Hmmm...Very interesting....in Jackson's blog he notes that the camp manager has just flown "off to Spain". Is this whole thing related to the rich Spaniards who are building 24 cages for "captured cheetah" in the Mara and building, against KWS's wishes, a tourist lodge along with a "drive-thru cheetah zoo" to display to them to tourists?

Hi All, Paula Here.
Thought I'd take this opportunity to thank Kipper for all his help for trying to help Miujisa. Thank you!
Also can I thank you Kipper, for trying to explain, in quotes from me, on her story.
For those of you who think this story does not seem true, and is some kind of cover up for the cheetah zoo, then I can only say thats not the case, and I have tried to explain about who has been contacted regarding Miujisa's story.

Kat, it if you could take a step back and maybe look at it from a different perspective. Yes its good to pick up on comments such as "flying to spain", as that shows you have a good eye, but it also shows by all your posts so far, that you are only looking for the bad. Sometimes thats a good thing, but sometimes people ignore all possibility that something is actually not all it seems to be - this is clearly the case with Miujisa's story. If I did happen to be totally misled here, then I would be deeply shocked, but I have alot of different contacts who all are aware of Miujisa's story, including the KWS, Laurie, Jackson etc - I really couldn't imagine they would let it go on, if it was for a cheetah zoo project. Tsavo's link to Jackson's blog, explains alot about what happened before Miujisa was taken to Nairobi, and Jackson's thought on it all.
If you read it without thinking that Jackson is one of these "cheetah zoo" organisers, then I think you will see that he is trying to think of the best thing for the cub, given the situation he was faced with.

As I mentioned before, Jackson has been to various meetings about the cheetah zoo - He is totally against the idea as far as I'm concerned, and I do genuinly think that Jackson has a good heart, and cares alot about Africa's wildlife.
You can all judge for yourselves on this one, but thanks to all who have donated to help Miujisa have the best life she can in her position.

Thanks for reading, If you do have anymore questions, I can try and answer them as best I can,
Kind regards,
Paula.

p.s: Please may I just like to point out also, that I worded the NEMA comment wrong in an earlier quote, I should really have said they seemed to be in favour of the Zoo project, after I had read this link:
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/mara-lodges009.html#cr

Yet some people say Nema was misled??
The people that really do need to stop their act, are those who have gone ahead with the idea about this "cheetah zoo"!

- Edited by kat on 27.07.2009, 20:27 -

Kat - I'm curious who the person is who has conducted many years of cheetah research in the Mara? I worked there rather briefly and know of no one, with the exception of perhaps Jonathan Scott, who had conducted cheetah research there for 'many years'. I'm just curious. Thank you.

(I was told by someone who has conducted many years of cheetah research in the Mara that finding an orphaned cheetah cub is "incredibly rare, indeed".)

I personally do not have information on any link between Jackson and the Zoo entrepreneurs. I just happened to find Jackson's blog, a while back. I do know, however, that most of the cheetahs that end up at the KWS orphanage, do come from the Mara.

I think we are on the same wavelength here with trying to save what wildlife is left in Africa - but that our view on the reason for masaimarafunds is very different.

I do not know If you are aware, but masaimarafunds is a website actually run by me, and I called it as such as I was hoping to find ways of helping as much as I could, with the support of members and the knowledge jackson and other contacts have etc.
Poaching was actually next on my list, but I thought we could get one fund raising finished before anything else was organised.
When you say you "want people to hear the truth I deliver it straight, hard and unadorned", I agree that people should hear the truth, and that is why I have tried to explain it as best I could.
I am only telling all, as the website owner, what my goals were.
It says on the "Who we are" page, about how it was inspired by Miujisa, as that is why it all began, but I didn't want to just name it "Miujisa funds" and let that be it.
I wanted to be able to help more causes in the future if possible. I didn't want to have to alter the title and confuse people, so I made the address name up for future plans also.

I don't know who you spoke to, but whoever has said the masaimarafunds and the cheetah zoo are the same, is wrong I'm afraid. I would never support such a thing, as I definately do not agree in the idea. The masaimarafunds is totally seperate.
Laurie has said that a cheetah that is captivated can never return to the wild, (along the same lines of what you have mentioned in your other post) so why on earth would they capture these wild cheetahs?! Thats totally defeating the object. Its totally money orientated in my eyes, and I cannot see how this would help save the cheetah from becoming extinct in the wild, quite the opposite actually!

I hope I havn't upset anyone, or stepped out of line, I am just trying to clear the whole "masaimarafunds" is a secret helper/organisation for the "cheetah zoo".
I havn't a clue what I can do to perhaps try to show you otherwise??

Dear TsavoCheetah:

I was given info from several people who were adamant that they remain anonymous as they have to swim in the same political waters as everyone else. Getting people to be on-the-record is difficult as it could endanger their programs and, even, sometimes their lives when discussing controversial wildlife matters. So, I would never think of breaking my word - unless of course they gave the ok.

As you may have already found out - corruption is rampant in Kenya and in wildlife circles too.
You don't have to go far out on a limb before you hear the sound of the limb being sawed off!

I'm old and live in New York and therefore harmless to the powers that be. I can say what I please but most of my contacts in wildlife conservation in Kenya and elsewhere are constantly walking on eggshells - trying not to offend - trying not to rock the boat.

By the way, how is you project going? Any new revelations about cheetahs in Tsavo?

Cheers, Kat