoons following the egg stage) to have access to nutrition to kick start their lives in the outside world. Therefore, “Hill-topping” assures that the female butterflies are not unnecessarily pestered by more males when they move on to find suitable laying sites which are located a reasonable distance away from dancing displays.

With Kenya itself sporting over 850 species of butterfly, one can catch a dazzling variety basking on wildflowers in the Loisaba morning sunshine; an apt unblemished stage to dive into the undiscovered depths of nature in some of its most delicate and beautiful forms.

Artistic impressions and illustrations by Jo Silvester

References
Larsen, T. (1991) The Butterflies of Kenya and their natural history. New York: Oxford

University Press.
Martins, D. and Collins, S. (2016) Butterflies of East Africa. Cape Town: Struick Nature

Anyone who has visited Loisaba Tented Camp will be familiar with the herd of greater kudu’s that have decided that living within the fence line of the lodge is a far safer bet than taking their chances out in the conservancy.

At the beginning of last month, camp managers George and Theresa Van Wyk found a newly born kudu who had injured herself. “She had slipped and was unable to get herself up onto her feet” says George. “We tried to help her up but she could not stand”.

Her mother was nearby, so they decided to leave them alone to see if the young calf would eventually get to her feet. However, when they returned to check on them later that evening, they found the calf still unable to get up. Although within the fence at Loisaba Tented Camp, predators such as leopards and hyenas can still get in, so she was in a very vulnerable position.

Unable to leave her to her fate, George and Theresa took her to their house and were able to bottle feed her, with Torrie (Loisaba’s livestock manager) administering anti-inflammatory injections to help with the healing process.

The Kudu calf (who has been named Binti – meaning daughter in Kiswahili) with George and Theresa’s son Patrick

Luckily, the calf’s mother – who initially disappeared when the calf was taken in – worked out where she was, and stayed in George and Theresa’s garden. The calf slept inside at night, but spent the day in the garden with her mother.

“She is still nursing an injured shoulder, but is getting stronger by the day, and should very soon be able to go off with her mother and the rest of the resident group of kudu who live around Loisaba Tented Camp – all of whom have come into the garden to visit the little one!

Binti with her mother in George and Theresa’s garden

“It’s been, and continues to be, quite a journey for the calf (whom we have named Binti, meaning Daughter in Swahili) – and an experience for us to see how the mother has accepted our assistance and not abandoned the calf.”

Binti was released with her herd last weekend, and has been sleeping out with them since. She’s doing well, and still comes into George and Theresa’s garden with her mother every day. “We have purposely avoided trying to approach her, as the most desirable result out of this is that she integrates fully. So as much as we loved having her with us, we are enjoying ‘letting her go’ and watching her development. It remains our hope that her limp will eventually disappear.”

 

By Susan Lentaam, Loisaba Assistant Conservation Officer

August 12th is World Elephant Day, which was first celebrated in 2012. This special day was created to draw attention to the urgent plight of African and Asians Elephants and encourage the global conservation community to work towards the conservation of these superlative and gentle creatures, which portray the finest human traits.

© Maurice Schutgens

 

Elephants are Important in the Ecosystem

Elephants are a keystone species in the northern Kenya Rangelands, playing a vital role in maintaining the ecosystem in which they live. Being an icon of the Africa Continent, elephants attract funding that help protect and conserve the ecosystems where they live. Elephants improve the health of the ecosystem as they play a key role in spreading seeds far and wide, as they roam from woodland to grassland, and create gaps in vegetation to allow the growth of small plants. In areas where streams are the main source of water, elephants use their tusks to dig for water. This not only helps the elephants to survive, but also acts as a source of water for other wildlife species.

© Maurice Schutgens

 

Main Challenges Facing Elephants in Northern Kenya

Habitat Loss

One of the main challenges facing elephants in Northern Kenya is habitat loss. Currently, African elephant have less land to roam than they did many years ago. As the human population expands and livestock numbers increase, pastoral communities are now encroaching into wildlife habitats to search for water and pasture, which increases chances of conflict. In addition, with the demand for agricultural products increasing, farms are also expanding – blocking elephant migratory corridors and limiting their movement. This means elephants are confined to smaller areas, and is changing elephants’ behaviour who have been known as migratory animals.

© Maurice Schutgens

Human Elephant Conflict

Human elephant conflict is another major problem facing elephants. Protected areas can support elephant populations during wet season, but during dry seasons elephants often move into community land to search for food and water. This increases the chance of human elephant conflict due to the frequent contact with elephants and, as a result, loss of life occurs on both sides. Elephants are gentle creatures but dangerous when scared or threatened.

Bull treated at Loisaba after injury caused by human-elephant conflict. © Max Silvester

 

Loisaba’s Efforts Towards Elephant Conservation

Loisaba is situated in an elephant corridor, and has always focused efforts on elephant conservation. We partner with Space for Giants to carry out the following:

  • Habitat protection and wildlife security
  • Intensive ranger patrols which often result in the rescue of elephant calves (which are taken to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary)
  • Elephant monitoring through collaring and individual identification (which helps us to estimate their population and home range as well as monitoring injured elephants)
  • Coordinate with the KWS for treatment of sick and injured elephants
  • Electric fence monitoring to keep elephants away from crop fields to reduce the human elephant conflict
  • Training rangers and local communities on elephant conservation techniques to reduce human elephant conflicts.

Conservation & Wildlife Security

Visit to Reteti

Opened in August 2020, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the first community owned elephant orphanage in Africa. Located in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy in Samburu, the sanctuary is designed to rescue and release orphaned and abandoned elephant calves, whilst creating much needed benefits to the local people that live alongside them.

On the 3rd of this month, 10 members of Loisaba’s security department had the opportunity to visit Reteti, and see how the three calves (Longuro, Loketu and Sikampi) they bravely rescued at Loisaba earlier this year were getting on. They are all doing well, and have adapted fully to their new home in Reteti where they receive dedicated care from a passionate team.

Loteku

“Love is an important part of caring for the calves; we care for them like our own children. We spend most of the time with them than our own families and that has made us be so attached to them that we feel sad whenever they are translocated to Sera because of the bond we have created with them. Reteti has proved that the biggest enemies according to the communities, can be great friends, that is elephants and human beings. We as Reteti hope that the released elephants will one day reconnect with their family members, either the mothers, brothers, sisters or cousins” said Naomi Leshonguro, one of the elephant keepers at Reteti.

The Loisaba team were very impressed by the work Reteti is doing to ensure that elephants survive, despite losing or being abandoned by their mothers, and what they are doing to improve the standards of living of the surrounding communities.

Community

Health

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are continuing to support our local communities. Two outreach clinics were conducted this month (15th and 22nd) at neighbouring towns with little access to healthcare, with a total of 119 patients treated. They were also educated about COVID-19 with the team giving information on the symptoms and preventative measures, including teaching the children social distancing. This brings the total number of patients attended to in 2020 by our Clinical Health Officer Kaltuma to 976.

Loisaba’s Clinical Health Officer, Kaltuma, treating patients at KMC.

 

Security

In addition to providing healthcare, Loisaba continues to support the local communities with any security related incidences that require assistance. This month, our Security Manager received information from community members regarding an attack on two bomas (cattle corals), where 66 cattle were stolen. Our Rapid Response Team was immediately mobilised at 4am in order to help track down the stolen herd, with our plane joining the search at sunrise. Eight cattle and two donkeys were recovered after a short period of time, and the operation was taken over shortly after by the Wamba Police Department and the Area Chief.

Photo of the Month

© Taro Croze

If you have any photos from your stay at Loisaba that you would like featuring on our social media, please email them stating how you would like it to be credited to Hannah at [email protected]!

By Hannah Campbell

World Snake Day is celebrated every year on the 16th of July in order to create awareness of  their importance in the ecosystem, and to spread positive messages about this often hated reptile.

Snakes are threatened by habitat loss, climate change and disease, but their biggest threat remains negative attitudes towards snakes. Often perceived as animals to be feared of hated, efforts to address their conservation concerns are often impeded.

 

Spotted Bush Snake. Photo © Taro Croze.

 

Northern Kenya is a hotspot for conflict between people and snakes, where they are perceived as dangerous and unimportant to the ecosystem, meaning they are often killed when sighted. Although some snakes in Kenya are venomous, they all play an important role in the food web and their conservation should be promoted.

Letoluai Ambrose, who works at Loisaba for the SDZG Leopard Conservation Program, is passionate about the conservation of all species and believes it is highly important to teach people, especially children, the importance of species conservation – including snakes.

 

Northern Stripe-Bellied Sand Snakes. Photo © Ambrose Letoluai.

 

Earlier this month, Ambrose spotted two northern stripe-bellied sand snakes (Pasmmophos sudanesis) mating in his village. “The Samburu community of northern Kenya believe that snakes and man are ‘Raato Twins’ – meaning every twin born has a unique relationship with snakes” he tells us. “Sighting mating snakes is not only a momentous time, but also sacred to the Samburu/Maa community”.

 

Ambrose took the opportunity to teach children in the area about snakes and their role in the ecosystem.

 

Ambrose has also set up a wildlife kids program with Kennedy Lenauyia (Save the Elephants) in order to educate school children on the importance of wildlife conservation, including snakes. One of the best ways to protect snakes and their important role in the ecosystem is to take steps to avoid conflict wherever possible.

 

Steps to Avoid Snake Conflict:

  • If you see a snake, move away slowly
  • Never follow, try to catch, or kill a snake
  • Always wear shoes or boots and watch where you step
  • Use a stick to explore areas (such as holes in the ground, hollow logs or bushes) before using your hands
  • Keep food and water in your home in sealed containers to discourage snakes from coming inside
  • Keep inside areas rodent free by clearing food scraps
  • Keep wood piles a safe distance from the house
  • Keep the area around your house free from garbage, stacked items and long grass

 

 

By Max Silvester

On the 25th of June our ranger team, having sighted a large bull elephant with an obvious limp, began a monitoring and surveillance operation. When it became apparent that the bull’s injury and obvious discomfort was not subsiding any time soon, the call was made for further action – a KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) vet team was brought in with the aim of darting the pachyderm, examining the wound, and administrating the appropriate medicine – no mean feat!

 

 

This huge elephant (a fully mature bull) luckily dropped to the ground in a manner that allowed for the vet team to get to work on the obviously swollen front left foot. Had the elephant fallen awkwardly, it would have been a huge uphill battle to move him. Even the usual method using four-wheel drive cars and ropes would have struggled to shift his immense mass.

 

 

It became obvious that the wound was caused by a bullet which had entered the foot having grazed the trunk. This shot could have been fired in one of the regions where human wildlife conflict continues to plague both wildlife and human populations alike. Another theory advocates that this wound is the result of a botched poaching attempt, which aligns with the fact this individual elephant was sporting huge tusks by modern Laikipia’s standards, estimated to weigh up to 40 kg. Luckily the intelligence of this bull, in moving quickly to a place of safety Loisaba Conservancy, allowed the rangers and the vet team to assure his wound was treated successfully and he continues to roam Laikipia as a testament to his forefathers, the huge tuskers before him.

 

 

Meanwhile our ranger team (with a few remaining to monitor the elephant) rushed off to treat a giraffe with a split hoof, showing that as the world limps out of lockdowns induced by the virus, wildlife operations continue regardless – full steam ahead.

If you would like to help us maintain zero poaching levels, keep our rangers on the ground, protect endangered species and support local communities who have no access to healthcare, please donate today. Even a small donation will make a huge difference to Loisaba’s conservation and community development work.

 

 

Conservation & Wildlife Security

Elephant Rescue

At the beginning of this month, two elephant calves were rescued by Loisaba’s security team and were flown to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in partnership with KWS and Tropic Air. Read more about their rescue here!

World Giraffe Day

On the 21st, World Giraffe Day was celebrated here at Loisaba’s Conservation Centre with a small group of community members and Loisaba employees. All COVID-19 protocols were followed, and the group learned about the work San Diego Zoo Global are doing to help save this iconic species.

Community

Health

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are continuing to support our local communities. Two outreach clinics were conducted this month (5th and 26th) at neighbouring towns with little access to healthcare, with a total of 98 patients treated for minor illnesses. They were also educated about COVID-19 with the team giving information on the symptoms and preventative measures, including teaching the children social distancing and donating masks. This brings the total number of patients attended to in 2020 by our Clinical Health Officer Kaltuma to 857.

Loisaba’s Clinical Health Officer, Kaltuma, distributing face masks made by the Chui Mamas.

 

Security

On the 4th of this month, Loisaba’s security and aircraft were involved in the recovery of cattle stolen from one of our neighbouring community members. The following message was left on our Facebook page regarding the mission:

“Loisaba Conservancy be blessed always. Today we witnessed a lot after Loisaba Conservancy assisted the community around after some cattle were stolen… the cattle (belonging to Lepiile) were today stolen by unknown rustlers. It was a bit tricky as the rustlers vanished to God-knows-where but wonders happened after Loisaba Conservancy intervened. Loisaba came in with an aircraft led by the most heroic security manager Daniel Yiankere. They followed the stolen cattle by plane and were able to locate and recover them. The community sends their joy for this kind of help and this is how neighbours should be treating each other always. This is not the first time this team has assisted the community as we have seen and received foodstuffs and other essential items from their generosity during this rough time that we are experiencing. Once again Loisaba Conservancy the community wishes to appreciate you for all that you have been doing for them.” – Lekimain Denis.

We were grateful to receive the message and were pleased that we were able to provide support to our neighbours.

Community members thanking the Loisaba team after the recovery of their cattle.

 

Photos of the Month

 

Most liked Instagram Post:

 

Most liked Facebook Post:

© Taro Croze

 

If you have any photos from your stay at Loisaba that you would like featuring on our social media, please email them stating how you would like it to be credited to Hannah at [email protected]!

 

By Hannah Campbell

World Giraffe Day is celebrated annually on June 21st in order to raise support and create awareness of the challenges giraffes face in the wild.

The population of reticulated giraffe, one of the most iconic mammals on the planet, has declined by over 50% over the past 30 years – from 36,000 to just around 15,000 today. Poaching, loss of habitat, and land degradation are all pushing the giraffe toward an ominously named “silent extinction.”

A reticulated giraffe at Loisaba. Photo © Ami Vitali.

In 2016, San Diego Zoo Global launched a collaborative community-lead conservation effort in northern Kenya to help save the reticulated giraffe species from extinction. Work is currently focused at two sites: Loisaba Conservancy and Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, where giraffe conservation research and community engagement programmes are conducted by Twiga Walinzi (which means giraffe guards in Swahili). The Twiga Walinzi all come from the local community, and conduct all the field research to study giraffe.

We asked Symon Masiaine, the Twiga Walinzi Conservation Coordinator, to tell us more:

Symon Masiaine, Twiga Walinzi conservation Coordinator. © Ami Vitali.

 

What are the main challenges reticulated giraffes face in northern Kenya?

“One of the main challenges here in Kenya is loss of suitable habitat due to clearing of land for agriculture, tree cutting for firewood and building, and infrastructure development. In addition, giraffe are still poached for meat, bones (which are burnt and the ashes used as medicine) and their tails (used as fly swats and the hairs for bracelets). ”

 

What data are the Twiga Walinzi collecting?

“The Twiga Walinzi carry out photo monitoring, camera trap placement, giraffe satellite collaring, human dimension surveys, school education visits and community awareness and engagement.

“Photo monitoring is carried out in order to gather systematic geo-located images of giraffe that can assist us in identifying, counting and tracking giraffe movements. Placement of camera traps across our study types also contributes to this, with over 1 million images captured so far.

Camera trap photo. © SDZG.

“In order to explore the movements of giraffes further, solar-powered GPS tracking devices have been fitted to reticulated giraffes in the study area. This has given us insights into giraffe movements in the region and utilization of different areas and habitats, what factors cause giraffe to move and whether giraffes move over long distances or stay localised (read more here).

“The team also spends time with local community members and school children in order to understand more about their relationships and interactions with giraffes and other wildlife species, as well as to spread knowledge of important conservation topics and learn about the work of the Twiga Walinzi. Perceptions are documented with surveys in order to help us understand and assess any changes in attitudes and beliefs in the communities who share their space with giraffes over time.

Lexson Larpei (Twiga Walinzi) teaching local school children about giraffes.

 

Why are the Twiga Walinzi Important?

“The Twiga Walinzi are a team of 17 researchers who are leading the work on the ground with pastoralists and communities to spread awareness about giraffes and build support for the protection of the tallest animal on earth. It is scientifically proven that 95% of the 15,000 reticulated giraffes left in the wild live outside formal protected areas – largely on pastoral land. The Twiga Walinzi is important as it focuses work outside of protected areas where people live side by side with giraffes.”

Reticulated giraffes at Loisaba. Photo © Taro Croze.

 

How do you identify individuals?

“Giraffe are recognised using spot patterns on their skin. No two giraffes have the exact same spot pattern, just like no one else has your fingerprints. At Twiga Walinzi, we started identifying giraffe using the pattern manually with our eyes, but in 2019 a pattern recognition software was launched called GiraffeSpotter. The software uses advanced coat pattern recognition technology to recognise individual giraffes and creates a database of sightings. This innovative technology allows researchers, as well as citizen scientists, to monitor giraffe populations throughout Africa and track individual movements.”

Camera trap photo. © SDZG.

 

Tell us about your best experience in the field.

“It was a one of the community survey days in Koija group ranch, going from one village to the next to gather information about giraffes. We met with one mama who identified us by name and said hello to both me and Lexson (another Twiga Walinzi). She gave us seats and started preparing tea for us, and started talking about the great job we as a project are doing in the community. She explained how valuable it was that we hold regular meetings with the communities to update everyone on the project, and how she loved that we took the time to educate school students about the conservation of giraffe and other wildlife in the community. She went on to tell us that her son (year 6) teaches them about the species of giraffe that are found in Kenya, their adaptations to the environment and the food web in the African savanna. She asked us to continue to educate the children and the community about conservation because wildlife and pastoralists need to live side by side, and thanked us for the work we are doing. I was so thrilled by the story and I saw that we are making an impact in the community through the community engagement meetings and school clubs visits.”

 

What are the Twiga Walinzi doing for world giraffe day?

“We are spreading the following message to community members and students in northern Kenya:

  1. Be the voice for giraffe in the communities.
  2. Say no to giraffe poaching in your communities.
  3. Say no to giraffe trade and trafficking.
  4. Share the knowledge you learn to your friends, family members and community.
  5. Stand tall for the giraffe!

Happy World Giraffe Day 2020!

By Hannah Campbell

Loisaba Conservancy sits on the western edge of one of Kenya’s most important elephant movement corridors – connecting Loisaba to Samburu, 100 km to the north-east.

Elephants are extremely important to Kenya. Not only do they have significant roles in ecological dynamics, they are also highly charismatic and serve as a rallying point for conservation. Due to the fact that they require large areas of ecosystems to be conserved, protecting elephants also means protecting the hundreds of other endangered and vulnerable species that they share their space with.

© Loisaba Conservancy (Oryx Ltd.)

Elephants are particularly vulnerable to population decline due to their slow reproductive rate. Elephants do not reach sexual maturity (and therefore start to breed) until between 12 and 14 years of age and when they do conceive, the gestation period is almost 2 years (20 months) with the mother producing one calf at a time. The baby is then dependent on its mother for feeding for the next two to three years, and the mother does not typically have another calf until the previous one is around 4 years of age.

Compare this to a lion. Lions reach sexual maturity at two years old, and have a gestation period of 3.5 months which usually results in 2 – 5 cubs every two years. This means a single female lion cub can produce five more lions in two years (each of which can then produce a further five in two years etc.). For a single elephant to cause the birth of an additional five calves, it would take approximately 32 years.

This slow reproductive rate of elephants means that elephant calves are particularly important, which is a fact known by Loisaba’s security team – who will protect them at all costs.

So far this year, three elephant calves have been rescued by Loisaba’s security team and sent to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in partnership with KWS and Tropic Air.

Longuro

On Saturday 18th April, our security team was called to the rescue of a baby elephant that had fallen into a well on a neighbouring property and attacked by hyenas, resulting in the loss of most of his trunk.

Our Loisaba rangers managed to free him from the well and transported him back to Loisaba, where he was flown to Reteti by Tropic Air. He is receiving the critical care that he needs and hopefully one day be released back into the wild.

He is doing remarkably well at Reteti, and has been named ‘Longuro’ – meaning ‘someone who has lost a limb’ in Samburu.

Longuro at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. Photo © Katie Rowe

 

Loteku

Just after sunset on the 30th May, one of the Loisaba rangers reported that a young elephant had been unable to keep up with its herd as they crossed the Ewaso Narok river that evening. The young calf had been swept downstream towards a waterfall, and was struggling to stay afloat. A team led by Loisaba’s security manager Daniel Yiankere were deployed to the river, where two rangers bravely jumped into the cold, raging river in order to pull him out.

Luckily he had no physical injuries, but he was weak and his herd was nowhere to be found. After consultation with KWS and Reteti, the decision was made to bring the calf to Loisaba Headquarters for the night where he was carefully monitored until morning when a Tropic Air plane arrived to transport him safely to Reteti. He is settling in well and has been named Loteku – meaning ‘the rescued one’.

Loketu at Loisaba Airstrip.

 

Sikampi

The day after Loketu was rescued from the river, another elephant calf was spotted alone. Estimated to be one year old, he was monitored by the Loisaba rangers for three days. It was reported that he had joined a group of elephants, but was then found alone again the following day. His condition seemed to be deteriorating – he was becoming malnourished and seemed to be blind in his left eye.

Sikampi settling in at Reteti. Photo © Katie Rowe

On the 3rd June, a vet from KWS assisted the Loisaba rangers in darting and transporting the calf to the Loisaba airstrip, where he was airlifted to Reteti elephant orphanage to join Loketu. He has already made new friends in the orphan herd and has been going out browsing with them.

Loisaba rangers wishing Sikampi a safe journey. © Loisaba Conservancy

 

In addition to these calves, Loisaba also aided in the rescue of a bull elephant in the neighbouring Nannapa Conservancy on the 16th of April – see photos and read more here.

If you would like to support these courageous rangers who work tirelessly to protect the wildlife at Loisaba, please donate today. Even a small donation will make a huge difference.

World Environment Day has been celebrated every year on 5 June since 1974; engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

Loisaba Conservancy. Photo © silverless.co.uk

This year, the theme is biodiversity – the variety and variability of life on Earth. It is the most complex feature of our planet, and the most vital. Intricate webs of life and energy-flow link individual species to entire ecosystems, such as forests or coral reefs – which have made Earth habitable for billions of years. Recent events (such as the COVID-19 pandemic and locust invasions across east Africa) have demonstrated how delicate this web is, and how dependent we are on its stability.

“Time for Nature”

 

The human population has doubled in the last 50 years, and has already grown by 30 million people in 2020. This has put immense pressure on natures resources – from carbon use to grazing land – meaning it would take 1.6 earths to produce all the renewable resources we use. By damaging the delicate balance of nature, we have created ideal conditions for pathogens (including coronaviruses) to spread. It’s time to think about nature, and protect biodiversity.

Loisaba Conservancy. Photo © silverless.co.uk

Not only do we provide security and protection for endangered species and critical wildlife habitat in order to protect biodiversity, Loisaba strives to have a minimal carbon footprint with initiatives such as the community cooker and our BioDigester.

We are also delighted to hear that Kenya has banned the use of single-use plastics in all protected areas as of today. This ban prohibits visitors from carrying plastic water bottles, disposable plates and cups, cutlery and straws into national parks, forests, beaches and conservation areas, with the aim of curbing the growing plastic pollution.

The Community Cooker in action – safely burning plastics and other waste material to generate fuel for cooking.

Unfortunately, due to the closure of Loisaba’s tourism properties as a result of COVID-19, our operating budget has been significantly reduced – with a forecasted $1 million lost in revenue from tourism and other areas of income that would usually contribute toward protecting the biodiversity of the Loisaba landscape.

If you would like to help us maintain zero poaching levels, keep our rangers on the ground, protect endangered species and support local communities, please donate today. Even a small donation will make a huge difference to Loisaba’s conservation and community development work.