positive twist for the Elephants survival!!
www.wildlifedirect.org
By: MilgisTrust
Nov 21 2
Its a sad thing, but what I hear more and more often in my life, is if you can’t make money out of wildlife its ‘no good to anybody’… This is a sign of the times thats for sure in my opinion…. If the animal can not pay for itself, its doomed…. SHAME ON HUMANS.. You can’t ‘ JUST BE ‘ any more… We have been battling with the people over the return of the Elephants to the Ndotos, unfortunately they have got used to living with out them…… Just to remind you… They were almost completely wiped out of any where north of the Milgis Lugga, in the terrible poaching in the 70s and 80s.. But I am pleased to inform you that they are coming back in their droves, and the amazing thing is they are being appreciated by the people…
Acacia trees felled by Elephants, in the north west Ndotos…
Part of the Managers awareness safari, after the drought, was to visit, an area, in the north west side of the Ndotos, Ora, where a couple of years ago he had had a very difficult meeting with the people over the return of the Elephants… This time things have changed and now the ‘elephant’ is welcome!!… Due to widespread realisation, by the elders, that if every one just keeps cutting trees down to feed their livestock, what are they going to eat next year!, there are some hefty fines handed out to people who cut trees, but with the elephants just going about there daily meals, 5 tons of mass needs alot to eat, it needs trees!, so now the people just follow the Elephants..
Ora, a beautiful area, on the west side of the magical Ndoto Mountains..Where Elephants had disappeared from for 30 years!!.. ,
This is our managers positive report…
The following day we left for Ora where we had a very good meeting before showing the film. We revisited areas where people had been complaining bitterly on the destruction of trees by elephants, when they first came back to the area. This time it was all praise for Elephants and this was what was said at the meeting!
Ø The Ely’s rescued hundreds of cows from starvation- They felled branches of Euphorbia, acacias and other plants which our livestock could then feed off.. We didn’t have to cut any trees down! One man who was very bitter on the arrival of Ely’s, said Ely’s were now his closest friend during the dry period.
Ø They have opened up paths into the mountains, and now many previously impassable slopes are passable..
Ø The Ely’s are able to smell out roots (njasi) which, they eat but they always leave some behind which the herders could eat as they looked after livestock
Ø They are very friendly
This was very pleasing to hear and they had already talked to the people who came from Lesirikan and keleswa areas about not disturbing the animals in the area. [ There has been a shortage of rain in the west, and northern areas so there is a massive influx of new people to Ora, with their livestock looking for grazing] To emphasise this and support them we chose on the film on the ‘Bloody Ivory’ which shows footage on human wildlife friendliness, though the title means something else.
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One Response to “positive twist for the Elephants survival!!”
Anna M, on 21 Nov 2009
Thank you for this uplifting post, add also to this twist that the elephants will spread the seeds for new trees to grow, they are great dispersers and fertiliser for the next generation of growths, they are so important in the complex web that is our eco system and world.. long may it last I say and not bad for something that simple goes about “just being” … Good to hear from you again Helen…
Article at: http://milgistrust.wildlifedirect.org/2009/11/21/positive-twist-for-the-elephants-survival/
