This is a subject that has recieved a lot of different comments and views over the past years. I am currently "helping" in introducing a project around the Kimana area in Amboseli - with various professionals in the FAO - UN and Universities. Naturally taking a long time to get the ball rolling......!!!
Feel free to place your comments on this site and we can bounce ideas.

Thank you,

Nico - Co founder of Bushdrums

Nico,

I recently participated in a related project just across the obrder in Tanzania, more specifically Lake Natron. The company i work for was a part sponsor and participant of an elephant collaring exercise. The aim was to collar up to 11 elephants both male and female found in the study area. The focus of the research is to establish "scientifically" elephant corridors in the study area which extends from West kilimanjaro Westerwards to the rift valley escarpment. Elephant corridors in this area are essentially well known to the local Maasai BUT local knowledge does not count towards a scientific report. The final aim of the research is to incorporate these corridors into the village land use plans and have these gazetted by Parliament. What that means is that individual villages will have to keep these corridors free of settlement and agriculture. The research leader is one Alfred kikoti; they do not come more passionate than him. It was a pleasure and honor to be part of that exercise.

Bwanamich -

That is one of the most positive news I have heard.
Great to read that there is some light somewhere in the distance.
I have had meetings / talks with various people from FAO, AWF, Elefant Trust etc with Mr David Western and office and quite a number or large and small Tour Operators and Hoteliers - with their owners and / or managing directors.
What I was very surpriced about was that mainly the locals who worked for these companies / NGO's knew what was going on and most (not all) owners or directors of the Private Sector (Hotels & Lodges) and some heads of NGO's had little idea of what was going on and are VERY slow to react.
Most of the Private Sector especially some of the big boys do not give a dawn what happens to wildlife whilst it is the smaller operators who actually have a better view and respect - hence we started Bushdrums to try and pass a message.

The locals know a lot more about what is going on and I am trying to contact a gentleman in Kimana to join however he will have problems connecting on the net. He works for one of the big NGO's and will probably not mention who he works for - for obvious reasons however will provide an insight of what is going on....

The corridors in Kimana and Amboseli are nearly blocked - I walked over it and then flew over it and it is quite incredible what has happened with regards to building and farming.

Bwanamich:

Are you by any chance working with Soila and Norah? I got a note from them last week that they were going out on a collaring with a Tanzanian researcher just so they would be able to identify the bull that was being collared should they see him again. The purpose of that was also trying to establish the corridors the elephants preferred.

I hope it will be done not only from Ambo to Tanz but also Ambo to Tsavo. I hear that not many elephants make the trek between those two parks any more.

I am praying that something good will come of the "corridors" and the sooner the better. I just finished reading Mervyn Cowie's book from 1960's and they were talking back then of the dire necessity for creating corridors - and nothing was done all these year.

Keep all fingers crossed!

Jan,
No I don't. Soila and Norah were not part of this team. Perhaps another one as Alfred is very active in this respect and has already created a wildlife corridor used by elephants but also other migratory species by having it gazetted by Gov. This one is between Tarangire ecosystem and Lake Manyara ecosystem. It is the first such corridor gazetted by Gov in Tanzania.

Great news. Does Alfred have a website where one can learn about his work?