 | NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK
LIONS
NEED YOUR HELP
Ever wondered why you do not see any lions in Nairobi Park any
more? The following extracts from Lesley Hannah and Ian Cowie make
extremely disturbing reading. It is only by publicising what has been
going on over the last few weeks that we can hope to achieve anything
in terms of preventing our globally unique Nairobi National Park from
becoming at best housing estate or Industrial Area, or at worst a
slum.
1 June 2003
Today 2 more lions have been speared to death, just metres from the
park boundary in the Kitengela. The lions were not just speared and
left...but have been skinned, the male has had his head cut off
(presumably for the mane), and their paws have been cut off for the
claws, their hearts and liver cut out. Out and out poaching. Just over
2 weeks ago three lions were killed, a female with two 6 month old
cubs. One of the cubs was the first to be killed. The same thing was
done to them...paws cut off skinned, heart cut out...jaw cut off. Again
out and out poaching. As yet there have been no arrests...It is under
investigation. I went to film the bodies but was, basically told by the
warden I could not. But the time I arrived at KWS the Warden told
me they had disposed of the bodies.
These are the facts. The Maasai have threatened to kill all the lions,
they have also threatened to kill all the eland as they are eating their
grass. There was no cow or goat carcass found with these poaching
incidents. As it stands now there are maybe 15 lions left in the Park.
We (Jim Cavanaugh, Judy Rudnai and myself) have set up a Big Cat
Surveillance team with KWS. It is apparently not working. We are at
a loss as to what to do to save the remaining lions in the Park.
2) 3rd June 2003 STOP PRESS: Several more cubs killed over the
weekend. There are now no more wild adult males in NNP
3) We went to see the Warden again today...but with KWS being in
the confusion it is in......it seems
that still nothing is being done. KWS have patrols out there. The
Masai kill the lions in front of them. It actually started 2 years
ago...when a lion was killed for killing a zebra??? The KWS Rangers
are scared of this wild group of youths that are out of control.. The
DO has no control, the Chief has no control.....We have gone to the
press. Youth For Conservation will hold a press conference
tomorrow. Perhaps Public Pressure will stop this. So the more people
that know what is happening the better. I would really like to go and
see the President (yes..Kibaki)...not just for the lions..but for Nairobi
Park itself and the rest of the animals that the Masai have threatened
to kill. If anyone has any "in" with the Office of the President, please
let me know.
4) NAIROBI PARK LIONS. 03 June 2003.
In the past week, 5 Nairobi Park lions have been killed in the
Kitengela, 2 the week before. In all cases, no domestic stock was
involved, and skin, teeth, claws removed, presumably as saleable
items. They were speared. This is a new slant, and we are advised by
KWS staff on the ground that the intention is to kill all the Park lions
and then start on Eland. Some of us met with KWS today. It seems
there is little they can, or are prepared to do about this. We have
written in to the Director urging immediate action to control the
situation and to safeguard the remaining lions, which we estimate to be
around eleven, possibly without a breeding
male. A recent survey by KWS of visitors leaving the Park indicated
that 80% wanted to see lion, and were disappointed at not being able
to. It would help if you can bring this to the attention of all -
particularly those trying to restart the Tourist Industry.
5) We met with the KWS Security Director Patrick Hamilton
yesterday, but it appears that, for whatever reason, there is little
that KWS can do. So...I am going to go this afternoon to be in the
studio audience on a KBC show called Insight. Dr. Kulundu will be
there, so we will ask for his help in this matter as KWS in under his
Ministry. Just to let you know also that the KWS Ranger was not
speared, but shot..by a stray KWS bullet. I think if he had been
speared, by now some arrests would have been made. I got a call this
afternoon from a KWS ranger who is in Sholingii with 5 of the lions.
They are trying to dart them to bring them to KWS to keep them safe
until we can figure out something else. But this is the area where the
Masai are the worst..and have killed many of the lions. These 5 are
the cubs..and hopefully their mother. There were 7 (2 yr. old cubs)
and 2 adult females...one female was killed a while ago..and now 3 of
the cubs.) These are the ones we have been working really hard to
save from starvation...just to be chopped up by some wild youths. The
next stop is the President...and I am working on contacts to get there.
Again if anyone can help with this, please let me know. At 11 a.m. on
Sunday 8th June there is a talk on lions for FONNAP where I will
try and show my NNP Lion film with the added gorey pictures. It
would appear that if this is left unattended to then it will be all the
more grist to the mill for those who wish to see our unique National
Park turned into a housing estate. There should no longer be any
argument about fencing.
1) Burn the grass in the Park to attract the herbivores in,
2) Fence the park to keep them in and 3) Introduce lions and cheetahs
from other protected areas in Kenya. Otherwise it WILL become a
housing estate and we will have lost yet another part of our wonderful
natural heritage. The time to act is NOW, so that when the tourists
return, as they hopefully will, then we have something for them to look
at. If we are to promote Kenya
abroad then we must ensure that we have products to promote;
Nairobi Park is one of those products.
CONTACT EVERYONE YOU CAN, GET IN TOUCH WITH KWS,
MINISTER OF TOURISM, SEND LETTERS TO MEDIA,
EVERYLITTLE HELPS
SAVE OUR HERITAGE, SAVE THE MOST
UNIQUE PARK IN THE WORLD, DO IT
NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE |
