*Breaking news* from Satao Camp (from email this mornin)

A driver from SxS just arrived coming from Tsavo West.
He was supposed to go to Amboseli from there but all the roads leading to Ambo are washed away so that's why he has come to Satao Camp.
Amboseli and Tsavo West and in between are all full of water and half the roads are gone.

We had to send a LandRover this morning at 10oo to rescue a Nissan coming from Malindi via Sala Gate. Both are not yet in Camp. We may have to send one more to look for them!

Regards,

PS the one from Sala just arrived. Everybody looks like warthogs out of a mud hole.

(Thus it sounds as though the rain is finally finding some of the areas that were so hard-hit).

Jan - The Amboseli reseach people are still saying the rain is very minimal there - though there is significant rain to the north, east of west of them, mostly high up in the mountains, and the animal are heading in those directions. They're wondering why the rains are going everywhere but into the core of the park.

Please see their lastest blog subject "Where has the rain gone?" recently posted
at www.elephanttrust.org

Kat: Their theory could be correct - I know absolutely nothing about climatology. But if their theory is correct, how do you explain the overabundance of rain they had in late 2006/early 2007. When I was there in late January 2007 they had had an over abundance of rain and Lake Leakey had been formed and was full from Amboseli Lodge to Observation Hill to the airstrip road and all waterholes were totally full. Yet the white saline soil has always been there.

I like to think of it in very simple terms that it is God's way of telling President Kibaki he was wrong to give Amboseli National Park back to the Maasai and telling the Maasai they were/are wrong for spearing and poison arrowing the elephants and killing the lions. However, I think my explanation would be lost on President Kibaki and the Maasai

I think everyones explanation is lost with them.......

Cody: Knowing how fearful many of the natives are of witch doctors and other things, I kiddingly suggested to Harvey Croze in a note that the Amboseli crew ought to tell the Maasai in the Amboseli area that God is getting even with them for spearing elephants and killing lions by causing the drought, and if they don't start treating wildlife correctly, perhaps God will erupt Kili on them.

A serious thought just hit me though. I wonder if anyone over there monitors the gasses coming from Kili?
Volcanoes here that haven't erupted in years and years are now in serious danger of erupting. I wonder if the big mountain itself could play any part in the drought in that area?

Not too sure about that. Will be good to get expert feed back on that. I have no idea about volcanoes and land pressure etc.
I met Harvey Croze when working with the FAO and Randy Stringer some time back in Ambo and in Nairobi. It was for a project in Ambo which as with many projects never got actioned once it started to take off.... same story same country....