The Milgis Trust

Category: Conservation Awareness, Forest Fires, Matthews range, Milgis lugga, Ndoto Mountains, Samburu | Date: Apr 03 2009 | By: milgistrust

I gather the fires burning in Kenya one week ago became world news… I have never seen any thing like it… We heard on the news that the Mau forest, and Mt Longonot, where burning and we witnessed the terrible fires on Mt Kenya… Too awful, and then I fly up to the Milgis and this is what we were greeted with… A complete frenzy of fires all over, from the Matthews right across to the Ndotos… This tends to happen at this time of the year, just before the rains..Its some how related to the fact that they think that the smoke makes clouds, and looking at the fire in the Ndotos it looks as though it could be possible! but NO rain to be seen!!

The beginning of a fire down on the Milgis Lugga.. Although it looks ferocious, luckily it burnt out before it did too much damage to the all important Tortilis trees, further up stream..

The same fire gaining momentum… the main trees to be burnt were Tamarix……. not so important as a food tree, although, the goats can feed on it when there is not much else, and the Elephants chew on the roots… The big advantage is the cover for hundreds of different animals… Bush pig, warthogs, civets, caracals, genets, mongooses… etc to name a few

Massive fire on the southern flank of Upe peak, of the Ndotos… Re burning an area that had a desperate fire a few years ago and I showed you the results of in my recent blog on the klipspringer being caught out… I’m afraid I also have to give the very sad news that it died after a month…

On the 25th March we flew up to the Milgis with two women representing VOSS, to hand over the ‘WATER’ to the Latakwen community… It was quite a party and will give you the news in my next Blog… Also present was Stella, who will be introducing herself to you soon! BUT the celebrations were marred by people burning the forests, an embarrassment to all… This led to the following meeting which is yet another attempt at stopping the slow ‘eating’ away of their recourses… You note I say THEIR… Yes these guys are cutting their own throats by burning, and yet they continue???? The Original Samburu fought long and hard to keep these mountains as their land, why are the men of today not respecting their ancestors who saw the value of them… Really what has happened…

As a result below is a report from Moses Lesoloyia… The Milgis Trust Manager..

The meeting took place on 31/3/2009 at Mpelengos. the meeting was attended by elders from Nkare Narok 12, Ngwe entome 23, Latakweny 23, Sererit 3.. Milgis Trust scouts 10, chief 1, councillor 1 and KWS rangers from Latakwen at the beginning..

The meeting was chaired by the councillor from the Ndoto ward who asked elders from each of these areas to talk and say what thoughts they have on the fires and whether they are willing to stop burning or should the burning continue??. Each group talked against burning and all agreed that they are ready to stop burning. the councillor asked the elders to tell what methods and punishments are there traditionally to deal with those who burn the forest. the following methods were mentioned;

1. cursing by elders

2. banishment from the area

3. fining

4. taking their wife away ( even if it is children or women all the blame goes to the man, he should have told them about it.)

5.being refused to graze in other areas.

The councillor asked the elders to decide on which methods to use to stop this menace. The elders agreed that one or more of the methods can be applied together. The elders said that because the people are becoming stubborn they will use cursing and fining. They will put a fine of 5000 and goats for the elders when they meet to discuss the perpetrators. The number of goats depend on the number of elders who meet. …18 men were identified to have burnt the forests and were to bring this money which will be used to pay bursary for school children. The councillor promised to present the issue during their full council meeting and bring councillors from Nkare narok and Nairimirimo. He will inform us of the dates so that we can organise for a meeting and the plan according to the situation by then.

The elders cursed whoever will burn the forests again and the message seems to have gone through as there has not been any fires except for one on Ndoto that evening and one at Ndonyo nasipa yesterday, maybe the message hadn’t reached them yet… We sent two scouts, grants Gazelle and lesser kudu to ndonyo nasipa to find out what happened.

3 responses so far

Category: Ndoto Mountains | Date: Mar 17 2009 | By: milgistrust

While we are on the subject off the Ndoto Mountains as per my last Blog, just wanted to put a few pictures for you to appreciated these beautiful mountains…. A mountain of sheer cliffs, and huge massifs of granite rock, full of wildlife, and beautiful forests and rare plants… So few people have been to the top! I hope the pictures show up… Lets try!!

South/East Ndotos looking towards Ngurnit, and Poi in the distance…

The forest above Sererit, on the west side… Its like that on the other side as well!! Imagine the walks through the forest with the views east and west..

Upe peak, framed by the rocks to the south

Aldera rock, South East

Phoenix palms clinging to these cliffs…

Manmanet forest..

Ngurnit..

‘POI’ taken from the North…

5 responses so far

Category: Forest Fires, Ndoto Mountains | Date: Mar 13 2009 | By: milgistrust

Ndoto mountains… You can imagine the scenario… The peaks are around 8000 feet, and with in a very short distance, a few kilometres, the surrounding country is about 3000 feet, they are incredibly steep, very dramatic mountains, you can walk along the ridge from north to south, over the two main peaks, Allimission, and Upe, with a 360 degrees views all round…Its fabulous…But with a good wind you can imagine what happens if a fire [SO SAD that one match can do so much damage..] gets going on the slopes, in the thick brush… Its extremely dangerous, and this Klipspringer, was caught out with NO WHERE to run… The scouts presume there was two, as they are always two?, but this one walks carefully, and stiffly, and has been singed all over, but amazingly is still alive, more than two weeks after the fire!! We decided NOT to try to catch this animal as to take it off the mountain to treat would be impossible, also he had already got through the worst… incredible..

The Blue Mountains…Ndotos…

Whole side of the mountain is burnt

One fire killed all these ceders in a shot, just below Upe, the second highest peak of the Ndoto Mountains and this is only one slope that has suffered this fate… There are many others..

THE BIG QUESTION IS… HOW MANY MORE ANIMALS DON’T GET AWAY… We have a scout crossing the mountains tomorrow.. I hope he has news of our Klipspringer…

4 responses so far

Category: Forest Fires, Ndoto Mountains, Samburu | Date: Jan 22 2009 | By: milgistrust

Unfortunately the rain last week was very disappointing…After that incredible show of dust from the desert….. There was light rain for a couple of days in the mountains… Slightly more in the Ndoto’s which was good news as they needed it more, and there was a fire up on the slopes so hopefully that was doused… We had a little drizzle, in the plains.. thats all… So much for not cleaning the dust off all the surfaces!!!… The sky became crystal clear again…But the wind is unusually cold.. We have been told that the Samburu fortune teller from Mt Nyiru, who reads the planets and stars says that it is going to rain at new moon… The cloud build up for today and yesterday makes us all feel that me may be right… I heard an interesting story to day from a man we met on safari, that this same person who has predicted this rain, read into that wonderful sight of the moon between the two planets, Jupiter and Venus, back nearly 2 months ago… I will put a picture on the blog when I can, but he sees it as peace between the Samburu and Turkana??… That would be wonderful!!

Other news…We have received a report down in the lower Milgis, that there is a wounded Elephant that killed a cow… Two scouts have left this morning to investigate..Cheetah cub doing very well indeed…

2 responses so far

Category: Cheetahs, Grevy's Zebra, Matthews range, Ndoto Mountains | Date: Jan 07 2009 | By: milgistrust

All the very best to you all for the new year!… I do apologise for disappearing off the face of the earth… We have been busy over Christmas and new year with camel safaris, and the computer battery went flat after a couple of days!, and I forgot to take the charging lead..Oh well it was good to have a holiday!, from the blogging, it takes alot out of me, to write a good one!! …But don’t worry the scouts have been busy, and Pete and I have been able to meet up with quite a few of them and to check on their areas… We did alot of walking in the magnificent Ndoto mountains where sadly the November rains were not good, which will put a strain again on the wildlife..Unfortunately the worst to suffer will be the Grevy Zebra, that rely on the water, on the east side…..We have alerted the scouts to try to make sure the water available to these animals that walk so far to have a drink.. In the last week there have been a few signs that it may rain in the next few days… maybe at full moon?? lets hope.. Today we were in Ngurnit, and it was pretty cloudy.. Other wise, thank goodness the Matthews Range has had good rains, most of the rivers are flowing still…

On arrival at Elkanto, we were delighted find the young Cheetah in tremendous form, and it recognised me strait away as I walked in… It is doing very well indeed, its grown quite alot, and is very playful…Very aware, talkative, has a big vocabulary, and quite ferocious for his size!!… He looks even more like the ever fierce Honey badger…He is complexly free, but seems to like human company, and the dogs tip toe around him!.. At least hes stopped calling and searching for his mother, which was quite heart rendering…

This was a picture taken on the 23rd December

I was told that I should be careful not to leave him in the hands of the Samburu Warriors as they may kill it… But I certainly am not worried now, they all love it, are fascinated by him, and can’t keep away!!

5 responses so far

Category: Forest Fires, Greater Kudu, Grevy's Zebra, Lesser Kudu, Livestock, Ndoto Mountains, elephants | Date: Nov 01 2008 | By: milgistrust

Sitting at Elkanto, Milgis base, with all all the trees in leaf, grass growing all round me!…AND looking out on to our 360 degrees view, to see greenery every where, wet Luggas.. It seems almost impossible to think that two weeks ago it was so dry, you looked out onto a brown horizon, dust, wind.. Now you can hardly see out, the trees have all thrown out long branches, the growth is extraordinary… … SO amazing!!

At the scouts meeting, every one talked about, how bad things had got in the drought, and the wildlife’s battle to get to water… Especially the elephants who are just innocently trying to get a drink but are described as these ‘giant dragons’, doing something wrong??..Again many of them pointing out the Grevys plight of searching for water…also alot of them looking thin…Also reports of ..Animals dieing… Beautiful old greater kudu male just couldn’t make it, many warthogs, all over, some falling into deep holes trying get at water. More lesser Kudu deaths reported, after the rain? Also interesting enough the samburu and Rendille lost alot of goats and sheep, before the rain came and after… The issue of over stocking has has come to light in a big way… Every one talked about how desperate these fires have been, and what can we do about this…[Will write more in my next blog..] Several reports of Grevys limping…Any one got any ideas of what could be affecting their feet… Looking more closely it seems that they have a swelling around the hoofs..especially at the back.. Another report of an Impala, that has moved in with a group of female gerenuks! Two reports of hyenas killing alot of goats, in two different bomas/manyattas.. It seems we need to help them improve the fences, even try and push live fences… [using cuttings from comifera trees, is very affective].. Another report of a bush pig, that has killed many cows.. but this is not new news, this pig is has a fetish for cows!!

The distressing news, and this was coming from the scout!! There are several projects in the area, where water is being piped out of the mountains down to places that people and there stock can get to easily… Yes.. its true… In stead of checking out the reason for the stem or lack in water flow, they just go above and bring the water down in a pipe… Can you imagine what this is doing to the environment..Its happening and its shocking.. The latest one being in Arsim, east of the Ndotos… a place the wildlife, used to beable to get at the water, now it has been dammed, and piped down to a tank… All the scout from that area were distressed with these latest developments…

One response so far