40,000 acres near Nairobi N.P. protected

As of September 2010, we have been able to add another 10,000 acres under the protection of the Wildlife Conservation Lease Programme. This brings a total of 40,000 acres (62 sq.miles) of the Nairobi Nat. Park dispersal area under land-use protection. Nairobi National Park is approximately 30,000 acres in size, so in effect, we have now been able to more than double the protected area of Kenya's first national park. Dozens of Maasai families, that have been on the "lease programme waiting list", have made this co-operative venture possible. The entire area looks beautiful and wildlife like big male lion "Ujonjo" are thriving. Photo by Will Knocker taken on 1 September 2010.

Leopards of Nairobi National Park

Yumi Yamane, a zoologist from Kyoto University is researching leopards in NNP, specifically looking at the conservation of these elusive cats and at interaction between leopards and people living outside the Park. Will Knocker reports that Yumi trapped and collared 2 female leopards in the Park in January 2009 and has been trying to keep up with them through radio signals & GPS readings showing their movements since then. KWS further reports a female with 3 cubs in the Langata Forest area of Nairobi National Park. Yumi has positively identified at least 5 different males & estimates the entire Nairobi National Park leopard population at between 10-20. Having these elusive beauties so close to "civilization" is what helps makes Nairobi National Park so unique and special.

This photo (right) illustrating the co-existance of wildlife, livestock and people in our project area south of Nairobi National Park was taken by a team of World Bank environmental and financial leaders who were on a project site-visit. They met several of the Maasai families in the Lease Program and saw first hand how wildlife on these important private lands are thriving. The grasses are severely dry so everyone is hoping the brief recent rains are a sign that the "short rains" might come early this year. Because of the severe drought, Nairobi NP and the Maasai lands close by are full of migrating wildlife because of the permanent water located in the Park and the Empakasi River, which marks the open un-fenced southern boundary of the Park. Paula Kahumbu reports sighting a single cheetah, which she judged to likely be a female, near Masai Gate looking very healthy. Let us hope there is an equally healthy male cheetah near by.

There are now 5 adult lionesses resident in the park and the adjacent dispersal area along with at least one very healthy alult male. One of the females has 3 young cubs. Our goal is to continue to assist the local Maasai community to keep the lion population healthy and growing.

Kenya: Big Cats Roaring Back Into Nairobi Park Ecosystem................ The Kenya Wildlife Service and Friends of the Nairobi National Park (FoNNaP) staged a ceremony on August 21 at the main gate to the Nairobi National Park to celebrate the return of lions and other big cats to the Nairobi National Park. The resurgence in the big cat population is the result of a successful Consolation Scheme now administered by FoNNaP and the Lease Programme funded and implimented by The Wildlife Foundation. Conservationists and fans of the Nairobi National Park were jolted into action in 2003, when 11 lions were killed near the park. According to Inge Burchard, the chief scientist from FoNNaP for the park and the Kitengela ecosystem, this was because the pastoralists whose livestock had been killed by lions were not compensated when the Lion Endowment Fund ran out. Acting on her appeal, Alan Donovan, a co-founder of African Heritage offered to organise the First African Heritage Day at his house overlooking the park, to raise funds for the Call of the Lions. In 2004, 600 people arrived at his house on the original Kenya-Uganda steam train, with US ambassador Mark Bellamy and Carmelo Cocuzza of the European Investment Bank as special guests of honour. Since that time, there have been two more successful fundraisers held at the African Heritage House for the benefit of the lions and other big cats who inhabit the park. Last year, Rift Valley Railways provided one of its new diesel engines with newly painted passenger cars for the several hundred guests who made the trip to the Athi Plains. German ambassador Walter Lindner assisted in providing entertainment (by Eric Wainana and Ayub Ogada) for the occasion, and US ambassador Michael Ranneberger was the guest of honour. He expressed his government's support for the park and other projects in the wildlife sector amounting to $10.4 million between 2006 and 2010. The Kenya Wildlife Service received $2.5 million last year to implement, over the next four years, management actions in support of its 10-year strategic plan. Some of these funds are invested directly in Nairobi Park. It is one of the first parks in the KWS system to benefit from the SmartCard system. KWS is also implementing the Nairobi National Park ecosystem management plan, which includes linkages with new US support for the Kitengela wildlife dispersal area, including another grant of $1.6 million this year provided by USAID. If the park is to retain its unique character and biodiversity, it is essential that migratory routes continue to run through it. FoNNaP has set a goal of Ksh50 million ($714,000) for a new Lion Endowment Fund to make it self-sustaining -- it will utilise only the interest on the fund to make compensation payments. However, it will take much more than that to restore the wildlife corridors. There are many potential donors willing and able to assist as is exemplified by the wide support for the Call of the Lions. Proceeds from the African Heritage Days also go to the Lion Endowment Fund. US ambassador Mr Ranneberger says the Call of the Lions is a model programme as it involves both public and private sources as well as individuals who may offer their support while they pay homage to the rich environmental, wildlife and cultural heritage of the African continent. At the last African Heritage Day, Mr Ranneberger underscored the continuing US commitment to help preserve Kenya's rich wildlife heritage and, in particular, the Nairobi National Park. He urged everyone to enthusiastically support this effort, adding, "I am sure that, one of these days, we will hear the lions roar their approval." The next African Heritage Day, said Mr Donovanwill combine the public opening ceremony of the Murumbi Peace Memorial at Nairobi's City Park with the opening of a new gate to Nairobi National Park by the Kenya Wildlife Service on Mombasa Road.

Lions, lots and lots...

Report from Dave McKelvie, 28 January 2008. Nairobi National Park's main lion pride has a big male, 3 females, teenagers and 2 little cubs. They seem to be happy to stay as game plentiful. 2 young males wander all over Nairobi National Park, last saw them near Cheetah gate with a kill just a couple of weeks ago. Just after Christmas, 2 young males were at burning site, a single female near water crossing trying to join pride but was chased, another pride with big male near marker 4 and then another 2 females at marker number 5, all seen in one trip through the Park. Also hear another pride near hippo pool of about 6. Lion numbers have now increased to approximately 19. Nairobi National Park has been transformed since the Kenya Wildlife Service decided to burn it, after 5 years+ of dead grass. It's now herds of buffalo with young, must be around 100+, eland with young 50+, kongoni with young 100+, zebra with young 100+; I came across a herd of 26 giraffe too. I also saw steinbuck. Black Rhinos I see everyday and came across 3 this morning just after 6am. I have to say and this is imperative, prescribed burning has rejuvenated the park and KWS must plan to do this every so often. KWS is to be commended for the grass burning and making Nairobi Park a place visitors can come and see game again. Cheetah have been sighted, a huge male cheetah near Cheetah gate, 3 cheetahs just near Masai gate and I personally saw a big one near burning site just before Christmas. I also hear that Hopcraft farm had 18 cheetahs last year and hopefully, now that grass has been burnt, they will come back. Lots of ostrich with young, too. Impala herd of about 20 with young seen, Tommies and Grants gazelles slowly coming back since the big prescribed burn. 2 Serval cats hang around marker number 7 and are seen often. Wildebeest were sighted Sunday coming into the Park near Cheetah gate. Unfortunately, we recently had domestic dogs in Park, which were reported to KWS and they tried to get them, but eventually they were killed by lions, wandered down a road right into a lion pride.

African Wild Dogs return

When African wild dogs reappeared in the Maasai owned dispersal area of Nairobi National Park late in 2006, there was great excitement in the scientific community who had not seen these highly endangered predators in perhaps 20 years. The wild dogs have been roaming far and wide and accurate counts are hard to come by, but there are now approximately 25 wild dogs in the Nairobi NP dispersal area and then perhaps another 25 farther away in the region. The wild dogs, as is their nature, have been eating wild game, but also lots of domestic sheep and goats, so funding is desperately needed for the Predator Consolation Program to help compensate the Maasai livestock owners for their losses. The Friends of Nairobi Nat. Park (FoNNaP) are now managing this important wildlife conservation program. Lions are also making back gains from their low point in 2003. A pride of 13 was recently seen in Nairobi NP and another pride of 6, including the big male "Ujongo" was also observed. This pride includes 2 adult lionesses and at least 3 adorable cubs approximately 10 months old. Two other adult males are now outside the Park to the southwest. At Hippo Pools which is located on the open southern Park boundary, a crocodile killed a cow and another croc killed a calf that had come down to the Empakasi River to drink. Welcome to the wilds in Nairobi's back yard. Thanks to the recent large prescribed burn by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), hundreds of zebra are in the Park and many have new foals. Also spotted lately have been hartebeest, eland, wildebeest, waterbucks and giraffe in large numbers. Please help our worthy conservation efforts and the Maasai people who make it all possible.