The Death of a Lion

Dear all,

Hope everything is well in your lives. Sorry to come back after 2 weeks of silence with such a macabre title. I will get to that later, but wanted to have a catchy title so you read the whole entry!

The last 2 weeks have been spent doing an EarthWatch Institute Project (Lions of Tsavo) on 2 private ranches that are just south of Tsavo East National Park (a very dry park in Southeastern Kenya that is about the size of Connecticut). We were lending a hand in gathering research data on the infamous Tsavo lions that live in and around the park. As in much of Africa, there is much conflict between wildlife and humans and that project intended to gather research to potentially alleviate conflicts and provide for better conservation.

Overall the trip was good. We had 2 Africa guides, 1 Principal Investigator (Alex) and a Safari guide (Simon). We did wildlife drives for 2 weeks on the private ranches which cover about 200,000 acres. We stayed on Rukinga Ranch (80,000 acre private ranch leased to a British man for 99 years that does not allow cattle grazing and is intended for conservation). We also explored Taita Ranch (120,000 acres with better habitat but they allow cattle grazing). We did night and early morning drives and saw tons of wildlife: Lions, Cheetahs (very frequent on the ranches), Jackels, Hyenas (including a rare Striped Hyena), African Wildcats (look like house cats), Servals (another small, rare cat) and Caracals (miniature Cougars that are extremely rare and even rarer to see). There was also tons of antelope, giraffe, elephants, warthogs, birds, etc.

So, for Tsavo NP (an area the size of Connecticut), why do you need to worry about wildlife outside of the park? Isnt that enough land to maintain healthy populations? No, it isnt, not for Lions which require massive territories and constantly move with the rains (Tsavo only gets 12 inches of rain per year, so water is a highly sought after commodity). Therefore, the private land surrounding the ranches are critical for maintaining healthy Lion populations (even though Tsavo is the size of Connecticut, they think only a few hundred lions live there, thats right, hundred!). The existence of wildlife on private ranches brings conflicts with humans, particularly with herdsman. Most people have heard of the Maasai who have been herdsman for thousands of years and they frequently have conflicts with lions, but that relationship has been going on for thousands of years, it is mostly natural by now.

In Tsavo (a very dry landscape) cattle have not been a part of the landscape and as the population grows more cattle are appearing. Taita ranch is home to 10-15 thousand cows and probably has a capacity for 1-5 thousand. So the land is overgrazed, the water holes are empty and the wildlife is stressed. Additionally, even the presence of cows is enough to scare away lions and prevent them from establishing terrirories, this added stress reduces the lion populations both inside and outside the park. In fact, only 2-3 years ago (when Taita ranch had no cows) there were 35-50 lions on the ranches, they now think only 5-10 occupy that habitat.

OK, so what? People need to live and need to graze their animals for food, right? Shouldn't there be a compromise? How can we even ask starving Africans to not graze cattle because Lions are being reduced in number? Well, it isnt that simple. The cattle on the ranches are from Somalis, not Kenyans. Because Somalia and the northern regions of Kenya are in such disarray, the country is being overrun with Somalis. The historical Kenyan tribes (people that already struggle to feed themselves in an unforgiving landscape) are seeing their resources disappear with the abuse of the Somali people that have started to flock into the country. In fact, the cattle on Taita ranch DO NOT feed the people and they DO NOT provide ample employment. A few herdsman make a pittance from some rich Somali man. He (and it always is a he) trucks his cattle in and pays $6 per year to graze that cow! But, the ranchowners dont get paid for the 10-15 thousand cows, only a few of them. Most are there illegally. So in the end, 120,000 acres (plus the cows that consistently venture over to graze on Rukinga) gets ruined to benefit 1-2 rich Somali men who sell their cows to Saudi Arabia (who have the money to buy cows because Americans are addicted to oil). So do the math, Lions (which support a large tourism industry) are being reduced in number so that no local people benefit and a few rich guys benefit (and some Saudis get fatter). Taita ranch used to be run as a safari camp. When that was the case, the safari company paid the owners of the ranche a set price to run safaris on the land. In turn they employed local people as cooks, mechanics, guides, security, rangers, other staff. At that point the Lion population was high. So there is a middle ground, people can get paid to conserve wildlife, they just need to be incented to do it, this is a tough policy in a place like Kenya where corruption is rampant and it is difficult to police the entire country.

So cows are a problem, not a surprise, same thing happens here in the US. But what about the title, "Death of a Lion." During our second week, we found a pair of Lions that were courting and mating. We came back early in the morning (on Taita Ranch) to monitor their behavior. We were following them for 2 hours or so, keeping our distance. They were so preoccupied that we clearly didnt bother them. Then after one of their "intimate" 30 second sessions of mating, there was all this commotion and crashing through the trees and roaring. We first suspected that another male lion had crashed the party causing fighting to start. Nope, then we saw the female seemed to be injured and was lying on the ground pawing at her face. Ok, we supposed they ran into a beehive and had a few stings, nothing life threatening. Then all of a sudden we saw the lioness struggling just like a dog trying to wriggle out of its collar...as if the lion had something around its neck. It did! The worst case scenario, a snare! We had been driving around the area with 2 people that had been studying lions for over 7 years and we didnt even see the snare because it was so well hidden. Before continuing with the Lion's fate, let me give some background on snares. This particular trap was quite an operation. The poachers laid a fence of Acacia thorns (which we humans could hardly see, but the animals can see clearly). They had 5 spaces with wire nooses in the spaces. The animals avoid crashing through the fence and go through the openings where they get the noose around their neck. The wire is tied to a large log which is dragged by the animal and proceeds to choke it to death. These snares are meant for small antelope, not lions, but lions get snagged nonetheless. The snares are set by people who need to supplement their income with "bushmeat." They sell this meat to the butcher in order to buy other supplies. 1 antelope goes for 100 kenyan shillings - about $1.50.

In our particular case the female finally freed the log from the bushes and went down to rest. We took a closer look to see that she had the wire wrapped 4 times around her neck. We called the Kenya Wildlife Service Vet who ensured us he would be by in about 2-3 hours. We all felt good (given the circumstances) and headed back home to meet the vet and bring him back. A lion can exist without food or water for a few days, so we had time. Our guides figured she would not move very far given her stress level. Her male companion was keeping guard, so there is nothing we can do without the vet and his tranquilizer darts.

We returned about 3 hours later to search for the lions. As we approached the spot, there were antelope and birds, too much commotion for lions on the area, not a good sign. Neither lion was where we left them. We searched for about 15 minutes, then finally i spotted her. On her back, completely gone. She had tried to move under a large tree for shade and the log got jammed/ Her reaction to this is to pull as hard as possible (and the brute force of a lion meant she was pulling very hard). This only tightened the noose around her neck and she suffocated to death. This was unbelievable. The guides had encountered lion snares before and have had success calling the vet in to take care of it. Normally there are a few days to work with to fix the problem. Not in this case, she died shortly after we left.

So no only do cattle case problems, but the bushmeat trade does as well. This trade is a product of the utter poverty that exists in African countries. People are trying to get basic supplies and they decimate wildlife in the process. This lioness was killed for $1.50 worth of antelope meat. Her existence (and her offspring) can provide jobs for many people if she were only conserved. The problem is that local people DO NOT benefit from her existence. They do not feel any hard if she is killed so it is worth the option to set the snares. Really quite sad. We need to figure out a way that incents people to conserve wildlife while benefiting from it, if not, we will only see large cats in zoos and museums.

Umm, its normal to have tape on the propeller engine, right?

Ok, this should be a short entry, but a much needed one. Some things about Africa are coming as a small surprise to me and some (as you would expect) are just fun to report.

Here are a list of a few interesting incidents that aptly describe some of the interactions i have had with Normal Africans (not while climbing Kili or on Safari, etc).

1) Took Precision Airways (local Tanzanian airline now merged with Kenya Airlines) today from Kili airport to Nairobi. I look out the window and notice that the panels holding the propeller engine don't really have screws in them anymore. And there is TAPE on the outside, almost as if someone thought they could duct tape the panels together instead of adding screws. Well, i was already on the plane, no need to fret, it is Africa, everything is Hakuna Matata. Anyhow, not taking that airline again.

2) I am in the airport this morning checking in bags and my limit is 25 kgs. My camera equipment helps me get over the limit, but only by 7 kgs. I was told they will charge me $3 per extra kilo. The guy tries to tell me i owe $30. I say, no, only $21. He is cool with that, "Ok, sounds good, you will pay him later" (as he points to the baggage attendant). "Excuse me, pay him with cash?" Yep, the guy sat next to me at the waiting area and i gave him the $20 later in the morning. No idea where it went or if it was just pocketed between the 2 of them. While i was "paying" for my extra heavy baggage, they baggage attendant is asking me the standard "Your a white person, i need to figure out how to make money off of you" questions: Where are you from; Oh, NYC, that is great, we love Obama (once you say NYC they see dollar signs). I think from now on i will just say i am a poor photography student using borrowed equipment and from the slums of Chatham, NJ. They won't know any better. OK, but the point is that he tries to tell me i can book a safari through him! Yep, that is what i want to do. Meet a random baggage attendant and have him drive me around the Serengeti. Great idea.

3) Angry Tanzanians. Maybe Tanzania was spoiled by the economic boom and they were used to Mazungus ("white people" just descriptive term, not derogatory) throwing their money around. I had 3 people tell me they were offended because i did not want to buy some of their mass produced paintings that they all claimed was their own handiwork (ok, all of them look exactly the same, they are not individually done). One guy started yelling and swearing at me and told me this is why white people were hated. Just relax bro, you can't get what you want all the time. This same guy had a monkey in a box he was trying to pawn off on me (so clearly is moral code was shot and i would never support anyone harming wild animals). Needless to say, all these people getting mad at me was starting to perturb me. But seriously, i made mom proud and walked away without running my mouth. I didn't need her to get a call from the Discovery Channel: "Hi, Mrs. Nicola. We want to add your son to our "Locked Up Abroad" segment for next week. Can we fax over the waiver for you to sign on his behalf?"

Well, clearly the economic situation is affecting people over here as well, but it should also be noted that it is normal for the locals to be aggressive salesmen in Africa in order to make a buck. I was just surprised at the anger, didn't see any of that in Zimbabwe 2 years ago and they are clearly in a much more dire situation than Tanzania.

Likely off the grid for 2 weeks. Hope to have more updates by then. Off to study Lions for 2 weeks with Earthwatch, i am ok with the Lions getting angry at me, should provide for good pictures!

Mission Accomplished: 1 Day Early

Hey folks, back in Moshi, finished the climb in 8 days instead of 9. I should probably just leave it at that since it actually sounds impressive. But it really is not impressive. The record for the 9 day climb is 6 days and 8 days lets you fully enjoy the scenery and the experience. So we mashed days 5 and 6 together because they were 2 separate 3 hour hikes (1 each day). That seemed ridiculous and I was happy to eliminate a night at the cold, high altitudes in exchange for a slighlty tougher trek (although 6 hours is not that bad, just tougher at 14,000 feet).

Climbing Kili was great. We had a great crew and my guide, Genes, was very knowledgeable. I will get to the crew later, but first explain the climb. Kilimanjaro is not a technical climb in any sense of the word. Honestly, it does not require great physical fitness, it just requires acclimatizing which is pretty random and hard to predict (unless of course you were born in nepal and have much more oxygen absorbing hemoglobin in your blood, you could run up Kili without breaking a sweat if that were the case). The first and last days are really just short 2-3 hour bursts of settling in and exiting the park gates. So you really only "climb" for 6 days. The route i took (Lemosha) is longer and more scenic than the normal 6 day Macheme climb that most people take. Lemosha allows you to see more of the terrain (rainforest, to moorland, to alpine desert, to inactive volcano, etc). The hike gradually takes you up to 15,300 feet over the first 5 days. This allows you to acclimatize which posed no problem for me up to that point. On day 6 we hiked to the summit. This is a bit more intense. It is steeper and you ascend 4,000 feet in 6 hours (much faster than we had been doing in prior days). We eventually made it up to Uhuru Peak (the summit of kili). In swahili, Uhuru means: "massive headache." Well, it doesn't, but it should. It actually means "Freedom."

The climb to the peak was fine until about 17,500 and then the massive headache set in. The guide just makes you go slower, take more breaks, drink more water, and eat packets of glucose all the way up. By the time you reach the summit, you just want to take your pictures and head down the mountain. So that is what we did. A rapid descent would be a understatement of the process. We literally ran down the mountain. It took us 6 hours to get up and 1 hour to get down. But your lungs and head thank you for running down the mountain where the O2 is slightly better than the thin air at 19,300 feet.

On summit day, Genes and i went up with 4 porters. They didn't carry as much stuff as normal, as they agreed to split the weight and spread out the pain. Also, one of the younger porters had never actually been to the summit (although he had carried many a bag to Stella Point, the last stop before the summit at 18,700 feet). We hike to the summit during the day (7 am til about 2 pm). Most people start hiking up at midnight in order to see the sunrise at 6 am. Hiking up during the day was just fine. You still get to see the early morning sun and the scenery from the climb up was spectacular that day. Since it is "winter" here in Tanzania, clouds usually cover the entire valley starting in mid morning, but on our summit day the clouds were sparse and provided for great pictures.

It is very quiet on much of Kili, i think this was because i took an alternative route and also was climbing about 1-2 weeks prior to the start of the busy season (tourism is also down a bit given the economic situation). The first night we were the only ones at the campsite, the 2nd and 3rd nights there was only 1 small group at each campsite. Finally on day 4 we met up with the people climbing the popular Macheme route (mostly Canadians and Americans with a few Brits thrown in). Day 5 was the only real intereaction i had with "westerners" as a fellow New Yorker and I spent the day climbing together from Barranco to Barafu (the "base camp" for sumitting Kili). He was a colorful character that was from Alaska, China, Vietnam, San Fran, NYC, etc. An entrepreneur that does a bunch of adventure travel, he has been his "i don't feel like working and want to travel" routine for about a year, something i am just embarking on. We will likely meet up to do some good traveling, maybe another hike or some scuba, because working is really just so overrated.

Ok, the Tusker Crew (i climbed with Tusker Trail). There were 12 in all. Genes was the guide and we spent most of the 8 days together. He was a great guy and we had a lot of fun. Tusker is a very serious outfitter that takes all necessary precautions, does a medical check every morning and night to ensure that you acclimatize well. The biggest problem with those that can't acclimatize is pulmonary or cerebral edema. These are bad news and if you get them at any point you can be finished for good. We actually spent much time talking about our respective countries and how they each operate. He wanted to learn more about the economic crises and why Americans spend so much money and why we thought it was ok to invade Iraq. We talked about African politics, Zim, Sudan, Kenya and spent much time talking about the Middle East. He also didn't understand how there were still poor people in China and didn't believe that given their economic boom it was possible. Unfortunately most of China is still very poor even by Tanzanian standards. We also got to talking about religion, most people here are Christian (Islam is dominant on the coasts of East African countries).

The rest of the crew was also great. It feels weird to be "served" while climbing, but that is part of the job. After a few meals, i eventually convinced Genes that i wanted to sit with everyone in the kitchen and interact, not be segregated like many of their other clients are used to. Although much of the conversation took place in swahili, it was still great to be involved and be part of the "inside jokes" and nicknames that went around. We really did have a great time and we actually finished our climb by having beers at the gate at 11 am. Apparantly it is not normal for the clients to interact so heavily with the crew. But it was great to do so, and they appreciate it much more that way. If i am going to come live/work here at some point, i better get used to interacting (and learning the language)!

So here is the list of the crew:

Genes - Guide
Gusto - Cook; everyone called him Keyla (a girls name) and also called him "Pretta Jhay" (i am probably butchering the swahili spelling here), but that effectively means "spoiled" He was the talker of the group and tried to pawn the name Pretta Jhay off on me at the end of the trip given we had very similar birthdays, and obviously i was the client that had all his stuff carried for him!
Francis - Rescue porter, walked with Genes and I the entire time carrying a stretcher in case of emergency (this is a purely Tusker Trail luxury, unnecessary, but better safe than sorry. He busted his ankle on the 5th day and had to be escorted down the mountain, he is doing ok now, just needs some time to rest.
Vasco Joshua - The waiter (which means he cleans all their dishes too). His nickname was "Cheersman". The only one was was not Chagga - he was from southern Tanzania
Herbert - The campmaster. He would speed past us on the trail despite carrying 15 kilos on his head and would set up camp by the time we got there.
Arnold - He carried and took care of the latrine. Yes, i am serious, Tusker carries its own personal shitter. I thought it was ridiculous, but this guy gets paid more than a normal Tusker porter, so i guess it is somewhat desirable. I tried to be a man and use the woods like anormal outdoorsman as much as possible. Apologies for the graphic nature of this portion of the entry.
Rogers - porter, youngest one on the trip, 21
Malisa - porter, very tall kid, another young one, 24, was the assistant cook all week
Godchance - yep, that is right, his real name, oldest one, 36, porter
Azael - smallest guy, probably 5'2" pushing 110 if lucky and still tougher than me, carrying all that heavy stuff.
Habib - porter
Yasin - porter

Honestly, these guys are tough. They carry 15-20 kilos on their head and they go up the trail faster than us and come down faster than us. The food was actually really good and Genes forced me to eat so much that i probably didn't lose any weight all the way up.

They are all part of Genes' crew, i would highly recommend Tusker Trail and this crew for your climb! I would be happy to do it again in the future (i know some of you have expressed interest...hamptons crew...). Let me know, maybe later this year or next year when i am living here or nearby.

Long entry, ok, off to Kenya tomorrow. Probably won't have access for the next 2 weeks. Hope everyone is well.

The Climb Begins Tomorrow

Last day before the infamous climb. Met the guide today, Genes, he is from the local Chagga tribe and has been a porter/guide since the mid 1990s. Apparently Tusker (my outfitter) is the best one out there, they pay the best and ensure that their porters and guides have the proper training and equipment(came recommended from a former colleague). So when i told you 6 people were coming with me, i was wrong, only 12 are. Yep, 12. I don't understand either. But Tusker employees carry less gear per person than average outfitters as well as more emergency equipment. Maybe i will just get carried up to the summit, sounds like that is what is happening anyway. But seriously, can i justify it by saying i am supporting the local economy? Who asked you anyway, that is what i am doing. 12 people get to "put food on their families" as a result of my trip (yes, dubba quote anybody).

Genes and i had a nice leisurely man-date in Moshi, visiting the shops, having lunch and talking about America/Tanzania so that we both understood our different lives and situations. Seems that the hangover of George Bush is still talked about today, although there are lots of signs, paintings and stickers of Obama, so the perception is gradually gravitating back to the state where East Africans respect America not only for the money its citizens bring but also the decisions we make regarding foreign policy.

It is difficult for me to take pictures here, being the only white person around feels odd, your every action is scrutinized. Don't get me wrong, everyone is very nice, but you also doesn't want to be disrespectful people. Just need to learn Swahili then it will all be "hakuna matata" (yes, they used real words in The Lion King and yes i saw that show with my parents, stop laughing please).

The whole uploading pictures just isn't going to happen until Kenya, sorry. I will have some good Kili pics by then, so it will be worth the wait).

Also, the setting have been fixed, anybody can post a comment now without registering! How exciting!

Ok, time to walk back home and prep for the hike. Will be out of touch until June 14th.

The internet dont work so good here...

So, i was writing a nice entry about how Tanzania is different than expected and much more "African" than other countries i have visited and the power went out. But that is normal, this is Africa after all.

Moshi, Tanzania is a very local place. No large hotels or bunches of white people getting driven around in safari vehicles. The streets are filled with people on bikes and in cars that spew black exhaust. It is quite different than the slightly westernized versions of Africa i have seen in the past.

I arrived last night and was the ONLY one at my hotel. Yep, weird, i know...but the real story (conveyed this morning from someone with a better grasp of the English language) is that the hotel just opened after renovations. So it is not a true ghost town, although tourism certainly is down given the worldwide economy.

Visited the Kilimanjaro Porter Assistance Project this morning which is run by an American woman who has been here for 5 years. Donated my unnecessary duplicates of hiking clothing, etc. Good thing i went to visit her, she showed me where to get a phone, change money and get the bus to Arusha (the larger Tanzanian town in this part of the country, known as the 'gateway to the Serengeti'). I had no idea what i was doing or where i was going (that won't ever stop me, but good to be aware occasionally).

The trip to Arusha was very local, a $2 bus called "a coaster" jam packed with Tanzanians (and me, the only "Westerner"). People squish into the seats, stand in between the seats and have to get on a off (in between the main stops) while the vehicle rolls on at 5 mph. Was a nice way to see the countryside, better than getting whisked away in a luxury vehicle that ignores the outside world (the real Africa).

Finally, the Arusha trip allowed me to meet a Tanzanian guy that runs a non-profit working on sustainable development and conservation, particularly within the tourism industry and local communities. He wants people to come and just do projects for him. Maybe in the fall. Sounds like a good idea.

I don't have any pictures to post. It is overcast anyway (apparently that is normal for winter), but no rain and also can't see Kili even though it is so close.

Before the internet turns off again, i will sign off. Later

At the Airport...

Well, the decision has been made. There will be an official travelblog. Created at the Amsterdam airport.

More interesting news to follow once I exit the land of modern Europeans and enter an interesting part of the world. But...maybe the flight over was a sign of things to come. Seat arrangements were a mess (not a surprise given it was Delta running the show and we all know American-operated Airlines are pretty bad)...the point being, i was put in first class, just for kicks, didn't even ask. Not a bad start.

Ok, the spacebar on this keyboard doesn't work properly. That is enough.

Well return with news from Tanzania soon and hopefully can upload some pics of the mighty Kilimanjaro!