Bernard Kissui: Protecting Lions in the Maasai ... - African Wildlife

WINTER 20091961-2009Billy DodsonHome to elephants,rhinos and more,African Heartlandsare conservationlandscapes large enough to sustain a diversity ofspecies for centuries to come. In these landscapes—places like Kilimanjaro and Samburu—AWF and itspartners are pioneering lasting conservation strategiesthat benefit wildlife and people alike.Inside THIS ISSUEpage 1Bernard KissuiProtecting lions in the Maasai Steppe Heartland.Lion populations in Africa have plummeted over the past few decades. Using an applied science approach to conservation,AWF is hoping to reverse this alarming trend in northern Tanzania and in other places where lions still roam.Bernard Kissui/AWFwww.awf.orgpage 4Land ConservationAfrican wildlife need vast open landscapes tolive, move and propagate. That’s why landconservation is at the heart of AWF’s wildlifeconservation strategy.page 7Conservation Enterprise in UgandaClouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge in Uganda benefitsboth local people and mountain gorilla conservation.Bernard Kissui: Protecting Lionsin the Maasai Steppe HeartlandIt’s the dark of night. A small herd of cowsenclosed tightly in a thorn bush enclosurelists into sleep. A passing pride of femalelions sense an easy meal. One powerful jump,and the lead lioness penetrates the boma, theother lionesses moving in to pull the livestockdown. Two animals are fatally injured beforethe livestock owner can scare the lions off.There is no chance this scene can be innorthern Africa, because there lions have longbeen extinct; but it can and does happen farthersouth, in places like northern Tanzania, wherethe loss of even a single cow can devastate afamily’s economic well-being. The consequencesfor a pride of lions can be equally disastrous.“While livestock attacks tend to be isolatedincidents, the outcome is rarely good for livestock,humans or lions,” says Dr. BernardKissui, head of AWF’s Lion ConservationProject in AWF’s Maasai Steppe Heartland.“Understandably, livestock owners who lose cattleare angry—and, retaliatory poisonings andspearings claim the lives of several lions everyyear.” Such conflicts have led to the killing ofat least 133 lions in the area since 2004. “Thistrend, if it continues, could greatly threatenthe survival of this precious species,” he says.Dr. Kissui heads up AWF’s Lion Researchand Conservation Project in the Maasai SteppeHeartland in northern Tanzania, a vast ecosystemof open grass plains that is home to morethan 200 lions. Here two core protected areas—Tarangire and Manyara National Parks—offercontinued on page 3

2 African Wildlife News www.awf.orgMachache ~ A FEW WORDSBOARD OF TRUSTEESDennis J. KellerchairSir Ketumile Masirevice chairRobin BerkeleytreasurerRazan K. Al MubarakEdward M. Armfield, Jr.Greg BehrmanMyma Belo-OsagieJacques J. BusquetPaul CampbellPayson ColemanDonald DixonLynn DolnickLisa FirestonePaul FletcherDonald C. GrahamWilliam E. (Wilber) JamesAdrian M. JayWilliam S. KalemaWalter H. Kansteiner IIIDorothy KimRobert E. KingShana LaursenVictoria LeslieAnn K. LuskeyJames F. MakawaBenjamin W. MkapaKristina PerssonDr. Mamphela A. RampheleTia N. RoddyDavid ThomsonC. Bowdoin TrainJohn R. WalterRichard W. Weeningtrustees emeritiArthur W. ArundelE.U. Curtis BohlenJoan DonnerLeila S. GreenJohn H. HeminwayGeorge C. HixonHenry P. McIntosh IVSally PingreeStuart T. Saunders, Jr.Russell E. TrainAfrican Wildlife Newsis published four times a year.Publications and Marketing ManagerElizabeth Miranda©2009 African Wildlife Foundation1400 16th Street, N.W., Suite 120Washington, D.C. 20036202-939-3333202-939-3332 (fax)1-888-494-5354E-mail: awn@awf.orgWebsite: www.awf.orgCFC# 11219Printed with soy-based inkRecycled PaperThadeus BiamunguAchievingTransformationalImpactChange is something that’s on many people’sminds these days. With a New Year andnew leadership in government come newresolutions to make a difference in theworld—to leave the world a better placethan we found it.At AWF, we’ve been working for changesince 1961. We’ve been changing the waypeople in Africa and around the world lookat conservation, opening up new opportunitiesfor humans and wildlife to live togetherso that they both can thrive.We know that changes in wildlife managementmust be impactful. They must besustainable. They must be strategic. In short,they must be transformational.At AWF, we believe that the key totransformational impact is a landscapelevelapproach built on four pillars: landconservation, species protection, capacitybuilding, and conservation enterprise. AtAWF, we approach conservation through awide-angle lens, considering the environmental,social, economic, and politicalimplications of our efforts.In this issue, you’ll read about some ofthe major projects that are contributing totransformational change in African wildlifeconservation. Three Sudanese graduatestudents join the ranks of more than 40Charlotte Fellows through an AWF fellowshipprogram that supports the education ofpromising African environmental managers.Our investment in sponsorship of advancededucation for African resource managementprofessionals is an investment that assuresthat conservation innovations will continuefor years to come.We are also bringing innovations inland conservation to fruition in several ofour Heartlands. Most recently, we havesecured and are rehabilitating overgrazedand neglected ranchlands for conservationand are developing land use plans that willbring tourism and economic opportunity towildlife-rich areas.As we look to the future, we see specificAWF conservation efforts adding up to acomplete picture that includes thrivingwildlife, prosperous local communities, andindividuals empowered to make change inthe world. Enjoy reading about the transformationalchange we’re creating in Africa andremember that your support is the key toour success.Patrick J. Bergin, Ph.D.Chief Executive OfficerHelen W. GichohiPresidentA lot has changed since AWF undertook itsfirst project to support Mweka WildlifeCollege in Tanzania. But even as we seek tohave transformative impact we remain true toour founding mission—to build the capacityof Africans to conserve, manage and derivebenefit from the wildlife and the wild landswhich make the continent so unique.

www.awf.org African Wildlife News 3Bernard Kissui (Continued from page 1)wildlife critical habitat but are toosmall to support lions year-round.It is outside the park, in thesurrounding criss-cross of farms andsettled areas, that Bernard’s workcomes into play.AWFNews in Brief“While the social behaviorand predatory habits of lions havefascinated researchers for decades,the interaction between humanand lion populations is less wellunderstood,” says Bernard.Bernard has made understandingthe complex interplay betweenlandscape, climate, populationand culture the cornerstone of hismission to safeguard the lions ofthe Maasai Steppe. By fitting lionswith radio collars and working withcommunities across the region, heis piecing together a detailed pictureof lion population density, habitatusage, demographic trends, andsocial-ecological dynamics in orderto create a long-term lion conservationstrategy.Out of his findings hasemerged an important key to risinglion mortality rates: During the dryseason, the great cats center theiractivities within the protected areas,where wildlife is plentiful. But oncethe rainy season hits, the lions followungulates as they migrate far beyondthe park borders—often to the nearestherd of livestock.Bernard has come up with a simplebut groundbreaking solution to head offlion-livestock predation. For the past twoyears, he has worked with local villagersto protect their herds by reinforcing theirbomas with special fencing. This practicalmeasure is making a big difference—minimizing both lion deaths and thelivestock losses that spur retaliatoryattacks. Bernard is also promoting otherimprovements in livestock security—such as improving herding practices andexperimenting with stronger fencedesigns—to help pastoralists save theirlivestock as well as to protect lions.What’s more, he is educating communitiesabout the habits of lions and helpingto develop warning systems that alertpeople when lions are near.Moving as easily in traditional communities as in the academicworld, Bernard is a top steward of AWF’s applied conservationscience model.“Improved fencing is just one ofthe host of practical strategies springingfrom this conservation project,” saysBernard. “AWF is collaborating withcommunities, government authoritiesand other conservation stakeholders toensure that these magnificent cats surviveand are ultimately an economic asset, nota hazard, to people.”Moving as easily in traditionalcommunities as in the academic world,Bernard is a top steward of AWF’sapplied conservation science model. Aformer AWF Charlotte Fellow (see p. 6),he recently earned his doctorate fromthe University of Minnesota and isrecognized today as one of Tanzania’stop conservation authorities. ■To support Bernard Kissui’s LionConservation Project in the Maasai SteppeHeartland visit www.awf.org/kissui.AWF Launches Digital OfferingAWF announces a great new benefit ofmembership available to all e-subscribers:Africa Geographic Digital Magazine, astand-alone application packed with livevideo footage, superb photography andhigh-quality, in-depth coverage ofwildlife and conservation across Africa.Produced in partnership with AfricaGeographic, an Africa-based publisher ofmany award-winning nature magazines,this exciting new product is available freeto all AWF e-subscribers six times a year.If you already subscribe to our onlinenewsletter and updates, you will automaticallyget information about how toaccess Africa Geographic DigitalMagazine. Or visit http://www.awf.org/esubscribe and become an e-subscribertoday. ■The Campaign toSave Africa’sHeartlandsThanks to dedicatedmembers like you,we’ve made tremendousheadway in meeting our$100 million Campaigngoal. As we go to print,more than $82 milliondollars has been raised.Your investments areyielding tremendousdividends in each andevery area of excellencein AWF’s conservationprograms. But toreach our goal ofraising $100million by June2009, we urgentlyneed your help. ■

Craig R. Sholley4 African Wildlife News www.awf.orgLand Conservation:A Firm Foundation for WildlifeAWF is directing conservation initiatives on WestKilimanjaro ranch. Located between three national parks,this 70,000-acre area is used frequently by a unique andvulnerable population of elephants.African wildlife need vast open landscapes to live, move and propagate. Isolated islands of protectedland aren’t enough to ensure that wildlife survive and thrive. That’s why land conservation is at theheart of AWF’s wildlife conservation strategy, and one of the four pillars on which the AfricanHeartlands program rests.In this issue, we invite you to learn more about AWF’s land and habitat conservation programs. We areproud of what we are accomplishing and hope the steady progress you see here reinforces your commitmentto the goals we share—and encourages you to support the Campaign to Save Africa’s Heartlands.Conservation at the Landscape LevelAWF’s land conservation efforts reach beyond human-drawnborders to establish vast areas of land where wildlife can roam freely.While considering all land use issues, including the needs of people,AWF works to secure wildlife movement corridors, habitat linkages,dry season refuges, and dispersal areas by:◆ working with landowners to determine which lands shouldbe reserved for wildlife and which should be used for farms,grazing and tourist lodging;◆ signing agreements with landowners to ensure sustainablemanagement of areas of land;◆ helping landowners form land trusts to secure land forlong-term conservation;◆ working with national park and protected area authoritiesto support planning, management, law enforcement andtransboundary collaboration around major parks.Over the course of our Campaign, AWF has brought severalinnovations in land conservation to fruition in the AfricanHeartlands, including:• securing ADC Mutara Ranch, strategically located in theSamburu Heartland;• restoring lands in the Maasai Steppe Heartland to benefitwildlife and local communities; and• developing land use plans that will bring tourism andeconomic opportunity to the Kilimanjaro Heartland,while protecting a unique population of elephants.Land RegainedIn a unique partnership, AWF has worked for the last two yearswith the Kenyan Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC)and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy to bring wildlife conservation and,ultimately, tourism and economic benefits to a critically-locatedgovernment-owned cattle ranch in Kenya.Ron Geatz

www.awf.org African Wildlife News 5Ron GeatzCraig R. SholleyADC Mutara Ranch occupies more than 60,000 acres in themidst of key wildlife movement corridors in Kenya’s semi-aridLaikipia region. It hosts a wide diversity of game, including severalof the big five, and rare species such as Grevy’s zebra, cheetah andPatas monkey. Partnering with AWF, ADC set aside 12,000 acres forwildlife conservation and ecotourism and is managing the entire ranchin a manner that protects wildlife habitat and prevents poaching. TheOl Pejeta Conservancy, a privately-owned wildlife area that bordersMutara, is providing the equipment and personnel as well as adviceon establishment of an ecotourism venture. Aerial surveys conductedrecently show increasing numbers of elephants, zebras, impala, giraffe,and other wildlife are once again using the ranchlands.“This type of partnership between a government agency, a privatecompany and a conservation organization is one of the innovativeways AWF is working to secure the future of wildlife conservation inAfrica,” says Dr. Helen Gichohi, President of AWF.Ranch RehabilitationAnother transformational project is Manyara Ranch. The 44,000-acre ranch occupies a critical location in a wildlife corridor that liesbetween Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks in Tanzania.When the ranch was designated for sale as part of a governmentprivatization drive, AWF facilitated the formation of the TanzaniaLand Conservation Trust (TLCT) to hold Manyara Ranch forconservation, improved livestock production, and tourism.Over the past two years, AWF has raised and invested morethan $2 million in the rehabilitation of the ranch. During this period,the vegetation and security of the ranch have greatly improved andwildlife numbers are increasing. Ranch management has rebuiltimportant dams and the livestock herd is increasing in value. TheTLCT has rebuilt the Manyara Ranch primary school at a new site.A new investment in tourism that will create jobs, local revenuesharing, and taxes is in the works.Land acquisition and protection is a focus of AWF’s work in northern Kenya, that secures safehavens for the reticulated giraffe and scores of other species.Elephant StepsBuilding on our experiences with the Manyara Ranch project,AWF is hard at work instituting conservation initiatives on WestKilimanjaro Ranch.The West Kilimanjaro Ranch, roughly 70,000 acres, sits on thewest side of Mt. Kilimanjaro at the center of a triangle formed bythree national parks—Mt. Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Amboseli.This area is strategic as it is home to a sizeable population ofelephants, identified by AWF researcher Alfred Kikoti who collectedand analyzed several years worth of satellite data.Through a long-term arrangement with the Tanzaniangovernment, AWF is working to rehabilitate and manage theranch, reversing years of overgrazing and disrepair, and providing ahealthy ecosystem for the area’s elephants.Support the Final Leg of the Heartlands CampaignOver the course of our Campaign, AWF has had manyfirsts—our largest public and private gifts ever, our best fiscal yearon record, and completion of several highly creative conservationenterprise projects. AWF’s planners,researchers, policy anddevelopment experts—on-theground,native Africans—arecontinually pursuing newopportunities to expand landconservation in creative newways. Your support for theCampaign to Save the Africa’sHeartlands is the key to securingthe future of Africa’s lands,people and wildlife. ■Kathleen FitzgeraldADC Mutara Ranch is located in Kenya’s Laikipia region, a vast plateau world-renowned for itsbreathtaking landscapes and where many species, such as these eland, roam.To make your pledge todayvisit www.awf.org/campaignor phone AWF’s DevelopmentDepartment toll-free at1-888-494-5354.

6 African Wildlife News www.awf.orgMeet the New Charlotte FellowsThis year’s Charlotte Fellows all make their home in southern Sudan, a land still rich in wildlifedespite years of civil war. Each will use the fellowship to pursue a master’s in wildlife managementat Moi University’s School of Natural Resources Management in Kenya.AWF introduced the Charlotte Conservation Fellows program in 1996 to provide support forAfrican nationals pursuing masters’ degrees or doctoral research in conservation-related fields. Theprogram was launched in tribute to the late Charlotte Kidder Ramsay, a long-time conservationist. Eachyear, AWF supports as many as five Charlotte Fellows. While expenses and materials vary according tothe recipient, scholarships are awarded for amounts of up to $25,000. Since its inception, the programhas helped more than 40 students from East, West, Central and southern Africa.Get to know Sudan’s future conservation leaders….Baya Philip Brown NgereArea of Research: Elephant populations in southern SudanAreas of Interest: Wildlife population ecologyProfessional Goals: Foster conservation in Sudan by working with governmentand NGOs“Southern Sudan is blessed with a great variety of wildlife, but we lack the capacityand skills for proper conservation management, and our wildlife have suffered.”Lona Nalurit Darius GoreArea of Research: Human-wildlife conflict in Badingilo National Park, SudanAreas of Interest: Conservation education and conservation biologyProfessional Goals: Build better conservation management through improvedconservation education in southern Sudan“The good news is that, with sufficient funding, skilled personnel, and propermanagement practices, wildlife in southern Sudan can rebound quickly fromthe challenges of the past 20 years.”Paul Lado Demetry JubekArea of Research: Identifying and mitigating threats to the Nile lechwe (antelope)Areas of Interest: Conservation biology and environmental impact assessmentProfessional Goals: Advance wildlife research in southern Sudan“Numerous development projects are being done in southern Sudan without EnvironmentalImpact Assessments, putting pressure on biological diversity. If we don’t do somethingnow, we will never see some of the species there again.”Endangered Liaisons: A Tribute to Africa and Its WildlifeIn 1987, Don Shay traveled to Kenya on a two-week photographic safari. Stricken withwhat he calls “safari fever,” Shay has since returned to Africa 14 times, touring dozens of wildlifepreserves in nine different countries and photographing thousands of animals and landscapes.Shay’s just-released Endangered Liaisons, a stunningly beautiful memoir, captures Shay’s travelsin Africa. The coffee-table book features seven chapters, each of which focuses on a particulardestination and, in most cases, a particular species of animal. The photographs are interwovenwith insightful and humorous accounts of life on safari along with well-researched information.A long-time, loyal supporter of AWF, Shay has pledged to donate $25 of every copy ofEndangered Liaisons purchased by our members to AWF. Accompany Shay as he traces the GreatMigration through the Serengeti or share the suspense as a lioness stalks prey in the Maasai Marain Kenya. Visit www.africagraphica.com/awf to purchase Shay’s book today and you will alsoreceive an Endangered Liaisons 2009 wall calendar. ■Author Don Shay will donate a portion of thesales from his stunning new book to AWF.To buy your copy ofEndangered Liaisons, visitwww.africagraphica.com/awf.

www.awf.org African Wildlife News 7ConservationEnterprise Goesto UgandaDrawing on 30 years of experience in mountain gorilla conservation,AWF recently extended its conservation enterprise model intoUganda, opening Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge on the edge ofBwindi Impenetrable National Park.The result of a partnership between the Nkuringo community, AWFthrough the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP), and a leadingprivate operator, the lodge benefits both the local people and mountain gorillaconservation. Guests staying at the lodge have the opportunity to viewUganda’s Nkuringo group of mountain gorillas, which live on the southeasternedge of Bwindi Impenetrable Park.The local Nkuringo community has a significant ownership stake in thelodge through the Nkuringo Community Development Foundation (NCDF),which represents 30,000 people in 23 local villages. With strategic supportfrom IGCP, NCDF planned and secured financing for the lodge, which wasbuilt with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Aportion of each night’s stay goes to projects such as water tanks, schools, roads,tree planting and other conservation and community development projects.Besides benefiting the local communities, the lodge is designed to exposetourists to local people and culture.Clouds offers visitors unique and comfortable accommodations. It has tencomfortable stone cottages and luxurious yet warm surroundings. Perched highon a ridge in Bwindi, the main balcony of the lodge looks out into the lushmountain rainforest of the Virunga Volcanoes.Made possible with your support, Clouds is the second AWF-supportedlodge designed to conserve mountain gorillas in a way that benefits people.Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge opened in Rwanda last year. ■Visitors to Clouds will enjoy comfortable accommodationsand hospitable service after a long day hiking the steeptrails of Bwindi.Michael RourkeClouds gives people economicincentive to conserve the highlyendangered mountain gorilla.Craig R. SholleyIBM Rolls Up ItsSleeves on Behalfof WildlifePin-striped suits may abound in the executivecorridors of IBM, but in the MaasaiSteppe Heartland the only stripes in sightare on the herds of zebras that roam the opensavanna. It is these kinds of stripes that sevenIBM volunteers have traveled to Tanzania topromote and protect.The volunteers are part of IBM’s newCorporate Services Corps program, rolled outlast year. A private sector version of the PeaceCorps, the program was created to improveemployees’ leadership skills, increase the company’sglobal presence, and support communities inless-developed countries. Of the astounding5,000 IBM professionals who applied for theprogram, 100 people were selected. IBM senttwo teams to work in Tanzania, with severalmembers of each team assigned to work withAWF.The program is about giving back—for boththe volunteers and the nonprofits that work withthem. “What IBM as a company gets is leaderswith a range of skills that function in the globalworld. What the individuals get is a unique set ofleadership opportunities and training experiences.And what communities get would be thebest IBM has to offer,” says Stanley Litow, Vice-President of Corporate Citizenship andCorporate Affairs at IBM.And the best is what AWF and the communitieswe work with are surely getting. “Thesehighly capable individuals and top business consultantsbring a new level of expertise to ourwork,” says Steven Kiruswa, Director of theMaasai Steppe Heartland, where the volunteersare based. “With IBM’s help, we have identifiedand created business plans for two conservationenterprises that will support wildlife and landprotection and benefit the people living in theresource-rich Burunge and the Eduimet regions.”The volunteers, in turn, are getting satisfactionand real results. “I wasn’t sure what to expectand how much AWF would really be able to usethe Business Plan I created…but I found outyesterday that the next step is to submit it toUSAID to try to get funding for the project!What could be better than that?” says AmberKing, a software engineer.Indeed, what could be better? ■

8 African Wildlife News www.awf.orgWildlife WatchHartebeestCraig R. SholleyPaul ThomsonThe African hartebeest (Alcelaphusbuselaphus) is a large, fawn-coloredantelope found on the grasslands ofEast, West and southern Africa. At firstglance, this antelope looks a bit strangelyput-together and less elegant than otherantelopes. But, this highly evolved ungulateis far from clumsy and, in fact, is the fastestof all antelopes.But its speed and endurance aside, thehartebeest leads a fairly inactive lifestylewhich keeps it from mixing widely withother hartebeest populations, resulting inseveral subspecies of hartebeest. Coke’shartebeest, also known as “kongoni,” is themost widespread of the subspecies.Young are born throughout the year,but conception and breeding peaks are likelyThe AfricanHartebeestis thefastestof allantelopes.dependent on the availability of food. Unlikewildebeest, a hartebeest female isolatesherself in scrub to give birth and leaves theyoung calf hidden for two weeks, onlyvisiting it briefly to suckle. Offspring staywith their mothers for quite a while. Maleoffspring stay for as long as three years andfemale offspring stay close to their mothersup until the time they give birth to calves oftheir own.Although a prolific breeder and even adominant species in some areas, the hartebeesthas probably suffered the greatestreduction in range of all African ruminants.This is both because it is easily hunted due toits idle nature and because its diet is almostequal to that of cattle—it must compete forfood resources. ■A GoldenOpportunityAmidst the financialturmoil rocking globalmarkets, there is somegood news. Congress recentlypassed the Emergency EconomicStabilization Act of 2008. Thislaw enables people 70-½ or olderto make a gift to qualified nonprofitsfrom a traditional IRA—without the distribution beingincluded as taxable income.Under this Act, individuals canask the administrator of theirIRA fund to make a directdistribution to their favoritecharity of up to $100,000 during2009. Furthermore, a directdistribution may count towardthe annual traditional IRAmandatory withdrawal amount.If you are in a position to takeadvantage of this new law, wehope you’ll speak with yourfinancial advisor and chooseAWF as your recipient ■DONATEI Want to Do Even More to Protect Africa’s Wildlife!YES, I can see that my membership donations are making a difference—and I want to do even more to help Africa’s wildlife. Please use theenclosed tax-deductible donation where it is most urgently needed inAWF’s Campaign to Save Africa’s Heartlands:❑ $25 ❑ $50 ❑ $75 ❑ $100 ❑ $500 ❑ Other $_______WITHCONFIDENCETODAY!Craig R. SholleyNAMEADDRESSCITY STATE ZIPPHONE■■Please send me my complimentaryDVD on AWF’s Campaign to SaveAfrica’s Heartlands so I can learnmore about this vital campaign.Please send me your online newsletter,AWF Africa News Online, with the lateston Africa’s wildlife and wild lands.E-MAIL ADDRESS■Please send me information about...___including AWF in my will.___gifts that pay me income for life.___I have already included AWFin my estate plans.Thank you! Please detach this form and return it with your taxdeductiblegift in the enclosed envelope to: African WildlifeFoundation, 1400 Sixteenth Street, N.W., Suite 120,Washington, D.C. 20036.If you have questions, call us at 1-888-494-5354. Or, e-mail us atAfricanwildlife@awf.org.www.awf.orgA093