A brief summary of recordings in Samburu on the Long Term Monitoring for the month of Dec 2008.
Total monthly rainfall: Nil
Number of Days Spent Monitoring: 14 days
Total Number of Individuals Recorded: 265
Total Number Bulls: 13
Total Number Cows/Calves: 252
Proportion (%) Recorded Last Month: 50%
Number of Mature Bulls: 9
Number of New Calves: 5
Number of Estrus Females: 4
Number of Deaths: Nil
Recorded Births: 7
Estrus/Matings:
Deaths: None within our patrol
Musth: 5
Other relevant information:
Elephants move with Rains
This time round the rains were experienced early than expected, as suppose in many past years. We therefore did not had any rains the whole of December. Many Migrant families that are normally in the Reserve the month December left early to other places where the rains were still continuing.
Between Lewa and Samburu (Mlango area)
The formation of NRT, has been always believed to have helped many worrying communities living in northern part of Kenya to live in peace with their neighbors and the environment. Partly that is why that Mlango area, and Lengishu hills all was well until recently when the tribal war started again.
Beginning of Dec 08, cattle raiding problem started between the three pastoral communities living in Mlango area Somali’s Samburu’s and Turkana.
The problem in some of the above mention communities is pride. Cattle rustling use to be something young recently circumcised men would do to be recognized as proper warriors.
In my opinion it would be mixture of fortunes, the severe drought that has forced many to leave their residences and move to different location Cultural rites like, the recent young generation of warriors. All this could be the cause of all this issue’s.
Neither Samburu, nor Somali or even Turkana are. In that area to enjoying any peace, they all up and down now. When there was calmness in the area, and no issues, the whole eco-system was completely over-grazed, soil erosion was bad, and the wildlife diminished. Let’s wait and see how long the tribal issues would last! And how long it would take both vegetation and animals to regenerate back into the area.