The Milgis Trust

Category: Milgis lugga, Samburu, elephants | Date: Jul 01 2008 | By: milgistrust

Every Two to three months we have a scouts meeting here at the Milgis base.. This means collectively the 22 Milgis scouts walk roughly 2000 kms to get here and back… The furtherest 3 coming from Ol Doinyo Mara to the North, Ilaut to the north East and Engelai in the Matthews range.. They arrived on 29th evening.. There is always a feeling of excitment in the air as they arrive from the different areas, and lots of chatter, and catching up on news that evening.. Early on the 30th the head of security, Lentokunye, ‘the Elephant’..[ each scout represents an animal] took every one out for a run, and a parade to give them a feeling that we work as a team…Then they all put their uniforms on and came for a long meeting!!! [11am to 6pm so much to talk about].. We were graced with the presence of our Kenya Wildlife Service representative from Latakwen, Sargent Isa, who spoke to them about 3 things… a] we work together as a team.. KWS and Milgis Trust b] ‘BIDII’ ….this is a great swahili word and means ‘work hard’, but harder than Hard!! and c] ’secrecy’ on sensitive information… There is a big worry of the start of the elephant poaching again, and we must ‘nip it in the bud’,,,, and be very vigilant in keeping an eye out for the perpetrators…[ There has been some poaching in the west, near the Kirisia hills] Even though I still maintain that the four elephants, that have died and I’ve mentioned [two in beginning of may, and the two young ones on the26th June] have not been poached.. We are going to get a metal detector to be sure…Hopefully with your help!! will work out the best one to get and will be back!!.. Back to the meeting!! Each scout then had his moment to talk and give us the news of his area of patrol…. Generally all is well, BUT WATER IS A HUGE AND WORRYING ISSUE… Milgis Trust has big plans for this which we will come up with soon…Cheetahs, seem to be on the increase all along the east side of the Ndotos, but one was eating goats… and we have been told that they will kill him if we don’t move him…?? Grevey Zebra with quite a few young!, and plenty of wild dogs reported.. And the big news that the elephants have twice,[ first time 4 and second 6], have probed there way to the Kelesua Lugga, which is a mere 20 kms from Mt Nyiru!!! How incredible is that!! [ref 7th june]

With reference to my last Blog… No rain!! No Clouds!! And the Elephants are making there way back up the Milgis!! The lilies dried up the next day!!..The mornng Glory [ ipomoea], stopped flowering.. But there was one other thing that I didn’t mention and that was a klaas cuckoo had also been calling during the same time…No sign of him either.. A Samburu warrior has just told me that it is not the fault of the flora and fauna getting it wrong it is because Venus [’ lakera dorop’] has not shown her face in the west yet.!! ..He says its true.. believe him!!

With reference to the deaths.. unfortunately the man who reported this,[ Milgis 19.. ‘ nickname ‘Akili Mingi’ lots of brains!], got a huge thorn in his foot and can’t walk but he told me that it seemed that these animals just went to sleep… and they were dried up in that position…He walked right up to them in this position, thinking they were alive… Nothing has touched them…Somebody asked me if it could be poision, but I don’t think so as there is nobody living here, because of the tribal fighting… which continues by the way… He tells me there is one place, where after the rains there is natural water catchment.. could this have become stagnant.. a vet suggested it could be poisonous blue/green algae?? .. As soon as ‘Akili Mingi’ is walking again we will go and investigate!!