Organization of The Day: The Mara Conservancy

Mara Conservancy

Management of the Mara Triangle was falling apart, until 2001, when Mara Conservancy stepped in and took control over the triangle. Their programs include anti-poaching and de-snaring patrols, as well as a mobile veterinary unit that is always on the move. These units help animals that have been snared by cutting wires and treating open wounds, giving the animals a chance to survive.

The help of the conservancy extends to surrounding communities creating a ripple effect that in turn helps protect wildlife. They have started a project that brings bio-gas to surrounding homes. Bio gas reduces smoke within homes, preventing women from having to search for wood. Because of this, the depletion of surrounding forests is reduced as well as human-wildlife conflict, an obstacle that faces many conservationists.

Additionally, they’ve brought toilets to 5 villages and plan to construct more. Female genital mutilation is a huge problem in surrounding communities and Mara has educated them in hopes to stop the mutilation. They’ve also reduced revenge killing of predators by giving livestock guardians and replacing the livestock when possible. With the reduction of revenge killing, better patrol of the area, veterinarians in place and their efforts in reaching out to the community Mara Conservancy has taken huge strides in the protection of wildlife.

To Learn More about the Conservancy & the Mara Triangle, click here.

Introducing Safari.TV

It is with GREAT pleasure that we would like to introduce our new partner Safari.TV and a new section of our blog titled ‘Safari TV.’

As you well know by now nothing makes us more happy than seeing wildlife in  its greatness. It’s even better when you’re right there with it. But when you can’t and the only thing you have in front of you is a computer, guess what……. you now can……

It is our pleasure to introduce to you our latest partnership with WildEarth TV and their outstanding Safari TV. WildEarth is the brain child of Graham Wallington. For those of you who don’t know, Graham is a wildlife film maker and is one of the founders of the ground breaking and legendary Africam.

The Safari Channel  is headed by William Fox and broadcasts LIVE safaris daily from Djuma Game Reserve in the Sabi Sands. Every day there are two safaris one from 06h00 CAT to 09h00CAT and the other from 15h00CAT to 18h00 CAT. (these times change during the different seasons). Our Safari TV page will give you a professionally edited daily highlights from these safaris, which you are going to love…….

The safari consists of a Presenter/Expert Ranger who drives around the reserve looking for animals both big and small. A camera person sits on the back of the safari vehicle and their camera is your eyes. This gives you the viewer a fantastic feeling of actually being on the back of the vehicle as it bumps through the African Bush. If you want to talk to the Ranger in real time you can email a question through to finalcontrol@safari.tv and he will try to answer it.

The Sabi Sands is one of the top locations in South Africa for viewing game. The Sabi Sands Park which together with some other parks make up the Greater Kruger National Park. It is a conservation area where the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, buffalo, elephant) occur naturally. There are safaris in open land rovers during the day and at night, and there are also guided bush walks. Sabi Sabi has four separate lodges, Earth Lodge, Bush Lodge, Selati Lodge and Little Bush Camp. There is a licensed airstrip at Sabi Sabi with scheduled flights from Johannesburg. The area is also accessible by car and roads from Johannesburg. People travel from all over the world to visit this place and now you can join them from the comfort of  your own home or office.

The Safari Channel also hosts a number of other live show such as fire side chats with the crew, remarkable  creatures and photography shows. To learn more, please visit their website. To see highlights and blog updates, click here

Bushmeat in Eastern Africa

The actions of many people across eastern Africa are having an enormous impact on wildlife populations. Recent studies have officially determined that across Southern Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya there is a widespread, growing, illegal trade in wildlife for meat and money. This over-hunting is causing a reduction in numbers and diversity of wildlife.

In Kenya bushmeat hunting snare hunting is widespread with thousands of snares being recovered each year from protected areas and game ranches. Wildlife policy is under review and going by the current debate, there is no sign that bushmeat management will be given the attention it deserves.

In Southern Sudan bushmeat hunting with rifles is widespread in and around protected areas where many citizens rely on bushmeat as a source of protein and income. Lack of capacity to manage over-hunting has resulted in decline of many wildlife species including elephant, buffalo, zebra and giraffe.

In Tanzania trophy and subsistence hunting is legally allowed in wildlife areas outside the National Parks and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This type of consumptive wildlife utilization is controlled through quota and permit system, however, with limited capacity to manage illegal hunting.

In Uganda studies have shown declines in wildlife populations including hippopotamus, buffalo and elephant in protected areas due to hunting.