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Baotree – Engaging Communities in Conservation

By Hannah Campbell

Imagine waking up to find that you had lost your job and your life’s savings all in one night. You’d understandably hate whatever was responsible for your loss, and may even go out of your way to destroy it.

This is how a herder feels when he loses his entire herd of goats to a leopard or other predator attack during the night. As tourists and conservationists, we see these animals as magnificent cats that should be protected from extinction, but to the pastoralist communities that surround Loisaba, they are simply a huge risk to their livelihoods.

For the conservation of wildlife to be successful, it is vital that the people these species share their habitat with are also committed to their survival, and see a benefit and value to their existence.

A new coexistence model known as Baotree was recently trialed here at Loisaba, in partnership with Lion Landscapes. Designed and led by Dimitri Syrris, Baotree aims to provide local communities with a mechanism to actively earn community development goals, through carrying out conservation-based activities, thus engaging in the protection of their environment and their livelihoods. This approach keeps the responsibility for natural resource management firmly within the communities, whilst supporting and catalyzing the development of conservation-based activities.

“It is critical that, for conservation of wildlife and associated biodiversity to be successful, the custodians of existing ecosystems that support the magnitude of biodiversity required for the survival of large carnivores and other mega-fauna can benefit directly from that conservation. Loisaba Conservancy seeks to scale the impact of wildlife, livestock and community coexistence. What is needed is an inclusive approach that will promote diversity and achieve a credible, measurable result.” – Dimitri Syrris

The model works by assigning conservation tasks known as ‘gigs’ to communities, such as reporting a lion sighting to assist with research and strengthening their boma to help reduce human wildlife conflict. Each of these gigs is rewarded with a conservation currency, “bao-points”, which are then exchanged for a community benefit. The more important the gig for conservation, the more bao-points earned!

Invasive Species Removal

During the trail, the following steps were carried out:

  • The Baotree concept was presented to the chief, chairman and community members of Koija
  • Priority needs were agreed with the community members
  • Baotree community volunteers were identified and provided with a unique Baotree ID, registered to their community
  • In collaboration with Loisaba Conservancy and Lion Landscapes, the Baotree gigs were designed to support localised conservation efforts
  • Baotree printed a list of gigs that the community could complete in order to earn Bao-points (each gig had a specified evidence requirement) – the value of each gig was not shared with the community during this pilot to ensure there was no skew re which gigs were completed
  • The Bao-crew reported the gigs via phone call, which were then validated by members of Loisaba staff
  • On completion of the Baotree pilot, a community meeting was held to signify the end of the test period, and to discuss implementing the community project goals.

List of Community Gigs and associated Bao-Points

The pilot was a great success, with Koija community earning a total of 2,732 Bao-points after completing 125 gigs. Information from community meetings and a recent survey showed that within these communities, the men would like to see their livestock better protected and the women would like a better understanding of healthcare.

Installation of a predator proof boma

Baotree allowed the installation of 15 predator-proof bomas, along with a five day healthcare training workshop that covered prevention of disease, basic first aid, nutrition and health and the dangers of drug abuse.

Healthcare workshop

Dimitri is currently working on the next steps, with the success of the pilot pushing him forward.  A core focus is on scaling the solution through a technology facilitation platform –  where all stakeholders within conservation, communities and the international world will have a positive return on impact.  Dimitri is a strong believer in Baotree and his vision for coexistence to be key in unlocking a new type of digital independence within the African continent.

Follow Baotree on Instagram and Facebook for updates!

Baotree founder, Dimitri Syrris, with Baotree participants

 

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January 2020 Updates

By Hannah Campbell

Conservation & Wildlife Security

Loisaba’s JCB Back-hoe clearing Opuntia. © Horris Wanyama

Removal of the invasive species Opuntia engelmannii is ongoing, with over 100 acres of heavily infested area cleared since the team started in the last week of September.

Endangered Grevy’s zebra at Loisaba standing with a herd of common zebra. Photo © Phoebe Belcher

Today is international zebra day! This month, teams at Loisaba participated in the Great Grevy’s Rally in an attempt to calculate the current population size of this endangered species. Our SMART patrols have estimated that Loisaba is home to 30-40 of these zebras, and we look forward to hearing the results from the survey later this year!

Community

On the 16th and 17th, Loisaba’s Community Development and Clinical Officers, Paul and Kaltuma, partnered with CHAT to hold an outreach clinic at KMC, one of Loisaba’s neighbouring communities. This was predominantly aimed at women and included check-ups, treatment of minor illnesses and information on family planning.

Research

Felix after being fitted with a collar. © Hannah Campbell

On the 18th, Lion Landscapes collared one of five young adult lions at Loisaba; brothers who have just left their maternal pride. This is part of on-going research into how lions use human-dominated landscapes at different stages of their lives. The Iridium collar will allow the Lion Rangers to monitor their progress, and help out if they get themselves in trouble. Felix is doing well, and can be heard (along with his brothers) most nights at Loisaba!

Photos of the Month

Most liked Instagram Photo:

© Murad Habib

 

Most liked Facebook Photo:

© Ross Mastrovich

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 us at [email protected]!

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Loisaba’s ‘BioBins’ – Hyenas and Vultures

© Phil Carter

By Hannah Campbell

Here at Loisaba, we use our BioDigester and Community Cooker to convert waste to energy. Disposing of waste is important, as it reduces risk of various diseases as well as ensuring cleanliness in the workplace.

Out in the bush, a similar process of converting waste to energy is happening with the help of animals known as scavengers, which consume decaying biomass to use as energy. Scavengers – sometimes referred to as ‘bio-bins’ – play an important role the food web and exist in a range of sizes, from beetles to bears. They keep an ecosystem free of the bodies of dead animals (carrion), as well as any infectious materials that could become a health hazard to other animals. Scavengers break down this organic material and recycle it into the ecosystem as nutrients.

Hyenas

© Phil Carter

While hyenas are one of Africa’s top predators while working together in a group, they are also able to scavenge older kills due to their strong stomach acid and ability to digest bone. Their jaws (which are among the strongest in relation to size of any other mammal) and digestive tract allow them to process and obtain nutrients from flesh, skin and bones. The only parts of prey not fully digested are hair, horns and hooves which are regurgitated in the form of pellets. The high mineral content of the bones makes their droppings a highly visible, chalky white.

Vultures

© Hannah Campbell

Vultures are the most specialised scavenging bird species and survive on carrion alone. Their excellent eyesight allows them to locate carrion up to six kilometres away while soaring high over the landscape. Vultures usually have no feathers on their head and neck, which prevents pieces of carrion (which can carry toxic bacteria) from sticking to and infecting the bird. Like hyenas, they also have a highly acidic stomach which kills any bacteria that is consumed with the meat.

If vultures disappeared from the landscape, the rotting meat would be consumed by disease-causing agents and carriers, causing a serious health risk to other animals as well as humans. Ecosystem services provided by wildlife and vultures in particular will be impossible or enormously costly to replace once they are lost. It has been estimated that a single living vulture is worth USD 11,000 due to the scavenging services they provide.

Critically endangered African white-backed vulture at Loisaba. © Tui De Roy

Worryingly, six of Africa’s 11 vulture species are now at a high risk of extinction. Four are now Critically Endangered, while two more have been added to the Endangered list.

Six vulture species can be found here at Loisaba; the palm-nut vulture (LC), the Egyptian vulture (EN), the lappet-faced vulture (EN), and the critically endangered hooded, African white-backed and Rüppell’s griffon vultures.

The biggest threat to vulture species is poison, which occurs when people try to eradicate predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas in order to protect their livestock by leaving poisoned cows out as bait.

Critically endangered Rüppell’s griffon vulture at Loisaba. © Hannah Campbell

We are helping to reduce the poisoning threat to vultures and other carnivores by supporting Lion Landscapes and The Peregrine Fund in offering ‘co-existence’ training to the communities surrounding Loisaba. The training is designed to teach communities about the dangers and negative effects of poisoning to humans and their livestock, whilst providing individuals with the skills and knowledge to better protect their livestock and to therefore reduce retaliation killing.

The training is part of the Coexistence Co-op, which is a partnership between Lion Landscapes and The Peregrine Find to reduce livestock lost to large carnivores, and stop the resultant use of highly toxic pesticides to kill ‘problem’ carnivores, and that indiscriminately poison critically endangered vultures.

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The Community Cooker

By Hannah Campbell

Loisaba Conservancy is remote and located a three hour drive from the nearest major town, meaning disposing of waste can be challenging. We have to be mindful when disposing of items, and ensure waste is sorted into biodegradable (that can be used in our BioDigester!), items to burn, items to recycle and items to bury.

Plastic is an ever growing issue globally, with it making up approximately 11% of household waste and taking up to 1,000 years to decompose. But what if there was a safe way to turn plastic into energy?

In 1990, Jim Archer recognised this increasing environmental problem around Kenya, and that rubbish could be a never-ending resource to produce energy if processed responsibly. In partnership with Mumo Musuva, he began to develop designs for a very simple, inexpensive rubbish burner which could also serve as a stove for cooking…

The Community Cooker is an innovative yet practical waste-to-energy technology that has tremendous potential for environmental, economic and social change in low resource settings around the world. It burns rubbish in an environmentally friendly way at 880oC – 1200oC to generate heat energy for cooking, baking and heating water in large quantities. At these temperatures, the Cooker achieves 90% combustion efficiency and meets European Environmental Standards, US EPA standards and Kenyan standards for Nitrogen Oxides, Sulphur Dioxides, Carbon Monoxide, Furans and Dioxins as tested by Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS).

Jim Archer’s first sketch of the Community Cooker in the ’90s © Jim Archer

After the first prototype was built in 2008 and passed the emission test (EPA standard), the Community Cooker Foundation (CCF) was established in 2010. The CCF is a Kenyan based charity that promotes sustainable waste management by encouraging institutions, people and communities to use Community Cookers to clean up the environment, save trees, improve health and create employment value.

Waste ready to be turned into cooking fuel!

Stemmo firing up the cooker

The implementation of the Community Cooker at Loisaba means 100% of waste (other than glass and metal which are recycled) at Loisaba can be either put through our BioDigester or into the Community Cooker to provide fuel, creating a much more sustainable way of disposing waste!

Community Cooker in use

Chapatis cooked using waste!

If you would like to learn more about the community cooker and help the thousands of local under-privileged communities and institutions that are in need of low cost, sustainable energy solutions, click here!

 

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2019 Highlights

By Hannah Campbell

As we reach the end of 2019, we would like to invite you to celebrate some of our key achievements over the past 12 months with us…

Zero Poaching

Loisaba’s K9 Unit out on patrol. © Alastair Boyd

Due to the increase in investment, National Police Reserve status and additional training programmes, poaching incidents at Loisaba have been reduced to zero, with no major security incident occurring in the conservancy this year.

Two Lionesses Collared

Collared lion at Loisaba Conservancy. © Hannah Campbell

In May 2019, another lioness was collared at Loisaba to allow the real-time tracking of the pride using an app, with a chip in the collar activating alarms that are attached to bomas. This ensures guards are on high alert when the lions are around!

In November, this lioness unfortunately sustained a serious injury to her leg, thought to be sustained by a zebra kick. After examination by a vet from Kenya Wildlife Services, it was concluded that recovery would not be possible and the difficult decision to euthanise her was made.

On the 19th December, a further lioness was collared to continue the important coexistence work of Lion Landscapes. Read more about how initiatives at Loisaba are addressing issues with human-wildlife conflict here.

Five Giraffes Fitted with GPS Tracking Devices

Reticulated giraffe GPS tagging operation. © San Diego Zoo Global

In the single largest GPS satellite tagging of giraffe in history, 28 solar powered GPS satellite tracking units were fitted to endangered reticulated giraffe in northern Kenya from 27th August – 5th September this year (five of which at Loisaba). This exercise was carried out in order to better understand their spatial movements and habitat use in the wild. Read more here.

Black Leopards Scientifically Recorded at Loisaba

Black leopard caught on camera trap at Loisaba Conservancy. © San Diego Zoo Global

In February this year, San Diego Zoo Global released a paper confirming the presence of melanistic leopards in Laikipia, with observations on five different dates and five different camera locations. Read more here.

Request for Loisaba to Become an Eastern Black Rhino Sanctuary Sent to KWS

Memory of Black Rhinos at Loisaba. © Down to Earth Films & Kathy Campbell

Loisaba has recently sent an application to Kenya Wildlife Services requesting permission to become a Rhino Sanctuary. Black rhinos were last seen on the property in the early 70’s, and it is our aim to make Loisaba a permanent home for rhinos again. Read more here.

Invasive Species Removal

JCB backhoe digging a pit for the invasive cactus. © Hannah Campbell

With the help of a generous donation through The Nature Conservancy, we have been able to purchase a JCB backhoe in order to help with the removal of the invasive cactus, Opuntia engelmannii. This investment has made a significant improvement to the efficiency of controlling the species, enabling removal of the cactus at over five times the rate of the previous method. The dug up cactus is now also being used to provide cooking fuel for our anti-poaching unit – read more here.

Community Engagement

© Ami Vitale

During 2019, 47 students have been supported through education, including full payment of school fees, books, uniform, school supplies, transport and school trips. The Loisaba team meets with all sponsored students every term to provide advice and support for their studies. We continue to hold education days at our Conservation Centre, hosting 18-20 students per event. The children take part in exercises demonstrating the importance of food webs and conservation of all species and basic mammal ecology.

Since 2017, Loisaba’s Community Liaison Officer has been visiting Ewaso Dispensary every Monday with our Clinical Health Officer who attends to patients, as well as restocking the dispensary with medication provided by the government. In addition to this, medical outreach clinics are held monthly in communities that have little access to medical care. Over 1,500 patients were treated in 2019. Read more here.

Thank you!

Whether you’ve been to stay at one of Elewana’s lodges here at Loisaba, supported us with a generous donation or simply followed our work on social media, you are a valued part of Loisaba’s network.

If you would like to support our work further, visit www.loisaba.com/donate.

Thank you for your support. Here’s to a successful 2020!

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GivingTuesday 2019

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

For GivingTuesday this year, we are encouraging donations towards health outreach clinics in Loisaba’s surrounding communities. Currently, there are very few clinics available to many of the communities surrounding Loisaba – only two out of five have one. This means many people have very limited access to health care, being several days walk from the nearest clinic.

© Ami Vitale

Loisaba currently holds a monthly outreach clinic in alternate communities which aims to see and treat as many people as possible, along with assisting at a local dispensary every Monday. This is carried out by collected government supplied drugs from a pharmacy in a nearby town, and driving into the communities – providing medical care to over 1,500 people. Loisaba also provides stipends and training for Community Health Workers, in order to help provide health care on a daily basis.

© 2019 Matthew Gann

A recent guest at Elewana Collection’s Loisaba Tented Camp, Jillian Gann, is helping to raise funds for health care in the Loisaba Communities. A recent survey in our communities has shown that the top priority for women is medical care. Help us by donating here.

$50 will fund one of the weekly visits to Ewaso Dispensary

$100 will fund a training day for the Community Health Workers

$200 will fund a monthly medial outreach clinic

© 2019 Matthew Gann

Donated funds will go to Loisaba Community Conservation Foundation Inc., a 501(c)3 qualified Charitable Trust, meaning all donations from the US are 100% tax deductible. LCCF does not take administration fees or costs associated with your donation, so all funds raised will go directly to the project.

You can also donate through our Loisaba Donation page – www.loisaba.com/donate.

A huge thank you to Jillian Gann for supporting our efforts in providing necessary healthcare to those with limited access, and to Loisaba Community Conservation Foundation for their continued support.

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Coexisting for Conservation

By Hannah Campbell

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.

Sakakei Naiptari moves his cows out of the boma before they milk them and take them out for grazing at Loisaba. © Ami Vitale

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.

One of the giraffes fitted with a GPS tracking unit. © Hannah Campbell

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.

Narok – one of Loisaba’s collared lionesses. © Hannah Campbell

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.

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Bee 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.

© @beemagickenya

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.

© @beemagickenya

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.

© @beemagickenya

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!

By Hannah Campbell

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Essay Prize Winners Head to Ol Pejeta

Since October, 144 students and 24 teachers from our surrounding communities have attended conservation education days at Loisaba’s Conservation Centre. These days aim to connect those children living alongside wildlife with the conservation projects that are ongoing at Loisaba. The days allow the students to have fun whilst learning about the value and importance of wildlife conservation and habitat preservation on Loisaba.

Learning about Ol Pejeta conservation practices.

In culmination to these education days, an essay competition was held last month discussing the importance of conservation. Prior to the task a brainstorming session on the essay question was held with all the students at their respective schools. Over 100 students aged 12-15 years old at Kirimon, Ewaso and Labarishereki primary schools took part! The main benefits of conservation mentioned in the essays were the opportunities of employment and scholarships that conservation offered and income generated from the sale of beads to tourists. Protection of endangered species was touched upon lightly. This is unsurprising given that many of these students have never seen many of the endangered species first hand. Consequently, Loisaba arranged for the top 3 scorers from each school to head to Ol Pejeta for a day.

Last week, the nine essay prize winners, accompanied by three teachers set off to Ol Pejeta to witness conservation first-hand. The first excitement of the day was seeing Ol Pejeta’s Ankole cattle herd, the students were amazed by their iconic, sweeping horns having never seen this breed of cattle before. It was the first of many new sights for the students!

© Paul Naiputari

Next stop was a visit to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, home to 39 chimpanzees. The students learned about what the chimps feed on, the ecology they live in and how they have been rescued from the illegal bush meat and pet trade. Given that chimpanzees are not native to Kenya, it was the first time any of the students and teachers had seen one before. They simply could not believe that people would use chimps for the illegal bush meat trade.

On then to meet Baraka, a tame blind black rhino and pay a visit to Sudan’s grave. The students spotted two lioness’s snoozing in the midday sun and giraffe, elephant and impala were out in force providing a wonderful game drive though out the day for the students.

It was a day of firsts for these students learning about the importance of the animal species themselves as well the multitude of benefits conservation provides. The future of Laikipia, Kenya and the continent as a whole lies firmly in the hands of the new generation and the decisions they will make in due course. We want to thank The Nature Conservancy and Loisaba Community Conservation Foundation for making this memorable day possible.

A day of firsts for the prize winners!

 

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Vital Wildlife Corridor Connects Conservancies

Land Connected; Life Protected

Migration is an essential element in sustaining viable wildlife populations. Today, many of Kenya’s wildlife populations exist in isolation, having been separated completely by increasing human populations and infrastructure development. Wildlife corridors are critical in connecting habitats, protecting life and maintaining diversity.

Simon Gitau opening the fence between Kitenye and Mugie

Through a partnership between Mugie and Loisaba conservancies, a new migration corridor now links together more than 100,000 acres of managed conservation land in the north of Laikipia County, helping to keep the landscape open and, most importantly, connected. The Kitenye Wildlife Corridor, which at its narrowest point is 800 meters wide, was created by removing more than a kilometer of fencing and securing four small plots of land for conservation.

Beisa oryx, common zebra & Laikipia hartebeest

Wild animals need the freedom to migrate, and this corridor spans across several different habitats: from Loisaba’s dry Ewaso acacia scrubland, through the vast open plains of Kitenye, and finally rising to the olive forests of Mugie and the Lorogi plateau at 7,000 feet.

Both conservancies are home to threatened keystone species such as elephants, Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and Laikipia hartebeest, and carnivores, including wild dogs, cheetah and lion, many of which suffered considerably during last year’s drought and political strife.

With this new corridor in place, Mugie and Loisaba conservancies hope to see game moving freely between the two conservancies and the greater Laikipia landscape, connecting wildlife and allowing for a more diversified gene pool. This is especially important for cheetah, the endemic Laikipia hartebeest and Grevy’s zebra, whose numbers have declined to critical levels over the years through poaching and habitat loss.

The Kitenye Wildlife Corridor, will be managed by Mugie Conservancy and was created with support of The Nature Conservancy, which will play an important role in the ongoing protection and monitoring of the corridor.

A big thank you to The Nature Conservancy for making this possible!

Kitenye eastern views. Below, the inhabitants of the plains at Kitenya, an oryx at sunset and a Grevy zebra on alert

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