Born Free

Category: Born Free, Born Free Ethiopia | Date: Nov 11 2009 | By: bornfree

It has been far too long since I last updated the Blog site, apologies.

I hardly dare say that it looks as if at last we are reaching a resolution regarding the final land issues that were hampering progress.

To say it has been a trying few months is something of an understatement! Without boring readers too much, during all the negotiations that led up to the signing of the land agreement back in April 2009, at no time was there any mention that some farmers had land claims on any of our site. The Ministry of National Defence that had made the initial agreement to hand back the land to the Regional State of Oromiya had no knowledge of these land claims, nor did the Oromiya Land Bureau. It may simply be a case of the local land administration issuing farming certificates without the knowledge of the main regional office.

There were two practical options. One option would be for us to begin an expensive and time consuming law case. If the courts found in our favour we would gain the whole site and definitely lose the support of some of the local farmers. The second option was to find alternative land on which the farmers could graze their cattle.

Our international patron, His Excellency, President Girma Wolde Giorgis agreed to speak with the Honourable Takele Uma, Mayor of Holeta, and the Municipality of Holeta  subsequently indentified some common land to give away. In order to make up the shortfall, Born Free Foundation has agreed to let go four of our  original 77 hectares.

On Monday 9 November, Bereket and I met the Mayor and Holeta GIS expert and we staked out the new boundary to the site. The land we have given away is a twice-cropped Eucalyptus plantation. I have made sure that the boundary is set 4 metres into the plantation so our boundary fence will be screened by vegetation.

Tomorrow, Bereket will employ a team of local labourers (some will be the same farmers who have just been given land) and start the construction of a fenced area in the centre of the site. This fence will surround the shipping container we have already purchased in order to provide a secure area for the tools and materials needed for the next phases of construction. The last time we attempted to build the secure area fence, some farmers claiming compensation appeared and threatened Bereket  and myself. I immediately cancelled all construction work until the compensation issue was resolved. The farmers have said they are very happy with their new land and have said they will now support the project fully. Tomorrow is the test. I will keep you posted.

On a lighter note, I enclose two photos of the site security guard team that has been guarding the site to prevent unlawful tree-felling throughout the land compensation negotiations. All credit to Mayor Feyissa, our head of security, who has trained an excellent team of 15 guards with the result that no trees have been felled during the past two months. The security team are all from the local community showing a direct benefit from the Wildlife Centre. They are a brave team as they carry only sticks when the majority of local farmers (and timber thieves) have Kalashnikov AK47 semi-automatic rifles or other ex-military weapons.

With eager anticipation, the team took turns to be measured by a local tailor and last week I issued each man with his field uniform. (In case anyone wants the details, each man has been given two shirts, two pairs of trousers, two pairs of socks, one pair of boots, one rain cape, one cap, and one light jacket. I am searching for some thick jackets as the nights are very cold at this time of year.)

So, here’s a photo of the team before and after they nipped behind the bushes and returned in their uniforms. Quite a transformation even though not all the boots fitted first time around.

More news soon, and please do remember we need your sponsorship for the animals, for the construction and even the uniforms.

James

Tags: Born Free, ethiopia

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Category: Born Free, Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Oct 14 2009 | By: bornfree

On Monday 12th October, a lorry load of recycled office furniture and supplies started its long journey from Swindon to Malawi as part of a joint project between the Born Free Foundation and the Green Standards Trust.

The recovered materials, which include everything from printers, computers and furniture to brooms, books, binoculars and veterinary supplies, started their journey in Swindon, where the Green Standards Trust has been gathering donations from various companies and Born Free supporters. In total, about 27 pallets, weighing over 20 tonnes, were loaded on board the 40ft container.

Of the office equipment, Ellen Winter, the overseas project manager for the Green Standards Trust, said “It could have ended up in landfill so it’s a real win, win.”

All being well, the container should arrive at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in the next 6-8 weeks.

Using recycled and donated equipment will save the Wildlife Centre considerable funds in equipping an on-site Office, Veterinary facility and Education Centre that are all to be built in the near future.

Chris Wright, Programmes Officer for Born Free, said: “There is a great threat to the animals in Malawi and education is a major issue. People aren’t aware of the impact that taking these animals out of their environment can have and they don’t know how to care for them, causing sever welfare problems. Wildlife can be seen as pests – they can harass people and spoil their crops. Rather than shoot them or trap them as pets we’re trying to encourage people to consider ways that they can mitigate that conflict and live side by side without fatal consequences for wildlife.”

The Wildlife Centre and Born Free would like to offer our sincere thanks to those generous supporters who have donated their time, equipment and finance to the delivery of these much-needed items.

Tags: Born Free, Lilongwe, Malawi, monkeys, primates

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Category: Born Free Ethiopia | Date: Jun 23 2009 | By: bornfree

Yet again, I apologise for the delay between Blogs. I wish I could do more than 20 things at once….

The rains have started here in Ethiopia. These are only short downpours, not the daily torrential downpour we can expect later this month and for the next two or so months. However, once or twice a week the skies darken, the prayer calls from the churches and mosques are drowned first by rumbling thunder and then the noise of rain on corrugated tin roofs.

Born Free Foundation Ethiopia (BFFE) was recently asked to care for an elderly eagle owl called Cody. The owl is thought to be over 30 years old and was originally looked after by an Italian Doctor and his wife who lived in Addis for many years and had a menagerie in their compound. Legend has it they had an orphaned hyena along with several monkeys and Cody. When the Doctor left Addis, the owl was taken in by the Italian Embassy and then by an Italian Diplomat. When his posting in Addis Ababa ended, the owl was cared for by an American veterinarian and his wife. They, in turn, have now completed their posting in Addis, so BFFE were asked to look after the owl and its aviary until such time that it can be re-housed at the new Wildlife Centre where it can live out the rest of its life.

In 2006, the American veterinarian skilfully removed a tumour from the owl’s wing, but the necessary partial amputation of one wing means Cody does not fly well.

On Monday, 18 May 2009, Cody was brought to the BFFE compound where he was kept in an old aviary while his own aviary in the American couples’ compound was carefully numbered and then dismantled. The old aviary was then renovated and reassembled in the BFFE compound.

On Tuesday 16 June, Cody was moved to his renovated home.

Cody eats between a quarter and a half of chicken each day. The quarter of chicken is given to him with bones and feathers attached. Cody is so habituated to humans he makes an affectionate crooning noise whenever anyone approaches his aviary. He also loves to be stroked on his forehead, above his large and ever-watchful eyes.

Cody’s aviary is in the middle of the temporary enclosure for the three giant tortoises that are being cared for by BFFE until they, too, can be moved to the new Wildlife Rescue Centre. We have positioned several wooden poles (one wrapped in rope) inside the aviary in addition to the metal spans so the owl can always find a place to perch either in the shade or in a breeze or sheltered from the wind depending on the weather. Cody has already selected his favourite of the poles that give him the best view of the tortoises. In true owl fashion his head swivels dramatically around whenever a tortoise moves around the aviary.

Caring for all the rescued animals at Born Free Foundation Ethiopia costs money, so we would be very grateful for your support. Every donation helps, for example Cody costs £2 per day to feed and the lions £10 per day each.

Good progress with the site for the Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Education Centre by the way. News in my next Blog…

Tags: Born Free, Eagle owl, ethiopia, raptor, wildlife rescue

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Category: Born Free, Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Apr 14 2009 | By: bornfree

In August 2006, I arrived at a Catholic Mission 3 hours drive from Lilongwe, in a small area of Malawi called Mua, my purpose of being there was to find a small menagerie of animals that were reportedly being housed in small dilapidated cages.  It was not long before I stumbled across the sad array of animals within the zoo; it contained an extremely obese baboon, an attention-seeking blue monkey, a terrified porcupine, a sad looking crocodile (as sad as a crocodile can look!!), pythons in a deep dark pit and a variety of small antelope and birds of prey. Although extremely depressing to see, all the animals had been rescued by the founder of the Mua Mission Cultural Centre, Father Bouche, who had arrived at the Mission in the mid 70’s and had accepted many wild orphaned animals in over the years, out of pity.  They had all been victims of the illegal bushmeat and pet trades in and around his area.   

When visiting the Mission for the first time, it was always obvious where Father Bouche’s passion and talents lie; the Cultural Centre, its dancers, its carvings, a small lodge and now recently opened Museum are impressive to say the least; they are a true testament to the diversity of Malawi’s tourism potential, a true gem of an attraction for both local and international visitors.  And so, over the past two years the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre and the Mission have been discussing ways in which the zoo could be dismantled, the animals relocated to the Wildlife Centre and the zoo replaced with a new facility; a facility that would not require animals in captivity, that would complement the cultural centre and its educational activities and that would provide a tranquil environment in which locals and tourists could explore and learn about cultural, wildlife and environmental links. 

After many visits to Mua, my visit two weeks ago was by far the most enjoyable.  Travelling to Mua with two boxes was one thing, travelling home with two boxes and two successfully darted animals was another, our baboon and blue monkey had taken their first steps back to a more ‘wild’ life.  First stop, Lilongwe, where they would be placed in quarantine and later introduced to large open topped enclosures with their own kind. 

But for our yellow baboon, Aide, there was a special treat in store.  Two days prior to the Mua rescue the Centre had rescued a young baboon called Chimpy (yes Chimpy!!) who was being kept on a two metre length of chain at a private residence within Lilongwe.  After a lonely existence on her own for many years, Aide would now spend quarantine and possibly the rest of her life with her new baboon friend, Chimpy.

This relocation of just two animals from the Mission to the Centre, marks the first step in a transitional process that will see all the animals removed from Mua and the zoo replaced with an alternative attraction for both local Malawian and International visitors.  A process that will require funding.  The Born Free Foundation have once again stepped in and have agreed to fund the relocation of the animals and committed funds to the development of a ‘Sensory Garden’ within the existing grounds of the Cultural Centre. Financial support has also been provided by Body Shop that has allowed the Centre to build two new enclosures at the Centre which will enable the centre to rescue some of the remaining birds of prey and porcupine. 

Thank you to both Born Free and Body Shop for helping to make this first (and future) rescue/s happen.

Lee Stewart
Operations and Development Manager

Tags: baboon, blue monkey, Born Free, Lilongwe, rescue

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Category: Born Free, Born Free Ethiopia | Date: Dec 15 2008 | By: bornfree

Thanks for all the comments and donations following the previous Blogs.

Apologies for the lengthy delay since the last Blog. Ethiopia may be seven years behind the rest of the world (this year it is 2001) so maybe that explains why I always seem to be catching up and need a few more hours in each day.

As usual with this project, I have both good and not-so-good news to report. The good news is after a year of negotiations and meetings, the land for the new Wildlife Centre has officially been transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Office of the President of Ethiopia and from the President’s Office to Ethiopia Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA). This really is quite a milestone and I am immensely grateful to His Excellency President Girma, his son, and the team at the President’s Office for all their support this past year. I am now finalising a Land Management Agreement with EWCA, but since they have already signed a Project Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding for the new Centre project, this is more of a formality.

The not-so-good news is that the Ministry of Defence have asked for a hefty compensation for the living trees on the site, so back I go to the negotiating table! It has taken more patience than I knew I possessed to get this far, I now need to find a little more!

Meanwhile, the land boundary demarcation stones have been prepared, so as soon as I can get the compensation figure reduced or waived, we can get started with the boundary demarcation and perimeter fencing. When we actually get started on the construction I think my whoop of joy and relief will be heard around the planet!

Enough of red tape. This Blog is to share the story of Menelik, the cheetah cub that I am now caring for.

The cub was found by a development worker in a dusty town on the edge of a north east desert of Ethiopia. The cub was tied by a string at the back of a shop.

The staff at the shop said it was a tiger, but most Ethiopian’s think Tiger is the English word for cheetah. The cub was very small, clearly malnourished and so covered in dust that the dust combined with the furry shoulder mantle that all cheetah cubs have made the cub look as though it did have stripes! The development worker begged the shop assistant to let her take the cub to a vet in Addis. The shop assistant refused and alternately patted and then kicked the cub. The development worker took a digital photo and tried to convince as many people as possible in the town that the animal needed medical care. A few people humoured her, but in a country where life is tough, the welfare of an animal did not have much of a priority. The development worker circulated her photos to friends and colleagues and one ended up being forwarded to me at Born Free Foundation Ethiopia.

After the Wildlife Authority had given permission for the animal to be confiscated, a veterinarian who generously donates her time to Born Free Foundation Ethiopia collected the cub and had to give it intensive care for a few days. The cub had been fed such a poor diet it could hardly use its back legs.

The couple who had so successfully cared for Sheba (Story in Blog 5) agreed to provide the cub with a home for a few weeks until I had built a temporary enclosure in the Born Free Addis office compound.

I collected the cub on 24 November and named him ‘Menelik’ after the famous Ethiopian Emperor and because I have never known a cat that licks so much. The cub seems to be particularly fond of licking my bald head. That rough tongue may be great for skin exfoliation, but is ruining my tan!

I have designed the enclosure so that it includes the back door into my office. The cub comes and goes from the garden into the office. He spends most days in the office lying on, or wrestling with, his blanket or watching birds outside the window.

Menelik has settled in well and I hope that when the cub is a bit older, we can introduce him to Sheba and the two male cheetah will share an enclosure at the new Wildlife Centre.

As I write this Blog, Menelik is purring loudly from his blanket. He’s a complete minx and has already managed to shred a rug. He seems to have a fascination with cutlery. In the morning I have my bowl of muesli sitting on the steps that lead down into the cub’s enclosure. Menelik invariably steals the spoon and rushes off to his hay-lined sleeping shed to play with the spoon; flicking it into the air and batting it like a tennis pro.

Please do help our project if you can.

The Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Education Centre will cost around UK£600,000 to build and equip, and it will cost UK£ 250,000 (US$ 500,000) per year to fund the Centre and its conservation and education programmes.

The enclosure for Menelik and Sheba, and for other animals at the Wildlife Centre will cost between £12,000 and £40,000 to build.

We must get Menelik and other wildlife in captivity in Ethiopia into spacious enclosures as soon as we can.

And if anyone wants to help pay for the care of Menelik, he costs £2 (US$4) per day to keep at the moment. However, he is growing fast and the costs to keep him will continue to grow - as an adult cheetah it will cost approximately £6 (US$12) per day, or £40 per week to provide care for him.

You can donate at Born Free’s website where the Centre is the subject of our New Year & 25th Anniversary Appeal see www.bornfree.org.uk/give/new-year-appeal/, stating that you would like the funds to go towards the Born Free Ethiopian Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Education Centre. 

For more information on Born Free, please visit www.bornfree.org.uk and should you want more information or think you may be able to help please leave a comment here on Wildlife Direct and we will come back to you as soon as possible.

More news in a few days,

James

Tags: Born Free, cheetah, conservation, education, ethiopia, rescue

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Category: Born Free, Born Free Kenya | Date: Dec 13 2008 | By: bornfree

I’ve just come back from a place called Ilmarba where we’ve been working in this great little school called Olmoti. It’s next to Amboseli National Park. I’ve told you this before, I think, but anyway, when we started work there in 2004, there were about 70 children in the school. And yet, we found many others out herding goats or fetching water.  For Born Free, this wasn’t great.  Because we’re educating the community about wildlife conservation, when children don’t go to school, it’s harder for them to get the message.
 
So we pledged to help build up the school infrastructure and lobby the government to get more teachers on condition that the community brought more children to school.  The community were delighted.
 
We started small, first renovating the existing classrooms and an old dorm that was falling down. The community said that if the school could be turned in to a boarding one, with a place for the children to sleep, then more could attend classes.  By January 2006 the number of kids in school doubled and continued to go up throughout that year.
 
We introduced a group of sponsors interested in supporting the community, through what Born Free calls the ‘Global Friends Programme’.  We raised the money we needed to put in a second dorm so that both boys and girls could sleep in school. Also because the number of kids was increasing practically everyday, we built more classrooms. At the same time, the Government, through the District Education’s Office provided more teachers to cope with the increase in enrolment. There was a lot of progress in 2007.
 
Now there are 282 children enrolled at the school – with about 180 using the boarding facilities! There are 4 new classrooms and a brand new dorm and in total, the school has 8 classrooms and 2 dorms. Which is exactly what they wanted. 
 
You should have seen the faces of the little children when we drove in there last week accompanied by the people who had sponsored all the new developments!  I hope the pics I took of my colleague Manoa and the children, show the joy we saw.

Alice

Tags: Born Free, education, Kenya, school

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Category: Born Free, Born Free Ethiopia | Date: Oct 10 2008 | By: bornfree

Thanks for all the comments and donations following the previous Blogs.

Apologies for the delay in updating this Blog site. I’ve been in England for a month at a series of project planning meetings with Born Free. Although the Born Free team offer support from UK and USA, I am on my own out here in Ethiopia and sometimes the difficulty of this job and physical distance from family and friends do make one feel very alone. For those aspiring wildlife conservationists out there, make sure you are incredibly self-motivated and take a break every so often to catch up with family and friends.

This week’s Blog is all about a cheetah called Sheba. The name Sheba reminds most people of the Queen of Sheba, but in fact the cub is male. Sheba being the Amharic word for lame.

Back in 2006, I had just arrived in Ethiopia to work for another wildlife organisation in Omo National Park in the southwest of the country. While at meetings in Addis I heard about a young orphaned cheetah cub that was being looked after by an American veterinarian and his wife. The cub had been confiscated from an animal trader. Cheetah have long been used for hunting in the Middle East where they are hand raised and then taken out wearing a hood similar to those used in falconry. At a given moment the hood is removed and the cheetah sprints off to catch the antelope or other ‘prey’. Even today, despite cheetah being endangered and their removal from Ethiopia against the law, cubs are taken from the wild and smuggled out of Ethiopia through Somalia and into the Gulf states to be kept for hunting.

Cheetah that are hand raised can become habituated to humans (I prefer not to use the word tame as they are wild animals). Please don’t get the idea that a cheetah would make a good pet! Firstly, they are threatened enough in the wild, and secondly, despite getting used to humans they are wild animals and should not be kept in captivity.

I have spent several years working with Dr Laurie Marker, the founder and CEO of the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia. I’m by no means a cheetah expert, but have helped hand raise orphan cubs and helped develop the Cheetah Conservation Fund environmental education programme and set up an innovative business as a conservation tool. (For more information Google ‘Bushblok’).

Back to the six-month old Sheba.

X rays showed that one of the cubs’ rear legs had been broken in the past and had mended badly. Not only was the cub very lame, the cub was also young and inexperienced and chances of surviving in the wild were slim. In the wild, even healthy cheetah cubs with attentive mothers are often killed by hyena, leopard or lion.

As I have mentioned in a previous Blog, the Ethiopia Wildlife Conservation Authority would like to stop the illegal trade in Ethiopian wildlife, but need the Born Free Wildlife Centre to be built so that confiscated, orphaned, or injured animals can be cared for. Wherever possible treated animals would be released back into the wild, but in the case of severely injured animals like Sheba there is no other option than lifetime care in a spacious and naturalistic enclosure. Since we had not yet built the Centre, and the cub was growing too big for the veterinarian’s garden, a temporary home needed to be found – and found fast. The Ethiopian Government forbids wildlife from being taken out of the country, so it was decided that the cub should be kept in an enclosure in Omo National Park where I could take responsibility for him.

In January 2007, I lifted the very good-natured Sheba into a large dog travel crate with his favourite blanket and set off in my 4 x 4 to start the three day journey to Omo National Park. Amazingly, Sheba did not seem to mind the car journey at all and purred noisily while watching the Ethiopian countryside go by. (Cheetah are the only big cat that purr, and boy is that purr loud!)

After a full day’s drive I decided to stay at a guest lodge in the town of Arba Minch, but they did not allow pets, let alone cheetah. Covering the dog crate with a blanket, I smuggled the cheetah into my thatched room.

It was important that the cub could stretch his legs after the day’s drive, so I had no alternative but to let him out in the room. Sheba stalked around sniffing everything inquisitively. His first hotel room! Sheba ate and drank as on a normal day, but I couldn’t bear the idea of shutting him back in the crate again for the night when he would be in the crate for the whole next day, so I put his blanket on the floor. I’m sure more from exhaustion than good behaviour, Sheba immediately walked over to the blanket, lay down and rolled onto his back. I admit to being relieved. I had wondered if Sheba might chirp all night. Young cheetah when unhappy or calling their mothers chirp like a bird. It’s an extraordinary sound, not like a cat at all.

Having descended from the hills of Addis into the Rift Valley, I was now in a malaria zone, so I covered my bed with the mosquito net provided and slipped under the top bed sheet. The temperature at 10 pm was still close to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), so no blanket was needed!

I lay and fell asleep quickly – a combination of the soothing noise of Sheba purring from his blanket and the day’s exhausting drive. Driving on Ethiopian roads requires a healthy mixture of patience and anticipation. At any time you may need to avoid or stop for camels, people, donkey carts, cows, goats, sheep or – the most dangerous of all – kamikaze trucks or buses.

At about 1.30 am I dreamed my cheek was being rubbed by warm, wet sandpaper that smelled of raw meat while a revving lawnmower was being inserted into my ear. You guessed it. Sheba had snuck under the mosquito net and was lying alongside me on the bed sheet, licking my face and purring right into my ear.

Despite the flickering doubt that it might not be the wisest thing to let a six month cheetah I hardly knew sleep alongside me, I was so exhausted I simply stroked Sheba’s head. The purring quietened and then stopped. Sheba was asleep and taking up far too much of the bed!

I fell asleep myself and woke several hours later to find the whole sheet, the mattress and myself covered in warm cheetah urine. Disgusting! Obviously, Sheba was not house trained… I washed out the sheets and mattress the best I could and smuggled Sheba back into the 4 x 4. No one knew a cheetah had spent the night there, but I had to apologise to the hotel for the state of the bed. One of the most embarrassing moments of my life must be checking out of that hotel and apologising for ‘having an accident’ in the night.

Sheba spent a year and a half in Omo National Park. Some of the photos show how happy he was.

Sadly, the organisation I was working for decided to leave Ethiopia and I was asked to look after Sheba at the new Wildlife Centre. The only problem being that the Centre is not built yet! The Ethiopian air charter company, Abyssinia Airlines generously agreed to fly Sheba up to Addis, and now Sheba has a temporary home at the Presidential Palace. Yet another reason why it is so important to get the Centre built and construct a new spacious permanent home for this special cat.

Sheba now spends most days on top of his grassy bunker sleeping quarters watching cows and calves in a neighbouring field.

Please do help if you can.

The Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Education Centre will cost around UK£ 1 million (US$ 2 million) to build and equip, and it will cost around UK£ 250,000 (US$ 500,000) per year to fund the Centre and its conservation and education programmes.

We must get Sheba and other wildlife in captivity in Ethiopia into spacious enclosures as soon as we can.

And if anyone wants to help pay for the care of Sheba, he costs £6 (US$12) per day to keep.

Please donate here in the BF Ethiopia donation box to the right.

More news in a few days,

James

Tags: Born Free, captivity, cheetah, education, ethiopia, wildlife rescue

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Category: Born Free, Born Free Kenya | Date: Aug 31 2008 | By: bornfree

My name is David Manoa, and I am a field project co-ordinator with Born Free in Kenya.  I’m currently based in Olmoti Primary School just outside Amboseli National Park where we’re building 4 new classrooms and a boys dorm to add to the kitchen, hall and girls dorm that we completed in 2006. 
 
For the first time in history, Ol moti primary school community organized an end of term closing ceremony. Parents and guardians as far as Oloitokitok (about 80 km away) and Kimana (about 50 km away), were all in attendance. Some ‘privileged’ parents arrived in style on their motorbikes while others simply walked to the school from the near by manyattas.

About 60 parents/guardians and 250 children convened in the schools airy multipurpose hall that was built by BFF with the help of Martin Clunes funds. After introductions, came the prize giving sessions where students in position one, two and three were honoured by heavy applaud. It was encouraging to see girls competing fairly well with the boys. The big shock to many was in class three, with all the top three positions being scooped by girls.

Toward, the end of the celebrations, the master of ceremony (the head master) invited various parent representatives, school chairman and myself to talk to the gathering. I must say, I was really impressed with the whole ceremony set up. The speeches were brief and to the point. The speakers from the community encouraged the children to work hard and reminded parents to help the children to realize their dreams. A renowned parent representative said, ‘the greatest prize one can give their children is education’. Some parents even vowed to campaign against the outdated cultural practices such as Female Circumcision or FGM as it is now more commonly known, which undermines the education and general development of the masaai communities. And in their closing remarks, the headmaster and the school chairman thanked BFF for their continued support to uplift the lives of the Ol moti community and promised to take care of the provided facilities.

All these happenings are a notch high, contrary to what I used to see in the past years. I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel and I can’t wait to witness yet another purposeful event!

Manoa David

Tags: Born Free, Born Free Kenya, community, Ol Moti, school

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Category: Born Free Kenya | Date: Aug 22 2008 | By: bornfree

There are over 1500 elephants in the Amboseli National Park, and some of these animals often roam outside the park in areas around the Olmoti school.  Sometimes even inside the school compound at night!  So you wouldn’t think the children who come to school here would get all that fascinated when they see an elephant!  Well, that’s what I thought until I turned up in June with this sculpture. 

The children couldn’t keep their hands off it.
 
We took this life size elephant calf sculpture to Olmoti to allow the children to participate in an international art exhibition.  The sculpture was to be painted by the children with the help of an artist, Jason Corder, to promote elephant conservation.  So we spent a weekend watching as the children transformed the brilliant white sculpture into a piece of Maasai art and named it “Meiluami”– in Maa, this means ‘the one who is always alert’. 

 
The sculpture is now back in England, on exhibition in Norwich City and we understand that together with a herd of over 53 others, they will be auctioned next month to raise money for some of our projects. 
 
Such a fun a idea and what a way to raise money for elephant conservation! To read more about this project and to see the 53 elephants sculptures on exhibition in Norwich, you can click on http://www.goelephants.co.uk/gallery.aspx. 

There is also more about Meiluami’s journey at http://www.bornfree.org.uk/about-us/born-free-kenya/community-projects/go-elephants/the-go-elephants-journey/.

Tags: Born Free, elephants, Go Elephants, Kenya, Norwich

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Category: Born Free | Date: Aug 21 2008 | By: bornfree

The Born Free blog has been going for almost 2 months now and we would just like to say a big thank you to all those who are reading the blog and subscribing to the email!! 

Also, special thanks must go to Linda M (whose funds will be directed to African lions), Elizabeth D, Holly A and Sarah K ($20 of which will care for Dolo!) who have all donated fantastic amounts - these funds will be very much appreciated!! 

Thank you, we could not keep wildlife in the wild without people like you supporting fieldworkers on the front line of conservation.

Tags: Born Free, donations, thank you

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