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- Kenya - Elephant Poachers Go Hi-Tech to Stay Ahead of Rangers
- Angola - National, Foreign Companies Attend Veterinary Exhibition in Huambo
- South Africa - Free rabies jabs for Johannesburg pets
- East Africa - National parks see mammals' decline
- Angola - President Welcomes Congress of Veterinary Medicine
- New species of carnivorous mammal found in Madagascar
- An African Success: In Namibia,The People and Wildlife Coexist
- Kenya: Tetra Pak Sees Huge Boom in Global Dairy Industry
- Zimbabwe: Country Scoops Tourism Award At Beijing Expo
- Cameroon: Ebogo Ecotourism Site Undergoes Renovation
Kenya - Elephant Poachers Go Hi-Tech to Stay Ahead of Rangers
19 October 2010 | by Steve Mbogo
The trends of poaching in Kenya over the last three years are illustrated by a steep graph that defies gravity. The number of elephant deaths in that period has grown five times. The seizure of ivory and rhino horns coming from Kenya and eastern Africa region is at a record high, even before the year ends. Data from various sources show that while 47 elephants died in 2007 due to poaching, the number rose to 145 in 2008 and to 216 in 2009.
This year, 28,000 tonnes of ivory have been seized. The irony is that the slaughter of elephant is increasing at a time when technological advancement can make it easier to track and deter poachers. Training of game rangers has also become more sophisticated just as the weapons and equipment they use.
Sophisticated weapons:
Mr Bonaventure Ebayi, the director of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF), a regional anti-poaching initiative, said poachers and traffickers of illicit game trophies were keeping pace with technology and were using more sophisticated weapons than the game rangers. "Ivory and rhino horn poachers and traders have become so sophisticated that the training of our wildlife rangers in combat, intelligence gathering and analysis and the use of modern equipment must also be improved," said Mr Ebayi in an interview.
Kenya Wildlife Service Director Julius Kipng'etich said in earlier interview that the immediate plan is to improve the anti-poaching skills of his force and also adopt best training practices from some global elitist forces like the US Marines and the Israeli Navy.
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"The intention is to make our rangers among the best paramilitary trained forces in the world because they require such skills to protect wildlife from poachers. We have identified two forces and we are going to borrow their best practices," he said. Also on the cards is the setting up of a forensic laboratory to improve the quality of evidence when prosecuting poaching and illegal game meat cases.
Top Interpol official confirmed KWS has made a proposal for the laboratory and expressed willingness to assist in its financing. The primary function of the laboratory will be to identify species, parts or products of an animal to determine cause of death of an animal, to help wildlife officers determine if a violation of law has occurred and to identify and compare physical evidence in an attempt to link suspect, victim and crime scene. The laboratory will make it possible to profile the DNA of animal parts to know where they came from and the time of their death, an exercise that currently costs about Sh40,000 for every DNA test. |
Angola - National, Foreign Companies Attend Veterinary Exhibition in Huambo
20 October 2010 | byAll Africa
Huambo — Eleven national and foreign companies participate from this Wednesday, in Huambo province, in an exhibition of veterinary medicinal products, taking place at Polytechnic Higher Institute. Created as part of the II Angolan Congress of Veterinary Medicine and the 12th International in Portuguese Language, happens since Tuesday in Huambo, an exhibition which is counting on participation of various medicines, vaccines, animal ration, forage, leaflets, photographs, veterinary, tools and other literature.
In an interview to Angop, the chairperson of the Portuguese company Vetlima, José Carlos, one of the exhibitors, revealed that his presence in Angola and Huambo province in particular, is being advantageous since about 200 people (doctors, veterinarians, students), are participating in the event.
South Africa - Free rabies jabs for Johannesburg pets
13 October 2010 | by SAPA
Johannesburg - The Johannesburg SPCA will be administering free rabies inoculations to pets, following 11 confirmed rabies cases of dogs in the area and the death of a child from the disease, Netcare Travel Clinics said on Wednesday. The inoculations would be free until November 10 to help prevent the spread of infection in domestic animals, from bites by rabid animals, the group said in a statement.
"Rabies reports have been rare in Gauteng... However once introduced into an area, the disease can spread quickly if domestic pets have not been vaccinated," said Netcare doctor Pete Vincent. Having domestic animals vaccinated against rabies was a legal requirement.
If bitten by an animal suspected of having rabies, people should seek medical attention as soon as possible, cleaning the wound with soap and water and applying an antiseptic in the meantime. "Speed is of the essence when it comes to the treatment of this disease... as rabies is fatal," Vincent said. The rabies vaccination was recommended for people travelling through Asia and Africa, and anyone facing the possibility of coming into contact with stray dogs or wild animals like bats. People could contact the JSPCA on 011 6813600 for further information on inoculations. |
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East Africa - National parks see mammals' decline
2010 | by Afrol News
One of East Africa's main tourist attractions, the density of large mammals in its famed national parks, is rapidly declining, a new study shows. The "Big Five" are especially threatened. African national parks like Masai Mara and the Serengeti have seen populations of large mammals decline by up to 59 percent, according to a study published in the latest issue of the scientific journal 'Biological Conservation'. The parks are each visited by thousands of tourists each year hoping to spot Africa's "Big Five" - lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino - but the research shows that "urgent efforts" would be needed to secure the future of the parks and their role in tourism.
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British scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Cambridge University created an index of change in population abundance for a multitude of species in 78 protected areas throughout Africa. At a continental scale, the index revealed an average decline of almost 60 percent in the population abundance of 69 key species including lion, wildebeest, giraffe, buffalo and zebra between 1970 and 2005 in the national parks visited by millions of tourists each year.
There was however great variation by region with populations increasing in Southern Africa, declining by more than half in East Africa and 85 percent declines in West Africa. The massive declines in West Africa were likely due to the lack of financial and personnel resources, high rates of habitat degradation and the growing bushmeat trade. Safari tourism is underdeveloped in West and Central Africa, while it is among the key attractions to visitors going to East and Southern Africa. |
Despite the severe losses, the rate of decline had slowed over time, the study found, indicating that management of the areas has been gradually improving. "But more support is needed," the zoologists concluded. "Although the results indicate that African national parks have generally failed to maintain their populations of large mammals, the situation outside the parks is almost undoubtedly worse. Many species like rhino are practically extinct outside national parks," ZSL researcher Ian Craigie commented. Director of ZSL Conservation Programmes, Jonathan Baillie, said the results were a matter of concern. "The results are far worse than we imagined, but the increasing population trends in Southern Africa provide hope and demonstrate that protected areas can be very effective for conserving large mammals if properly resourced," he said.
Angola - President Welcomes Congress of Veterinary Medicine
19 October 2010 | by All Africa
Huambo — The head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos congratulated through a message the holding of the II Angolan congress of veterinary medicine and the XII international in Portuguese language in the city of Huambo. In the message, read at the opening session of the two events, the chief of the Executive said that the congresses are very importance because they will give opportunity to share knowledge and experiences in the field of veterinary medicine and also the consequences of their results in the economic development of our countries. The message states that veterinary medicine can play a great role to increase production and fishing activity that contribute to a sustainable development. The message was read by the chairperson of veterinary doctor order, Fernando Ribeiro Leal in the presence of the minister of agriculture, Afonso Pedro Canga, the governor of Huambo, Faustino Muteka and more than 500 delegates and guests form various Portuguese- speaking countries.
New species of carnivorous mammal found in Madagascar
14 October 2010 | by AFP
A new species of carnivorous mammal, likely highly endangered, has been discovered in eastern Madagascar. The animal, brown and similar to a mongoose, was found in the wetlands of Lake Alaotra, the largest expanse of fresh water on the Indian Ocean island. It has been baptised Durrell's vontsira (Salanoia durelli) after the late British naturalist Gerald Durrell, who led conservation projects in Madagascar.
| The mammal belongs to the eupleridae family, which is endemic to Madagascar. "We noticed the existence of this mammal several years ago but we thought it was a species we already knew and that is found in the forest," said Robert Bourou, an assistant researcher with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust who took part in the operation to capture a specimen of Durrell's vontsira in 2004. The specimen captured allowed scientists at the Natural History Museum in London to determine they were looking at a species hitherto unknown.
Experts fear Durrell's vontsira is already highly endangered. "It is likely one of the species of carnivore that numbers the fewest individuals and that are the most endangered in the world," said Frank Hawkins of Conservation International. Bush fires and insufficient rain are contributing to the drying up of the Alaotra wetlands and conservationists have been trying for the past several years to increase local awareness of the importance of protecting biodiversity. "We hope this discovery will encourage local residents to protect their wetlands," Bourou said. The last time a new carnivorous mammal was discovered in Madagascar was in 1986. |
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An African Success: In Namibia, The People and Wildlife Coexist
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The first time Arno Grobler visited the office of the ≠Khoadi-//Hôas Conservancy in northwestern Namibia, he was, he admits, “flabbergasted.” The conservancy has the job of managing wildlife, and drawing income from it, on a 1,400-square-mile patch of desert. It is starkly beautiful red rock country, inhabited by rhinos, elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and other wildlife. |
So what startled Grobler, who had just become manager of a tourist lodge there, was how “clued up” the conservancy seemed to be: Slick full-color posters on the walls listed rare and endemic species. Three-ringed binders on the shelves recorded cases of human-wildlife conflict. And the business manager used an Excel database on her laptop computer to track the conservancy’s annual budget. Turning to his partner, Grobler whispered, “I think we’re in for something completely different.”
The conservancies aren’t parks; most residents continue to work herding livestock. But they set aside a portion of their common land — 30 percent in the case of ≠Khoadi-//Hôas — exclusively for wildlife. The vision, as a farmer and field officer at another conservancy put it, is to “give benefits and create jobs through consumptive and nonconsumptive uses of wildlife” — that is, hunting and tourism.
It has worked so well that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism now often translocates animals — including critically endangered black rhinos — out of overcrowded national parks onto unfenced conservancy land, where they have room to recover to their former numbers. The community’s material interest in the wildlife also means there are enough watchful eyes to limit poaching. The result is that, where Kenya and many other African nations are rapidly losing their wildlife, Namibia has registered a sharp increase.
The community conservancy idea works in Namibia for one obvious reason: Just 2.1 million people live in this arid country on the southwest coast of Africa, and six people per square mile make for a better mix with wildlife than the 158 in Kenya, or the 94 in neighboring South Africa. Namibia has also enjoyed a run of favorable rains since the mid-1990s, helping prey species like springbok and gemsbok, and thus lions and other predators, too.
Kenya: Tetra Pak Sees Huge Boom in Global Dairy Industry
Packaging firm Tetra Pak Group predicts that dairy production will increase by 30% globally in the next ten years, with Asia and Africa being the largest drivers of the growth
Speaking at a teleconference for the launch of the Tetra Pak biannual dairy index, CEO Dennis Jonsson said "We are entering a decade-long dairy boom that will offer our industry unprecedented opportunities." Jonsonn predicted that Kenya and Nigeria will be the greatest beneficiaries of the dairy boom in Africa. In Kenya this growth will largely be spurred on by an increasing population, rising middle class and higher levels of urbanization.
However, despite these positive global projections, in Kenya dairy consumption has so far remained stagnant. Accessing high-quality milk and developing a market for processed dairy have remained major obstacles for the country.
Whilst packed milk globally is set to overtake 'loose' milk by 2014, in Kenya currently only 20% of the four billion litres produced per year is processed and packaged.
The establishment of dairy hubs, where farmers can pool together their milk to place in cooling facilities will likely alleviate poor accessibility to high-quality and safe dairy products and increase production of dairy.
Zimbabwe: Country Scoops Tourism Award At Beijing Expo
28 June 2011
Winners of the 2011 Miss Zimbabwe pageant returned home last week from their China trip, where they represented Zimbabwe at the just-ended Beijing International Travel Expo.
The group, which included Miss Zimbabwe Malaika Mushandu, Miss Tourism Zimbabwe Rumbidzai Mudzengere, Miss Universe Zimbabwe, Miss Lisa Morgan and Miss Talent Nadia Gori did not come back empty-handed.
They scooped the "Best Organised Booth Award", at the expo, which attracted 103 countries.
Speaking at a Press conference in Harare yesterday, Nadia said although the competition was stiff, Zimbabwe clinched one of the top accolades.
With the launch of the new brand in various source markets including the Asian market; there has been a renewed interest from the Chinese market towards the destination Zimbabwe.
There is recognition of excellence in travel and tourism promotion.
The Zimbabwe Stand which was constituted by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), Zimbabwe International Travel Tours (ZITT), Air Zimbabwe, Silver Tours and Miss Zimbabwe office made a striking and organised impact in packaging the destination to suit the needs of each and every visitor who came to the stand.
However, the accolade comes as a special recognition and appreciation of the efforts as well as hard work invested by the country in actively promoting tourism at the BITE Expo this year.
Commenting on this achievement, the ZTA spokesperson Mr Sugar Chagonda said the accolade was an endorsement of the authority's arketing strategies.
Cameroon: Ebogo Ecotourism Site Undergoes Renovation
27 June 2011
One of Cameroon's most visited ecotourism sites, Ebogo village, located some 60 km from Yaounde and 18 km south of Mbalmayo on the Yaounde-Ebolowa highway, is undergoing renovation under the co-supervision of the Ministry of Tourism and the World Tourism Organisation, WTO. The Ebogo ecotourism site is receiving a facelift with the construction of basic infrastructure. Visiting the site on Thursday June 23, journalists from several media organisations were introduced to various construction sites going on in the village. The visit by journalists was part of a five-day seminar on tourism communication organised in Yaounde from June 20 to 24 by the Ministry of Tourism.
Under the direction of tourist guide, Ernest Onana, the journalists saw the completed modern mud-brick buildings hosting lodging facilities and a restaurant, overlooking the Nyong River and the dense Equatorial forest. A hundred metres away, the construction of two environmentally-friendly bungalows is also going on. The beachfront of the River Nyong has been laid with concrete stairs that lead up to the restaurant.
"This renovation work is just the start of Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty Project, STEP," said Ernest Onana. STEP, he said, is a sustainable tourism project at the Ebogo site whose purpose is to fight poverty through the development of tourist activities and to create jobs for youth in the local community made up of three villages: Ebogo, Akoumbeguesi and Soasi. Sponsored jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and WTO, the project aims at developing basic infrastructure such as maintaining the access road, installing water and electricity supply; training and sensitising stakeholders; creating an organisation for the development of Ebogo and its environs as well as the constructing bungalows and conference rooms.