Tag: conservation

Hiking Muumoni

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Published Saturday magazine, Nation media 11 March 2017

Kitui’s little-known hills are fascinating biodiversity hotspots

Above: Mau Mau cave in Muumoni hills – copyright Rupi Mangat

DSC06382 (800x600)A deep narrow gorge cuts across the land. It’s full of forest and steep slopes that few venture into. We’re 30 kilometers west of Kitui the capital of Kitui county and had we been alone, we’d miss Ikoo Valley by the side of the road.

“We are developing all the sites that we have for tourism in Kitui county,” says Christine Kaveke Mwendwe, the county’s tourism officer. Standing by the valley, it’s an exciting time for the county’s tourism team that came in 2014. “Before that there was nothing happening on the tourism front,” says Khalid Mahmud the chief tourism officer.

About the size of Rwanda, Kitui is the new kid on the block.

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Bottlenose dolphin with young in Kisite-Mpunguti National Marine Park Copyright Rupi Mangat

Dhow to Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park

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Published Saturday magazine Nation media 4 March 2017

Dhow by sand bar in Kisite-Mpunguti National Marine Park Copyright Rupi Mangat
In Kisite-Mpunguti National Marine Park Copyright Rupi Mangat
Bottlenose dolphin with young in Kisite-Mpunguti National Marine Park Copyright Rupi Mangat

It’s exciting jumping into a local dhow anchored at Shimoni pier. From where we are the Kenya-Tanzania border is 50 kilometers south at Lunga Lunga. The narrow Wasini Channel separates mainland Africa from the island of Wasini and we set sail for a morning of hopeful sightings of dolphins and snorkelling in the coral gardens of Kisite-Mpunguti.

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Traditonal dhow asail on Lamu seafront, Kenya coast. Picture courtesy Dipesh Pabari

Lamu plastic dhow sails to save oceans

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Above: Traditional dhow asail on Lamu seafront. Courtesy Dipesh Pabari

Published in The East African, Nation media 25 February-3 March 2017

6-model-of-the-flipflop-covered-dhow-800x600
A model og the Plastic dhow that will sail from Lamu in Kenya to Cape Town, South Africa  – the first journey of its kind – Picture courtesy: Dipesh Pabari

A chance meeting of two high school friends puts in motion something the world has never seen – a life-size plastic dhow to sail Lamu to Cape Town with a message – stop dumping plastic in the ocean.

Lamu Beach clean up. In one day 5 tonnes of plastic debris was removed from the beach. Picture courtesy Dipesh Pabari
Children picking plastic bottles is from the port of Lamu. Picture courtesy Dipesh Pabari

“There’s enough plastic trash in the ocean to make a flotilla,” states Ben Morrison who had an awakening two years ago walking a 10-meter stretch across the beach to the ocean. It was covered in plastic trash. Sailing past were ancient wooden dhows with their lateen sails billowing in the wind that have frequented the east African coast since antiquity.

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Lions rescued outside Nairobi National Park as cubs safely in Nairobi Animal Orphanage

African Wild Dog and more at Nairobi Animal Orphanage

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Published Nation newspaper Saturday Magazine 18 February 2017

I’m over the moon – l’ve never seen an African wild dog in the wild when unexpectedly l’m staring at one. I’m so excited because l’ve been everywhere in Kenya where they are seen – Samburu, Laikipia, Kajiado – and never seen it. This poor creature had such bad press in the early 1900s that it was shot on sight by farmers – to the extent that the species nearly went extinct.

The Cheetah at Nairobi Animal Orphanage – Copyright Maya Mangat
A Cheetah cub at Nairobi Animal Orphanage – Copyright Maya Mangat
Talek the leopard rescued from Maasai Mara in Nairobi Animal Orphanage Copyright picture: Maya Mangat

It was only when wildlife researchers began watching their behaviour did they record that the wild dogs were efficient pack hunters and very caring parents. Their soft playful side was captured by Karl Ammann the wildlife photographer, author and now exposing the horrendous illegal trade in wild animals like chimpanzees and other wild life. People did not believe him until he showed photographs of a pack in the Maasai Mara playfully tugging a sheet from him.

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In the Ndoto Mountains - the beautiful mountain chutes.

Fake Hirola in Ndoto Mountains

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Published Nation newspaper Saturday magazine 28 Jan 2017

Above – Pools in the Ndoto mountains
Copyright Maya Mangat

Walking in the Ndoto mountains
Walking in the Ndoto mountains Copyright Maya Mangat

Enormous tortilis acacias spread their canopy over the beautiful Salato campsite that is a business venture for the local Samburu women of Ngurunit in the Ndoto Mountains. Straddling the banks of the Ngurunit River, it’s cool and we plan to hike upstream into the mountains where water chutes and fresh pools of water are.

Up in the Ndoto mountains
Up in the Ndoto mountains Copyright Maya Mangat

Across the road a cluster of tents is the base for the newly appointed Samburu county rangers and l pop in to ask if there’s anything new to look out for.

“We have lots of wildlife in the forests of the mountains,” tells Henry Lekuyie the ranger. “But the animals are very shy.

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