Re: [KENYABIRDSNET] URGENT: Nairobi Park forest and wildlife threatened by ex...

Good news, the NEMA boss just called me to tell me that after an inspection they issued a stop order as no EIA or stakeholder consultation has taken place. Hopefully this is a new opportunity to engage with and support KWS in improvements - afterall we are their customers and the rightful owners of the park.

Cheers

Paula

On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 6:07 AM, <TButynski@aol.com> wrote:

Hi,

The following might be of interest. This from:

Re: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/4185/0 sent to me by James Culverwell.

Tom

"While Kenya has not been a White Rhino range state in the last two
hundred years; evidence from fossils and cave paintings in Kenya and
northern Tanzania suggests that the White Rhinoceros, presumably similar
to the northern race (C. s. cottoni), was widespread and a part of the
East African savanna fauna until 3,000 years ago or less (M. Leakey
pers. comm.), when it was probably displaced by pastoralists who could
easily kill such tame animals (Brett RA [ed] 1993). This is based on the
White Rhino subfossil documented by Maeve Leakey from 3,000 year from
Rift Valley (Lake Nakuru area). Thus at one stage Kenya was once a White
Rhino range state (subspecies unknown) and hence the White Rhino as a
species but not C. s. simum as a subspecies has probably been
reintroduced to Kenya (with the latter being an introduction of a
probable out of range subspecies). A recent report of a white rhino
hunting trophy from Kenya in an Austrian Museum still has to be
confirmed but merits further investigation."

In a message dated 2/6/2014 9:33:45 P.M. E. Africa Standard Time, birdfinch@gmail.com writes:

Hi Tom,
I believe that the Oribi came from the Krugers Farm at Eldoret some
years ago when the habitat was under threat. Oribi have not been a
native to the area, but of course are found both in the west and the
east where they are common at Kipini on the coast.
At least they are a native Kenyan mammal which cannot be said for White Rhino,
Best for now
Brian

On 2/6/14, Bishop, Richard (ILRI) <R.BISHOP@cgiar.org> wrote:
> Tom
>
> I don't believe that Oribi are native in the Nairobi. They are present in
> Mara (although possibly not common) and certainly common in Ruma NP. It is
> far from clear to me why they were introduced at all since unlike the
> exotic south African White Rhino they are not globally threatened
>
> Richard
> PS: We seem to see far less Black Rhino in in NNP these days. A few years
> ago ten in a morning was not unusual. Does anyone else have the same
> experience?
>
> Dr. Richard Bishop
> Principal Molecular Biologist
> International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
> P.O. Box 30709
> GPO 00100
> Nairobi
> Kenya
> Tel: +254(0)20 4223000 (switchboard) 4223359 (office)
> e mail: r.bishop@cgiar.org
> mobile: 0710 831 851
>
> From: kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com [mailto:kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com]
> On Behalf Of TButynski@aol.com
> Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2014 5:54 AM
> To: wiegert@yahoo.com; pkahumbu@gmail.com; birdfinch@gmail.com
> Cc: kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com; gmwahungu@gmail.com
> Subject: Re: [KENYABIRDSNET] URGENT: Nairobi Park forest and wildlife
> threatened by ex...
>
>
>
> Are Oribi Ourebia ourebi also an 'introduced species' to Nairobi National
> Park? I thought that this species was brought into NNP from SW Kenya (i.e.,
> O. o. cottoni).
>
> I am not aware of any earlier records of Oribi for the Nairobi area. Are
> there any such records?
>
> Tom
>
> In a message dated 2/4/2014 6:02:41 P.M. E. Africa Standard Time,
> wiegert@yahoo.com writes:
>
> Hi,
>
> I think it is interesting to find out who finances these projects.
>
> Wiegert
>
> From: Brian Finch<mailto:birdfinch@gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2014 10:43 AM
> To: pkahumbu@gmail.com<mailto:pkahumbu@gmail.com>
> Cc: kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com<mailto:kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com> ;
> Geoffrey Wahungu<mailto:gmwahungu@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [KENYABIRDSNET] URGENT: Nairobi Park forest and wildlife
> threatened by expansion of Orphanage
>
>
>
> Dear Paula and all,
> This is horrifying, and shows why we have to keep an eye on actions
> taken by KWS in all sorts of their underhand manners, as you said in
> your previous correspondence they are so secretive in what they do. Of
> course what they do is completely illegal, and it's time that the
> conservationist minded public were fully aware of the mishandling of
> Nairobi National Park. It's so difficult nowadays to write anything
> complementary about KWS in Nairobi, but I suppose there must be
> something somewhere.
> From my own standpoint the integrity of Nairobi National Park as a
> reserve for native wildlife was breached when (and I am sure only for
> a tourist attraction) White Rhinos were introduced to the Park. As
> Kenya has never been the home for these beasts, (which I am very fond
> of by the way), they have as little right to call NNP home as House
> Crows in Mombasa, they are an exotic, never native to Kenya and should
> not have been introduced into what up to then was a natural ecosystem
> as far as mammalian species were concerned.
> Had the White Rhinos not had been introduced, we would probably not
> have had the associated problems that we have now, with them being a
> magnet to poachers. They can only bring us trouble and the time is now
> to relocate them in a safe area elsewhere.
>
> Do you know that on Sunday, with Fleur and some visitors, we were
> birding along the Cheetah Gate Road. We have always been exceedingly
> suspicious of the great area of land along the Mbagathi in that little
> visited SE corner, being fenced off. Whilst I don't think that
> anything honest from KWS has satisfactorily explained the fencing of
> this portion of the Park, now the road to Cheetah Gate has been
> blocked with the electric fence continuing across the road from the
> Cement Factory. This definitely looks like an Illegal Excision of a
> large part of the Park to me, what do others feel?
>
> Then of course there is the mystery fence at the back of Hyena Dam,
> another Excision?, and what about the Pylons????
> Best to all
> Brian
>
> On 2/3/14, Paula Kahumbu <pkahumbu@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Dear friends,
>>
>> I was horrified today to see that KWS have started fencing off a huge
>> piece
>> of the Nairobi National Park for the major expansion of the Nairobi
>> Orphanage. See attached photo. The fence follows the main road from the
>> entrance all the way to the club house - which is almost to the ivory
>> burn
>> site.
>>
>> I am writing to request that you help me to demand an immediate halt
>> these
>> plans. I have identified the following arguments; you may have others
>>
>> 1. Expanding the orphanage violates the very original purpose of the
>> orphanage - to home orphans and act as a half way house before they are
>> released. The orphanage was never intended as a zoo which is what it
>> seems
>> KWS wants to create. The Safari Walk on the other hand was created as a
>> zoo
>> - there is no need for two zoos in the same place in Nairobi. Moreover,
>> wilderness in the National Park should not be sacrificed for the creation
>> of or expansion of a zoo, instead a wholesome education experience
>> through
>> visitation to the park should be promoted as it is far more valuable.
>>
>>
>> 2. The area for expansion will require the destruction of a sizeable
>> piece
>> of Nairobi Park. We are not aware of any EIA having been conducted, nor
>> are we aware of any stakeholder consultation having taken place. As you
>> know, FoNNaP which is 19 years old, has always defended the park and
>> although our board meets regularly with the warden, there has been no
>> consultation of these plans, and we have not been informed of these or
>> any
>> other plans for developments in the park.
>>
>> 3. We believe that these developments are in violation of the management
>> plan of the park which is already out of date having expired a few years
>> ago. It is also therefore a violation of the new Act which requires parks
>> to have management plans that are developed through a stakeholder
>> consultative process.
>>
>> 4. The area of land that is being fenced off will result in the
>> destruction
>> of highly endangered tropical highland forest including habitats for
>> endangered add endangered species, as well as species of concern
>> including
>> lions, jackals, leopard, Crowned eagle (one of the only 2 nesting pairs
>> in
>> Nairobi nests in these trees), Suni, duiker, black rhino and forest hog
>> all
>> live in this part of the forest. I am sure there are also plants, birds
>> and other animals that will also be threatened. By degrading this habitat
>> and alienating it from the park the KWS will be violating the EMCA, and
>> failure to consult the stakeholders is in violation of the constitution.
>>
>> I have written to the Director KWS, NEMA Director and the CS to
>> respectfully request the immediate halt to the ongoing fencing of the
>> park,
>> as it is not too late to restore any damage already caused.
>>
>> I have also asked for an investigation to be initiated into how this
>> proposal was developed and passed without any stakeholder consultation or
>> EIA.
>>
>>
>> Please help by sending your own letter to the Cabinet Secretary, KWS
>> Director (Director@kws.org) and NEMA DG <gmwahungu@gmail.com>on this
>> issue
>> so that they can see how serious this is.
>>
>>
>> Kind Regards
>>
>
>