I have just got back from a visit to Ishaqbini Community Wildlife Conservancy in north-eastern Kenya. I mentioned this conservancy in my last blog a few weeks ago - a last stronghold for Kenya’s most endanagered antelope, the Hirola. The conservancy is still in it’s infancy and community scouts have only been operating for 6 months, although the community, KWS and other researchers have been supporting Hirola conservation in this area for many years. It is only now, however, since the scouts have been regularly patrolling the area that the threat of game-meat poaching to Hirola and other species in the area is becoming clear. Two hirola were found poached at the beginning of January and since then scouts have intercepted game-meat poachers inside the conservancy as well as confiscated spears and machetes.

Group of Hirola in the Ishaqbini conservancy

While we were there we came across a group of Hirola that suddenly started running towards our vehicle, apparently being chased by something. We got out of the vehicle and moved to the area where the Hirola had come from; we found fresh footprints of two people. Unfortunately darkness was falling and armed only with a camera, binoculars and one unarmed scout we didn’t feel we could continue to follow-up the tracks. However next morning we went back to the site and followed the tracks back to a place where the poachers had crossed the mighty Tana River. We also found tracks of people who appeared to be dragging a carcass, the tail and hind legs making distinct tracks in the sand which appeared to be about 2 days old. While we didn’t actually see or apprehend any poachers, there were plenty of signs to suggest that game-meat poaching is a real threat to this species and other wildlife in the area.

NRT & Ishaqbini scouts recce area to the east of the conservancy

Ishaqbini scouts are currently not armed and have no field equipment to enable them to effectively carry out mobile patrols - however we were able to leave them with some of our tents and will be buying equipment to enable them to have permanent patrol presence inside the conservancy and along the Tana river. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy will also be sending skilled anti-poaching personnel and a vehicle to assist in creating a strong presence in this area which we hope to be a deterrent to poachers. However, the scouts effectiveness is hampered by the fact that they are unarmed. The conservancy have decided to employ local Kenya Police Reservists to accompany the scouts on patrols over the next 6 months, while we await the outcome of an application for firearms for the conservancy scouts.

Training scouts on wildlife monitoring

On this last trip we were also able to install a base-radio and mast for the conservancy - they now have a range of about 40km which is fantastic, scouts are now able to communicate to each other while on patrol. We also carried out some basic GPS training and lef the scouts with 2 GPSs - the scouts are now monitoring wildlife in a systematic way, all of which will help to monitor the impact of conservation activities in the long-term.

Installing the radio-mast and new radio-room at the conservancy office

While Ishaqbini and this part of north-eastern Kenya is currently safe from the insecurity that is ravaging much of our country, the plight of the Hirola remains an urgent one - through supporting the Ishaqbini community wildlife conservancy we hope we can at least secure a future for this and other wildlife in this area.

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