Soysambu Conservancy

Bush meat is a term used to describe meat taken from the wild. Historically, hunter-gatherer communities used bush meat as a source of protein in a sustainable way. Today however, bush meat poaching has evolved from a low subsistence activity to a huge commercial trade supplying urban and even international markets. Illegal poaching for bush meat has contributed significantly to wildlife loss and poses a great threat to species conservation.
Snares are indiscriminate, strategically positioned across animal tracks to capture, maim and kill wildlife, for this reason Soysambu Conservancy in collaboration with BORNFREE FOUNDATION team and Greensteds International School set aside a week to carry out De-snaring, Education and awareness activities as from 2nd may and ended on 6th, the work was well done as a total of seventeen snares was collected over the period.
Thanks team for you ensured the safety of our animals in the wild, keep it up.
Shared from;
Community Education and Awareness Desk.

Briefing before De-Snaring.

Soysambu and BORNFREE Team.

The day was well spend by making Kenya Green through a tree planting exercise organized by Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp in collaboration with Soysambu Conservancy, Echariria primary, Kiboko Primary and Kasambara youths. One thousand trees were planted within Serena Camp at the shores of Lake Elmenteita as part of Agha khan Trust Fund activities.
Thanks team for being part of us during this day as we celebrate and appreciate Nature for what it is to us. Don’t be weary in conserving our Environment.
Shared from;
Community Education and Awareness Desk.

Team at work.

This is an activity carried out every year in the third month, it is organized by Soysambu Conservancy in collaboration with the surrounding schools and wildlife stakeholder. This day 17th of March, it has been done by representatives of Soysambu Conservancy, Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp, Build Africa Kenya, four schools; Greensteds International, Kasambara Primary, Echariria primary and Kiboko primary. The participants were One Hundred and Forty Two (142).
The day was great with lots of fun and at the end of the day, Nairobi –Nakuru highway the area between St. Mary’s Hospital and Shiners Boys was clean.
Friends, lets reach out and talk of the goodness of a clean Environment to both humans, domestic and Wild animals .
Join us! Make Kenya Clean and Green.
Shared By;
Community Education and Awareness Department.

The group at their starting point

Team after cleanup ready for a talk.

BY: CHEGE AMOS

Over the years Soysambu conservancy has played a great role in wildlife conservation,the conservation of animals have remained successful as a result of the commitment in habitat conservation. The conservancy is a home to more than 200species of residents birds and the over100 migrants and palaearctic birds and a home to some threatened birds species such as great white pelican(global restricted range)grey crested helmet shrike(globally threatened). The secretary birds are among the largest species of birds that have gotten refuge in the conservancy after anthropogenic activities encroached their former habitats. On 28th February 2012 ‘spike’,a young secretary bird was saved by national geographic television team and soysambu conservancy from other birds that intended to kill her after her mother died. Lets all conserve the habitats so thats the wildlife can find a refuge.

The January 2012 Water bird count for the Lake Elmenteita was carried out on the 21st as from 6: 00 am.The turn up for the volunteers was good over two hundred Volunteers Participated and fourteen groups were formed.Each group was assigned a portion of the Lake, and everything was fine. The wetland bird species for the lake was diverse with a great reduction in the flamingo numbers. The other observation was that the water level for the lake was very high.
The activity is usually organized by the Ornithology Section, Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya in Collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service, and other Natural Resource Organizations.

Shared From:Community Education and Awareness Desk.

The White-Necked Cormorant on the Island

Cormorant drying the wings with the Grey-Headed Gulls.

It is a great opportunity to host the university students from the Centre for Global Education and staff for field study this week. The university’s instructors have been accompanied the students for the study in Africa majorly on Larger mammals (Conservation Biology of Terrestrial Megafauna) and related fields. The students studied rangelands, Human wildlife conflict, Raptors, and Livestock management. The visit to other protected conservation areas in Kenya gave them a clear picture of what the country has in terms of flora and magafauna.The students had opportunity of working closely with Simon Thomset who is known globally for raptors study and research. They were able to capture, ring and release some raptors including Augur buzzards and Long crested eagles. Small mammal traps were also laid for rodents. A number of cameras were set at strategic locations and a leopard was notably the largest nocturnal animal captured while walking to hunting ground. The waterfowls of Lake Elementeita mainly the Greater flamingos, Lesser Flamingos, Pelicans, Cormorants, Teals formed part of the study during visit to the lake. The lake being a Ramsar Site, World Heritage Site, Importance Bird Area and National Sanctuary is a great site also visited for field study

Release of already ringed Augur buzzard

Dance by pupils at Kiboko to welcome their guests

Field study for livestock and rangeland management

The aim of the survey was to provide understanding on meso and small mammals of the Soysambu conservancy. This is aimed at enhancing conservation given that several species in this category have potential in use in monitoring for habitat change.
Assorted traps including mist nets for bats, tomahawk and Sherman for mammals were used.
The traps were set in selected habitats that reflect habitat categories in the range.
Immediate output of this short survey is a species inventory and a poster which we could co-authored by National Museums of Kenya and Soysambu Conservancy for conservation/research office to support decision making by the management. A longer survey will follow to exhaustively record all species in the Soysambu Conservancy.
The survey was done from Friday evening to Sunday evening. The rodents were measured dissected,sampled and preserved.

The team is getting ready to set traps

Searching for suitable locations for traps.

Open lab ready for dissection.

Dissection and labelling.

Measuring the Zebra mouse.

Have you ever spend time talking a bout events ,moments ,situations and activities that frequently happen and is known by everyone? Have you ever thought of an idea and felt that it’s a common one? the steps you take beyond what you think gives you approve, this is what drove Soysambu Conservancy in collaboration with Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp Wellness Staff on Thursday to a near by Community (Mbaruk) for An Education on the HIV/AIDS.
The guests were the Public Health officers from Gilgil, L.Elmenteita Serena Camp Manager and two Nurses , Community Education and Awareness officer Soysambu Conservancy,Ushirika Group from Kasambara and Home care Group Chairlady.
The turn up for the function was great, the theme was; whether you are HIV positive now, that is not the end of life.
Entertainment and Presentations were well done, the topics included what HIV/AIDS is, causes ,types, control measures, types of tests done and everything summarized with sex education and the VCT(Voluntary Counseling and Testing) services.
Together we can reduce the HIV/AIDS infection rate.

Shared By:

Beaty Limo,

Community Education and Awarenes Dpt.

Ushirika Group.

Education Section in progress by Mr.Were;Public Health Officer.

The Kasambara home care Orphans presenting a song.L.Elmenteita Serena Wellness Team.