World Rhino Day is celebrated annually on September 22nd and celebrates the five rhino species: black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan.
The eastern black rhino is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, with fewer than 5,000 remaining worldwide. In Kenya, the black rhino population dropped from an estimated 20,000 in 1970, to fewer than 400 individuals in the space of 20 years, a decline of 98%. This was largely due to poaching as a result of challenges to wildlife management.
Progress is being made…
Due to outstanding conservation efforts across the country, the eastern black rhino population has grown to around 750, with Kenya remaining the stronghold of the subspecies.
This excellent progress in the reduction of poaching and implementation of breeding programmes has meant that the current sanctuaries are fast approaching the ecological carrying capacity for the population, and space is needed to maintain the desired grown rate of at least 5% per year.
2,000 individuals are recognised as being the minimum number for a metapopulation of the black rhino necessary to ensure the long term survival of this species in Kenya. The sooner this target can be achieved, the greater the reduction in loss of overall genetic diversity.
If the desired population growth of 5% per year is achieved and maintained, Kenya could reach this goal of 2,000 rhinos in 20 years. The main limiting factor is providing the space needed for this population growth.
… but space is needed to maintain the desired population growth.
Loisaba has recently sent an application to KWS requesting permission to become a Rhino Sanctuary.
Black rhinos were last seen on the property in the early 70’s, and it is an aim to make Loisaba a permanent home for rhinos again. Laikipia is already a stronghold for the eastern black rhino, with proven success in the similar environments to Loisaba such as Ol Jogi, Ol Pejeta and Lewa, which are prime black rhino habitat. The national black rhino action plan recognises the need to identify areas for population expansion to achieve the vision of attaining a metapopulation of 2,000 rhinos. Establishing a new rhino sanctuary in Loisaba conservancy will help achieve this vision, and contribute meaningfully to the Biological Management of the black rhino (D.b. michaeli) as Kenya strives to achieve the goal of a minimum population of 830 black rhinos by the end of 2021.
The reintroduction of rhinos to Loisaba not only provides habitat in order to maintain a population growth rate, but also creates an opportunity to widen the gene pool by creating a new breeding population with individuals from several different sanctuaries that have successfully reached carrying capacity.
In order to be ‘rhino ready’, we are aiming to raise funding for the extra costs associated with providing infrastructure and monitoring for rhinos. If you would like to hear more about our plan or find out how you can help us bring rhinos home to Loisaba, please contact Hannah on [email protected] or visit www.loisaba.com/donate.
https://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-16-at-14.21.52.png297714loisabahttps://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/logo340x142.pngloisaba2019-09-22 08:00:362019-09-22 08:00:36Celebrating World Rhino Day
Lions are in trouble. Their population in Africa is estimated to have almost halved in the past 20 years, with as few as 20,000 estimated to be remaining across the entire continent. This is largely due to habitat loss and degradation, having lost 90% of their historic range. Other factors include reduction in prey, human-lion conflict, lack of incentives for communities to tolerate lions leading to a negative perception and ineffective lion population management.
In an effort to improve predator population monitoring, the Kenyan government, together with numerous NGO’s, are currently undertaking a comprehensive nation-wide lion survey using a standardised method called Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture Method. This involves teams regularly patrolling the conservancy and recording locations of lion sightings, as well as taking ID photographs, in order to estimate population size. Any other predators that are sighted are also recorded, with particular interest in cheetah and wild dog populations and distribution.
Loisaba is part of the 77,595km2 area that is being intensively surveyed to provide accurate estimates of lion numbers in all potential ‘source’ populations. Working closely with our partner Lion Landscapes, our conservation department has been trained on the standardised methodology in order to individually identify any lions that are sighted.
Map to show the areas that the lion census is taking place.
A further 580,367km2 will be surveyed through over 3,500 interviews with local experts. The results of these interviews will be analysed to assess the distribution of large carnivores throughout the country.
Any photos that are taken of these predators are also useful! If you are staying at Loisaba and would like to contribute towards the database, please see the below guide for taking ID photos of the lions. The team will need to be able to distinguish between individuals, so focusing on one lion is best. If you manage to take all necessary photos of that individual, take a photo of the sky or ground as an indicator that you are now photographing another individual. Photos, along with the date, time and location (ask your guide for help with this if your camera does not have a built in GPS) can then be sent to [email protected].
https://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/DSC_3988-2a.jpg7111920loisabahttps://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/logo340x142.pngloisaba2019-09-14 09:11:522019-09-14 09:22:23Lion Conservation: How You Can Help!
Recently discovered to be a unique species rather than a subspecies, reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata) populations have declined drastically in just the past 30 years, from around 100,000 individuals in the 1980s to just around 15,000 individuals today. As a result of this alarming decline, in November 2018 they were listed as ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN Red List.
Historically, reticulated giraffe ranged throughout much of northern Kenya, into western Somalia, and into southern Ethiopia; however, their range is rapidly decreasing and while one or two fragment populations may persist in Ethiopia, the vast majority of their population occurs within the arid rangelands of northern Kenya. Within these rangelands, reticulated giraffe often overlap directly with humans and livestock and only 4% of their distribution is estimated to occur within formally protected areas. As a result, reticulated giraffe populations are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and degradation, climate chaos, and illegal poaching.
The Laikipia plateau, where Loisaba is situated, is a vast and breath taking landscape that provides critical habitat for reticulated giraffe, as well other threatened and endangered species. It offers an expanse of over 9,500 km2 comprised of traditional pastoral lands, cattle ranches, farmland and private conservancies. In addition, it is also believed to support critical movement corridors for giraffe; however, as of now, little is known about giraffe use of this landscape.
Recent population monitoring by the “Twiga Walinzi” (Giraffe Guards) research team as well as systematic aerial surveys by Kenya Wildlife Service have been able to provide the first detailed population estimates of reticulated giraffe for the region. However, while these population estimates provide much needed information, relatively little is known about giraffe use and movement in these landscapes. Thus, further monitoring and research of these populations is vital for future conservation efforts.
In 2017, 11 reticulated giraffes were fitted with specially solar-powered GPS tracking devices, in order to gain a better understanding of giraffe movements, habitat usage, population dynamics and numbers, and to inform conservation policy and management plans. The data from these giraffes has already been vital towards understanding movement patterns, as well as possible movement corridors and preferred areas of habitat. To continue this research, an additional 28 giraffes were successfully ‘collared’ across northern Kenya from August 27th – September 5th (five of which at Loisaba Conservancy) – the largest giraffe collaring operation in history.
The project is part of the larger ‘Twiga Tracker’ Initiative that aims to collar >250 giraffe across Africa in an effort to understand their movement and spatial needs of giraffe to inform more effective future conservation efforts.
Here in Northern Kenya, the traditional lifestyle and livelihood practised by the local Maasai and Samburu people is nomadic pastoralism. This involves moving from place to place, following patterns of rainfall in search of fresh pasture and water for their cattle, camels, sheep and goats. This lifestyle has been practised since their arrival in Kenya in the 15th century, but lately it has risen to an increase in both human-predator conflict and competition with other grazers for resources. With the human population continuing to expand and shifts in settlement and grazing patterns, it is becoming more and more important for humans and wildlife to share habitat, and to coexist peacefully.
Loisaba Conservancy is at the forefront of livestock and conservation land management, and believes wildlife and livestock can and need to coexist. Loisaba has livestock, but instead of negatively impacting wildlife, the careful management of cattle grazing and the construction of dams at Loisaba has meant that there is a good, consistent supply of food and water for wildlife. This has created a haven for endangered species such as the African wild dog and Grevy’s zebra, as well as large numbers of elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and cheetah.
In partnership with San Diego Zoo Global and Lion Landscapes, Loisaba also helps mitigate human-wildlife conflict that arises in the surrounding communities due to predators killing livestock:
San Diego Zoo Global
As part of San Diego Zoo Global’s Leopard Research Program, a Boma Monitoring Study is being carried out in Loisaba’s neighbouring communities in order to examine the carnivores that visit livestock bomas, and understand what may differentiate between an encounter and an attack at a boma site. Some bomas (carefully chosen by members of the community) have been supplied with subsidised materials such as wire and predator deterrent lights, in order to identify the best tools for mitigation, and contribute towards human-wildlife coexistence rather than conflict.
San Diego Zoo Global’s Reticulated Giraffe Program, the Twiga Walinzi Initiative, is also looking into livestock interactions. In June 2017, 11 GPS tracking devices were fitted onto giraffes in order to provide insight into the movement of giraffe as well as possible movement corridors and preferred habitat. To further understand the interactions between giraffe and livestock, tracking devices were also placed on some of the cattle, camels and goats at Loisaba. This movement data, when combined with the giraffe movement data, will give a comprehensive oversight on the movements of livestock herds in relation to reticulated giraffe and how livestock are potentially impacting giraffe movement.
Map to show giraffe and livestock movement data.
Lion Landscapes
Lion Landscapes’ “Collaring for Coexistence” initiative is using technology to help lions live alongside people and livestock. Specialised lion GPS collars are deployed and managed in order to provide livestock owners with real time lion movement data via a mobile app, developed by Save The Elephants. This helps people keep their livestock away from lions in an area, and therefore reduces attacks on livestock and retaliation killing. The collars are also equipped with a chip that sets off an alarm when in close contact with Savannah Tracking’s Boma Shield System – the harmless deterrents used (lights and alarms) often stop a lion attacking, and ensure that the night watchmen are awake and ready to chase it away.
Six members of Loisaba’s Rapid Response Team have also been trained and equipped to respond effectively to incidences of human-carnivore conflict, following agreed best practises for lion conservation. This Lion Ranger training from the Peregrine Fund included information on how to respond to wildlife poisoning incidents, in order to prevent further wildlife losses and minimising risk to human and livestock health.
Two of the Loisaba Lion Rangers helping to track the Victoria pride.
https://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/59.jpg11931920loisabahttps://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/logo340x142.pngloisaba2019-08-17 10:21:092019-08-17 10:21:09Coexisting for Conservation
Bees and other pollinating insects play an essential role in ecosystems, with third of all food depending on their pollination. A world without pollinators would be devastating for food production.
Since the late 1990s, beekeepers around the world have observed a sudden disappearance of bees, and reported unusually high rates of decline in honey bee colonies.
In Kenya, bee-killing pesticides in particular pose the most direct risk, with habitat destruction and disease also contributing to their decline.
Bee keeping is well practiced throughout Kenya and local honey is delicious, filled with beneficial enzymes and probiotics that commercial heating processes destroy. The honey varies throughout the year as different tree species flower, each with a unique aroma and flavour. Harvesting this honey however can be extremely problematic, both for bees themselves and for other species.
Kenyan bees are extremely protective over their hives, and have been known to swarm and kill invaders. Traditional beekeepers use fire to smoke out the bees, which can often set trees alight and cause the destruction of huge expanses of forest. If a fire is avoided, the wild bee hive is usually destroyed as everything is taken – including the honeycomb and brood (eggs, larvae and pupae).
BeeMagic’s safe smoking device
Here at Loisaba, we have partnered with Beemagic Limited in order to source honey. Beemagic have developed a design for a hive and method of extraction that not only reduces the risk of fire, but leaves both the brood and the honeycomb for the bees, so they can continue reproducing and making honey in their hive without having to build a new one.
BeeMagic Brood Boxes
Brood boxes are made first, which are set up on cleverly designed hanging tables to protect them from notorious honey badgers. Once a bee colony has moved in, additional boxes are added for the colony to expand into. When the honey is collected, only these extra boxes are harvested using a method that leaves behind the waxy structure, meaning the bees do not have to waste energy starting from scratch and the bee larvae are protected in the brood box.
As well as providing these hives at Loisaba, Beemagic are working to improve bee-keeping methods across Northern Kenya by proving the training and equipment needed to produce sustainable honey. This puts a value on protecting wildlife habitat, as more trees mean more forage for the bees, resulting in richer honey harvests and a financial incentive for maintaining an ecosystem. Our tourism partner, Elewana Collection, have also partnered with Beemagic by helping to create a market for this organic, raw honey, which in turn provides income for beekeepers in Northern Kenya.
Bees can even be used to help mitigate human-wildlife conflict. “Beehive fences” have been successful in places where elephants and humans co-exist. A study in Kenya by Save the Elephants looked at hives which are positioned around a field of crops. When an approaching elephant disturbs the hives, it aggravates the bees which prompts a hasty retreat. A beekeeping villager not only benefits from honey and pollination services, but protection of their crops, which in turn reduces retaliation killing of elephants.
Follow @BeeMagicKenya on instagram to find out more about their work in Kenya!
Some call it a green hell: As the invasive cactus species Opuntia engelmannii spreads in Kenya, it covers everything. It spreads across the plain and outcompetes native plants. Formerly diverse habitats are now nothing but cacti. The species even covers bare rocks. It attracts both wildlife and cattle with its sweet fruits, but also can hurt or even kill animals with its numerous thorns.
Loisaba Conservancy is a 57,000-acre community-conservation project, known for its thriving wildlife, sustainable cattle ranching and ecotourism. It also has an invasive cactus problem, with an estimated 20 percent of the conservancy covered in the plant.
It’s spreading fast. To address the problem, land managers need to understand exactly where the cactus is growing on the conservancy. As the plant forms thick, impenetrable thickets, that’s a nearly impossible task on foot or even by vehicle.
Gustavo Lozada understood the difficulties of monitoring the cactus the moment he saw the plant while on a vacation in Kenya. But he also immediately began thinking of solutions. You see, Lozada has earned a reputation as a “drone master” in his technology work for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. He has used drones to map vegetation and habitats and developed non-intrusive methods to use them to research wildlife. Perhaps he could use his technological prowess to help with the invasive cactus.
The Cactus Farmer’s Son
The moment Lozada saw those cacti, it brought back childhood memories of his Venezuelan home. His father was a civil engineer but at one point started raising prickly pear cacti as a side hobby.
“He wasn’t doing this to produce cactus, but rather for cochineal insects that feed on the cactus,” says Lozada.
Lozada says these insects resemble “fat dog ticks” and they behave in a similar fashion. The cochineal insect attaches itself to the cactus, where it will remain the rest of its life. It sucks all the nutrient-rich red liquid from the cactus. The insect bloats with the red liquid, and this is what was harvested by Lozada’s father.
The red liquid is used as an organic dye for clothing and even food. The recent controversy over Starbucks using bugs as coloration for its beverages? That was cochineal insects.
His father’s career as a cactus farmer didn’t go very far, and he abandoned the project after a few years. But Lozada immediately recognized the plant and was astounded by just how invasive it became outside its native range.
“It had no competition at Loisaba,” he says. “It was just completely out of control. Where it grows, there’s nothing else. You could see new cactus emerging beneath native bushes. Soon it overtakes and suffocates all the other plants around it.”
No one knows for sure how the cactus came to Africa, but the most likely source was European colonists who planted the cactus as ornamentals or “living fences” 60 to 80 years ago. “You will still see small farmers using the cactus as a fence to keep out wildlife,” says Lozada.
It should be noted that there are a variety of introduced prickly pear cactus species in Kenya, and not all of them are invasive. A few are useful and grown commercially.
But the species Opuntia engelmannii has continued to spread, sometimes abetted by people attempting to kill the plant. “If you cut it off at the base, the cactus will come back stronger than ever,” Lozada says. “If you leave one little fragment of cactus, the whole population can rebound.”
The cactus thorns choke out native grasses, depriving wildlife of food. And the invasive plants have even been documented irritating and even killing wildlife and cattle. “If you touch the fruit, you get covered with thorns and they are really difficult to remove,” says Lozada. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for a cow or even an elephant to get a mouthful of these.”
Still, many wild animals are drawn to the sweet fruit. And some animals – like baboons, elephants and tortoises – readily eat it and spread the seeds. Slowing the cactus invasion appeared a tall order without an effective control.
As he looked upon that “green hell,” another thought came back to him from his youth: What about those cochineal insects? After all, there are species of these insects that suck the cactus dry, leaving nothing but a dead husk.
“It looks like the cactus is melting,” says Lozada.
Just as Lozada surmised, the cochineal insects are an extremely effective biocontrol. There is one species that evolved to feed specifically on Opuntia engelmannii, so there was no risk of them spreading to native vegetation. This insect has gone through the National Environmental Management Authority process that identifies risks of biocontrol. The process found no negative effects and determined that the use of biocontrol is more effective than herbicide. The cochineal insect is officially approved for introduction in Kenya.
Since the insect only feeds on Opuntia engelmannii, when the invasive cactus is gone, the cochineal insect will simply die off.
Loisaba Conservancy was preparing to deploy the biocontrol insects. But how would conservationists know if it was effective? After all, the full extent of the spread had not been mapped.
Lozada knew he could help. He knew the drone work he had done with The Nature Conservancy in Colorado could also be applied to this problem in Kenya. Tom Silvester, CEO of Loisaba Conservancy, and Matt Brown, director of The Nature Conservancy in Africa, were both enthusiastic supporters of Lozada’s work.
Lozada received a Coda Fellowship, an internal Nature Conservancy program that provides short-term assignments to meet TNC’s global needs, while also providing staff with professional development opportunities. Many staff (including me) have benefited from this great program, and it has also led to creative solutions for conservation challenges around the globe. Like invasive cactus.
“I thought we could establish a baseline of what is there,” says Lozada. “This would allow managers to assess the effectiveness of the cochineal insects.”
Enter the drones. Lozada headed to Loisaba and began mapping the cactus. The drones are programmed to fly a grid, taking hundreds of images they fly. “Each picture contains a lot of data,” says Lozada. “I use that to created three-dimensional models that provide detailed information on the presence of cactus.”
Lozada analyzes three layers of data. First, the drone’s imaging detects the reflection of green. The greener the plant, the brighter it shows up on the screen. This imaging can pick up subtle differences in greenery. (Farmers use it to determine where fertilizer was most heavily applied on a cornfield, as more heavily fertilized corn stalks will be slightly greener).
In the dry season, prickly pear cactus is one of the few green plants, which makes mapping it much easier.
The drone also allows very precise mapping of the invasive plants. “I can zoom down to a tiny rock and see a cactus growing on it,” Lozada says. “I would do this to verify the accuracy of the mapping.”
The data can also map the volume of cactus in any given acre. “The first thing affected by cochineal insects is the volume of plants,” says Lozada. “So having this data will be very important in tracking the impacts of the biocontrol.”
It can be difficult for land managers to understand the full scope of an invasive plant. Terrain and the density of vegetation routinely foil the best-laid plans. The drone can thus change management considerably. Now people can accurately map the full extent of the spread, monitor the effectiveness of control measures, and adjust plans to best control and eradicate the plants.
“We often hear about the misuses of drones,” says Lozada. “But drones can be tremendously effective conservation tools. A landscape covered in invasive cactus can seem like an impossible problem to address. You have to understand the problem before you can address it. The drone provides the most accurate information, allowing us to stop this nasty threat to wildlife and livestock in Kenya.”
https://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Picture1.png527939loisabahttps://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/logo340x142.pngloisaba2019-03-08 11:30:352019-05-20 11:20:27Can Drones Help Stop the Spread of Kenya’s Invasive Cactus?
The last two weeks have seen worldwide coverage of the black leopards recorded on San Diego Zoo Global remote cameras in Laikipia, and has resulted in intense interest in the sighting and science behind it. As the research is ongoing, we are continuing to watch our cameras for more observations, so we can unravel some of the mystery behind these black cats, including their range and movements.
When we started our research to scientifically confirm black leopard sightings (see: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aje.12586), we focused on a small area to the south of Loisaba Conservancy to acquire imagery. We had always had suspected that the black leopards from our study ranged across several conservancies in the area including Loisaba. And now, we have our first recordings on our remote cameras on Loisaba! It is very exciting to start to record black leopard activity at a larger scale.
https://youtu.be/VQq_4oXYpRk
There are many questions that remain about the black panthers in Laikipia. How many are there and what is their frequency in the population? Why do black leopards live here in a semi-arid environment with little dense forest for camouflage? What other advantages does being black provide to leopards that may allow this trait to persist in the population?
While some of these questions may take years to answer, finding these individuals ranging at a broader scale is a step in the right direction for our research.
https://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-02-at-09.10.20.png7111349loisabahttps://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/logo340x142.pngloisaba2019-03-02 12:21:212019-12-20 08:56:18UPDATE: Black leopards recorded at Loisaba Conservancy
Most of the wildlife
in Kenya lives outside of government parks and reserves, so it is critical to
work with communities that are sharing land and resources with the wildlife
that we want to protect. To better understand the ways that people are
interacting with and perceiving leopards, in June 2017 a collaborative
partnership between San Diego Zoo Global and Loisaba Conservancy was set up to
conduct social and ecological research on the local leopard population in and
around Loisaba.
Researchers from San Diego Zoo Global have been using camera traps at Loisaba Conservancy and neighbouring properties in order to understand population dynamics of leopards, and the mechanisms that drive human-wildlife conflict to assess the efficacy of management decisions aimed at mitigating conflict.
We are very excited to hear that these
camera traps have captured rare footage of melanistic leopards, otherwise known
as black panthers!
Female black panther pictured on San Diego Zoo Global’s camera traps at Loisaba Conservancy’s neighbouring property, Lorok
“Regionally we’ve heard reports of black leopards living here in Kenya, but high-quality footage or imagery to support these observations has always been missing,” said Nicholas Pilfold, Ph.D., San Diego Zoo Global scientist. “That’s what we’ve provided here with our cameras, and now we’re able to confirm what has been long suspected about black leopards living in Laikipia County.”
“Black panthers are uncommon, only about 11% of leopards globally are black. But black panthers in Africa are extremely rare. Our new paper confirms black leopards living in Laikipia County, Kenya, and our observations in the paper are collectively the first confirmed cases in Africa in nearly 100 years. It is certain black panthers have been there all along, but good footage that could confirm it has always been absent until now.”
https://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-12-at-08.25.37-1.png263593loisabahttps://loisaba.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/logo340x142.pngloisaba2019-02-12 12:17:372019-02-12 12:33:25Rare Black Leopards Appear on San Diego Zoo Global Remote Cameras
Huge influxes of cattle during the drought in 2017 meant that many of the African wild dogs in Laikipia were wiped out by canine distemper virus (CDV) spread from the herdsmen’s domestic dogs.
However, after nearly a year of no sightings, staff at the Loisaba Star Beds were excited to hear the unique calls of a pack of wild dogs on Monday! Before hunts, wild dogs often engage in a ‘greeting ceremony’, where many sounds are produced by the dogs including whimpers, whines and high pitched twitters, which are unique and easy to identify.
The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), also known as the cape hunting dog or painted wolf, is one of the world’s most endangered carnivore species. Once found widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa in woodland, savannah, shrubland and grassland, they are now listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as they have sadly disappeared from over 90% of their former range. They are now only found in fragmented populations mainly in southern and eastern Africa, and are thought to number fewer than 6,600 individuals.
This alarming decrease in population size was due mainly to shooting and poisoning in livestock areas. Although wild dogs have been known to take sheep or goats in areas of low prey density, the reason for persecution has also been due to wild dogs’ reputation as ‘cruel and bloodthirsty killers’, unfairly earned by their killing methods of tearing prey apart.
African wild dogs disappeared from Laikipia at the start of the 1980s due to the combined effects of persecution and disease, but were recorded back in the area during 2000. In 2003, the minimum population estimate was 150 wild dogs in 11 packs, comparable to populations in national parks.
Although wild dogs are now a protected species, they remain at risk of extinction due to increased conflict with humans in competition for space. Their ranging behaviour in pursuit of prey means they require very large areas to support viable populations.
Increased use of land for farming and the expanding human population means that wild dogs are being forced into small, unconnected areas. As a result of their extensive territories, even large fragments may only contain very few individuals; too small to sustain a viable wild dog population as not enough genetic variation is present to provide a sustainable population, leading to localised extinctions.
The highest priority for the conservation of African wild dogs is dealing with habitat fragmentation. A crucial part of the work we do at Loisaba is to help protect vital wildlife corridors for all species to safely cross. Last weekend’s episode of Dynasties showed just how important this connectivity is to the conservation of African wild dogs. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p06mvrr0/dynasties-series-1-4-painted-wolf)
Land connected. Life protected.
If you would like to help us conserve some of our planets most important habitat, please visit www.loisaba.com/donate
African wild dogs are highly social, usually forming packs of between six and 20 individuals (although packs as large as 30 have been observed!).
BBC – Dynasties
The females rather than the males are the ones to leave the family group in search of new packs, a unique behaviour among social carnivores.
Dominance hierarchies are established by showing submissiveness, with the dogs rarely showing aggression to one another.
Wild dogs give birth to the largest litters of any other dog species, usually between seven and 10 pups but they can number up to 20. Due to the size of these litters, only the dominant pair of the pack breed, and other members help to bring up the young. As other members of the pack are usually related to the dominant pair, looking after their offspring also ensures the passing on of their own genes as they are likely to share at least half of their genetics with the dominant female.
BBC – Dynasties
Wild dogs do not fight each other for access to food, and meat is divided between pack members after a successful hunt. When there are puppies in a den, some dogs will remain behind on hunts to guard them, and will beg for food from other members when they return. The dogs that have returned from a successful hunt will regurgitate food for the adults as well as the young, another unique behavioural trait among carnivores.
BBC – Dynasties
They are primarily crepuscular hyper-carnivores, meaning they are active at dawn and dusk and rest during the hot hours of the day (although they are known to hunt at night when there is sufficient light from the moon!) and they get all of their dietary needs from protein and therefore eat only meat.
Unlike cats which rely on stalking their prey until they are close followed by a short sprint, African wild dogs rely on out-running their prey over distances as far as 5km (2km on average), reaching speeds of up to 66km per hour.
Their hunts are highly successful, around 80% of all hunts end in a kill (lions having a success rate of only 10%). This high success rate is primarily due to their cooperation during hunts.
Loisaba Conservancy is a hub for applied conservation research in the north Kenya landscape. Our research partners San Diego Zoo, Space for Giants and Lion Landscapes are constantly on the lookout for high quality images that can be used to identify specific individuals. As a result, Space for Giants and San Diego Zoo have developed a project to engage guests at Elewana’s luxury Loisaba Star Beds and Loisaba Tented Camp in a Citizen Science Initiative.
For the past year Loisaba has been using the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) to monitor wildlife numbers throughout the conservancy. Data is collected using an app called Cybertracker and analysed using SMART to show wildlife encounters and human activities across the conservancy.
As part of the new Citizen Science Initiative, every game drive vehicle will be equipped with a tablet installed with the simple data collection model. This will allow guests to record sightings for seven key species of wildlife; elephants, leopards, lions, giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, cheetahs and wild dogs during their game drives. Every sighting is automatically geotagged meaning that the data can be easily mapped after the drive. This data will then contribute meaningfully to the research objectives of each of the respective research partners at Loisaba.
For example, locations and images of leopards taken by guests will allow SDZG researchers to identify individual leopards and track populations and their status through time. SDZG researchers use remote cameras to identify leopards by their unique coat patterns. Each leopard has a distinct set of rosettes, much in the same way a fingerprint is unique to every human. Researchers use these coat patterns on each flank of the leopard to verify their identification.
The pilot project has been tested on Loisaba Conservancy over the past few months with the brilliant Elewana guides having been trained on the data collection app by our Conservation Officer, Chege Amos.
Loisaba is at the forefront of adaptive management through scientifically informed decisions that will help inform appropriate rangeland management, and with endangered species conservation. This Citizen Science Initiative will encourage guests to become budding scientists contributing meaningfully to ongoing research projectsand management of Loisaba’s wildlife, which is in line with our management plans.
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Loisaba has received conditional approval from KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) to become a Rhino Sanctuary.
Black rhinos were last seen at Loisaba in the early 70’s, and it is an aim to make Loisaba a permanent home for rhinos again. Laikipia is already a stronghold for the eastern black rhino, with proven success in the similar environments to Loisaba such as Ol Jogi, Ol Pejeta and Lewa-Borana, which are prime black rhino habitat. The national black rhino action plan recognises the need to identify areas for population expansion to achieve the vision of attaining a metapopulation of 2,000 rhinos. Establishing a new rhino sanctuary in Loisaba conservancy will help achieve this vision, and contribute meaningfully to the Biological Management of the black rhino (D.b. michaeli) as Kenya strives to achieve the goal of a minimum population of 830 black rhinos by the end of 2021.
The reintroduction of rhinos to Loisaba not only provides habitat in order to maintain a population growth rate, but also creates an opportunity to widen the gene pool by creating a new breeding population with individuals from several different sanctuaries that have successfully reached carrying capacity.
In order to be ‘rhino ready’, we are working together with The Nature Conservancy to raise funding for the extra costs associated with providing infrastructure and monitoring for rhinos. If you would like to help us bring rhinos home to Loisaba, please click the button below:
