1st Experience in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest

Last month I had the opportunity to go into the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (ASF) and tag along on a snare patrol. This dry coastal forest is the largest remaining tract in East Africa and is critical habitat for thousands of animal and plant species. The ASF is especially important in terms of bird conservation. The area has an incredible array of bird species, in fact more species can be found in this one forest than the entire province of Alberta. Yet, there is tremendous pressure on the forest and its resources from a combination of over-population and desperate poverty. So the challenge for A Rocha and other similar organizations is how to prevent the over-exploitation of the forest's resources by poor people who are desperate for food, shelter, fuel and money.

This is David Ngala, perhaps the most knowledgeable person about the general "going on's" of the ASF. He is a fascinating character, he has a very calm and mild personality but is extremely passionate about the conservation of this forest.

We started off the snare patrol by driving slowly on the park roads, scanning the edges for fresh poacher trails that wind their way through the forest. These trails are quite difficult to see and David would show us the difference between poacher trails and those created by wildlife such as elephants and suni (a small antelope).

Can't distinguish the poacher's trail? I don't blame you, its hard enough to see in reality and even more difficult in a photo. I had to look at it from the right angle to see the tramped down ground. It actually runs between the two trees in the background. The bigger challenge is to know if its still active or not (which David can do).

I have yet to see the Golden-Rumped Elephant Shrew (GRES) but these diggings were caused by this unique creature, at least that is what David said. At one point David slammed on the brakes because he glimpsed the nest created by a GRES. about ten metres into the forest and the nest is just a small mound comprised of leaf litter. The guy is unreal! Along with Albert, David is becoming my new role model. Actually I had an experience that allowed me to finally relate to friends and family that come with me on my little nature excursions. We had stopped for a break and Albert told me to come have a look at a particular shrub. He asked "Do you see anything?". I said "Uh, no." Then he said "Look right there." as he pointed into the shrub. "All I see are leaves and branches." This went on for some time, until he used a stick to point out a bunch of bright green leaves (you could tell he was a little frustrated and disappointed with my inability to perceive what was so obvious to him). I was trying my hardest to distinguish anything that may have been out of place, "Albert, I still don't see anything." That is until the chameleon (that was the exact same color as the leaves) moved. Now I know how other people feel around me! REVELATION!

We walked a 6km patrol through the forest. Everything was completely foreign to me. There were all sorts of new sights, sounds and smells.

A very tall cactus, kinda odd I thought.

Here is an example of a typical snare set for a elephant shrew. The bushmeat trade is prevalent throughout Kenya and the rest of Africa and is a major problem for conservation. Bushmeat refers to any meat from wildlife that is used for subsistence or commercial purposes. This practice is unsustainable and often targets endangered species. The problem escalates during periods of conflict such as in Central Africa, where large numbers of wildlife are killed to feed soldiers or acquire hard currency. In the ASF, animals such as elephant shrew, suni and bushbuck are the commonly targeted species, mainly to supplement the diets of local people. Perhaps some may be wondering why would this be a problem, poor people need to eat too! Of course, but in this patrol alone we found 18 snares in only 3 km! A later full day trip in a different area confirmed 38 snares! David has done some research on the number of human made trails that enter the forest and he counted over 900. So one could imagine how many possible snares there could be and how much wildlife could be killed. It would not be long before the forest was stripped of all its resources and these people would be in an even worse state.

We also looked for illegal logging activities. This is another threat to the health of the forest because young trees are being cut for poles (to build houses with), while older trees are cut to make carvings to sell to tourists.

I wish I could end by expressing something inspirational but the hard reality of such a complicated issue is that there are no easy solutions and forests in Africa are disappearing at an alarming rate. To combat the destruction of God's good creation - a creation that we are required to keep and care for - we all need to take small steps. To enact change in people we need to work on changing their attitudes and understanding. ARK works with local communities to change their view of the forest. Students get environmental education and families can participate in tree planting and beach clean-ups. These are all practical ways to educate and inspire change. The more we know about how our actions effect the world around us the more we consider our actions. Need inspiration? I recommend first visiting a garbage dump and observe the amount of waste we produce...then visit one of our beautiful national parks and study the wildlife, air, soil and water. Perhaps this raises some questions or concerns. I hope that it will.