UK Charity Donations

Our Soysambu Conservancy UK Charity donation site is now operational.

Please donate to help support our conservation efforts with these wonderful animals, we can’t do it without your support. There is such a variety of amazing wildlife here on this World Heritage Site, from the giants like the giraffes right down to the very cute springhares, it would be a shame to let any of it go without the help it need. Please donate, any help you can give us is very much appreciated.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1008875

Colobus monkeys

Colobus monkeys

Flamingos

Flamingos

Cranes

Cranes

Vervet monkeys

Vervet monkeys

Great white pelican

Great white pelican

Plain's zebra

Plain’s zebra

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http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1008875

LAKE ELMENTEITA BIRD COUNT

The January 2012 Water bird count for the Lake Elmenteita was carried out on the 21st as from 6: 00 am.The turn up for the volunteers was good over two hundred Volunteers Participated and fourteen groups were formed.Each group was assigned a portion of the Lake, and everything was fine. The wetland bird species for the lake was diverse with a great reduction in the flamingo numbers. The other observation was that the water level for the lake was very high.
The activity is usually organized by the Ornithology Section, Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya in Collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service, and other Natural Resource Organizations.

Shared From:Community Education and Awareness Desk.

The White-Necked Cormorant on the Island

The White-Necked Cormorant on the Island

Cormorant drying the wings with the Grey-Headed Gull

Cormorant drying the wings with the Grey-Headed Gulls.

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY VISIT SOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY FOR FIELD STUDY

It is a great opportunity to host the university students from the Centre for Global Education and staff for field study this week. The university’s instructors have been accompanied the students for the study in Africa majorly on Larger mammals (Conservation Biology of Terrestrial Megafauna) and related fields. The students studied rangelands, Human wildlife conflict, Raptors, and Livestock management. The visit to other protected conservation areas in Kenya gave them a clear picture of what the country has in terms of flora and magafauna.The students had opportunity of working closely with Simon Thomset who is known globally for raptors study and research. They were able to capture, ring and release some raptors including Augur buzzards and Long crested eagles. Small mammal traps were also laid for rodents. A number of cameras were set at strategic locations and a leopard was notably the largest nocturnal animal captured while walking to hunting ground. The waterfowls of Lake Elementeita mainly the Greater flamingos, Lesser Flamingos, Pelicans, Cormorants, Teals formed part of the study during visit to the lake. The lake being a Ramsar Site, World Heritage Site, Importance Bird Area and National Sanctuary is a great site also visited for field study

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Release of already ringed Augur buzzard

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Dance by pupils at Kiboko to welcome their guests

 

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Field study for livestock and rangeland management

 

TERRESTRIAL ANIMALS AT RISK

BY  DUNCAN ODUOR

The 2008 Red List of Threatened Species by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) portrayed 5,966 species as threatened out of the nearly 60,000 described vertebrates’ species species on Earth. An additional 2,496 species of invertebrates and 8,457 species of plants were also listed. Only 43%of all known vertebrates’ species, 4% of all plants, and less than 0.5%of invertebrates were evaluated and others may be in danger.

IUCN has estimated that 1/3 of all amphibians’ species, 1/4 of all mammals and more than one in ten birds are sliding towards extinction .Long before species are technically extinct, they become so rare as to be gone from nature. Many people, organizations and governments are now dedicated to stop the trend and protecting what remains. Beyond species-specific strategies, efforts include laws limiting hunting and trading of endangered animals, preservation of habitats such as parks, reserves, private conservancies, and even international treaties.

Locally, environmental groups have organized projects that give communities incentives to protect wildlife and habitats. Most species particularly predators and large animals require large intact areas to sustain healthy populations.

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The now endangered male Rothschilds’ Giraffe browsing on acasia in Soysambu Conservancy.

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The young pelicans on breeding islands in Lake Elementeita.

Soysambu Conservancy included as part of the Kenya Lakes System World Heritage Site as the buffer zone for Lake Elmenteita

Dawn on Lake Elmenteita a new World Heritage Site in Kenya

Dawn on Lake Elmenteita a new World Heritage Site in Kenya