Www.colobustrust.org Issue I 2009

Colobus Trust Newsletter

12 years of Primate Protection

Yes we are! Many of our valued supporters have asked what has happened to the Colobus Trust newsletter. It has indeed been some time since the last one, so it is with pride - and some relief - that we are able to bring you this special edition, to bring you up-to-date with all that has been happening at the Colobus Trust and its plans for the coming year. As for many organizations in Kenya, last year was a struggle for the Colobus Trust as we had to weather the massive drop-off in tourism following the political clashes in Kenya after the presidential election of December 2007. 75% of the core revenue comes from tourism and the Trust was left with very little income for a significant chunk of 2008. The reduction in international volunteers also affected the amount of conservation work that was achieved, as most of the activities depend to an extent on the manpower and skills that volunteers bring with them. However, the Trust has survived this challenging period and is still manag ing to run i t s co re programmes trying against greater and greater odds to protect the coastal forest; caring for injured and vulnerable primates; educating school children about environmental issues and reducing risks to primates from threats such as snares, traffic and un-insulated power lines. The fact that the Trust has continued to exist is due in no small part to those who responded to the appeal for support that went out in December. To those who assisted, thank you for your help. Due to you, and of course to the dedicated staff, the volunteers, a few special individuals and the partner organizations, the Colobus Trust has come through the storm and is still alive and kicking. So what does 2009 hold for the Colobus Trust? moving into the coming year with a renewed sense of vigor and purpose, and with a new strategic plan in place for the next five years, which will allow to continue core work and to branch out in new and challenging

We are

us our

directions. For exampl this year embarking on a major census of primates and mammals in key forest patches along the south coast; getting the power lines insulated to stop the horrendous electrocutions of primates is already being tackled and EIAs (Environmental Impact Assessment ) of potentially damaging developments in forest areas will be

undertaken.All the activities will continue in conjunction with key partners, in particular Camp Kenya and t h e K e n y a W i l d l i f e Service. However, the challenges of r u n n i n g t h i s s m a l l conservation organization increase by the day. As Diani develops there is more and more impact on our wildlife, and this year we also face the challenges of the world financial crisis. So the Colobus Trust needs m o r e s u p p o r t a n d assistance than ever. We hope that this newsletter will give you insight into the front-line conservation work that is done, and allow you

to understand how important your support of the Colobus Trust is. To learn more about the Colobus Trust and to keep up-to-date with the daily happenings at the Trust, take a look at As we move into a new era for the Trust, we hope you will continue to be involved and help us to try to secure a positive future for the colobus and other primates of the south coast of Kenya.

From the Trustees:Raymond Matiba, Jophie Clark, Luciana Parrazi, Lulu

e, we are

s

our blog:

http://colobus.wildlifedirect.org/.

WE ARE STILL HERE!

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The Trust would like to thank Superior Printers, Mombasa for supporting the entire

print run of this special edition of the CT Newsletter

Dear Friends of the Colobus Trust,Looking back on the last year, I often wonder how we have managed to survive. It has not been an easy task but then who ever said that facing the type of challenges that we do at the Trust would be easy. Rather, having a tough ride is the rather unfortunate reality of conservation that we have to come to terms with. On the other side of the coin, it is also within the same context that one realises just how many good people there are out there that genuinely care for wildlife, and who have been supportive of the Trust during this difficult time. So where exactly are we one year on from the post election crises that brought our beautiful country to its knees?

HABITAT LOSS THROUGH DEFORESTATIONTourism is fast expanding along Kenya's fragile south coast, and particularly in Diani. The level of tourist infrastructure is ever increasing, including hotels, shopping malls, private villas, sports facilities and housing for workers serving in the hotel industry.In most cases, these developments take place in total disregard for environmental laws (contained in the Environmental Management and Coordination Act of 1999). The result has been the destruction of prime forest habitat, home to the black-and-white colobus

monkey and so much other wildlife. The Trust continues to address this problem through dialogue with forest owners including hoteliers, traditional kaya elders and relevant governmental organizations. In a number of incidents the Trust had to resort to exposés through the media and our blog, thanks to our effective blogger and assistant manager, Gwili Gibbon. We have also made strong presentations to the Land Use Planning Committee, which visited the Trust last year. Our recommendation is that the south coast should be declared an eco-tourism zone and all development proposals be thoroughly vetted to avoid turning the area into a mass tourism zone dominated by concrete.Should this approach be adopted at a national level, habitat for the colobus and other primates in Diani will be safe-guarded. Indeed, habitat conservation has been recognized as the most important part of the Trust's new 2009 -2013 Strategic plan. The Trust will continue to campaign for the preservation of remaining forest patches at all available forums.

PRIMATE ELECTROCUTIONS BY POWER LINESThe rapid growth in tourism infrastructure has meant a corresponding expansion of the electricity supply lines.

Unfortunately, safety for arboreal wildlife has never been considered by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KP&LC) during its endeavours to meet growing power demands. Un-insulated power lines are cheaper and have therefore been favoured by the company, l e a d i n g t o c o n t i n u e d electrocutions of numerous monkeys including the colobus.Recently the KP&LC has acknowledged the issue of monkey electrocutions in Diani and has promised to take measures to end the problem. Trial insulation of power lines in areas where monkeys have frequently been electrocuted has been initiated by the Colobus Trust with the help of Camp Kenya, and KP&LC have provided technical experts to supervise the installation of insulating conduits.Ultimately the Trust would like to see the KP&LC taking full responsibility to ensure the problem of Diani's primates b e i n g e l e c t r o c u t e d i s eliminated. Based on the

12 Years and fighting on...

By Onesmus Macharia (CT Manager)

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Colobus Trustee Raymond Matiba and Manager Onesmus Macharia receive a donation of Ksh. 100,000/= from the Director

of Lantana Homes, Hamish Govani

3

lessons learnt in Diani, these safety measures for wildlife should then be applied by the KP&LC throughout the country. C R I P P L I N G F I N A N C I A L CONSTRAINTSFund ing i s c r i t i ca l fo r any organization. Traditionally, the Colobus Trust has depended on internally generated funds through the volunteers' programme, eco-t o u r i s m a c t i v i t i e s , s a l e o f merchandise, and occasional fund raising events supported by the South Coast Residents Association and members of the Trust board. The Trust also enjoys limited financial support from international well wishers through our blog, hosted by Wildlife Direct. Other sources of funding are our membership and colobus adoption schemes. Appeals to individuals and organizations also occasionally yield some funding for the Trust.For the last year the Colobus Trust has been operating under difficult financial circumstances. The catalyst for this near crippling situation was the political crisis that erupted after the December 2007 disputed presidential elections in the country. From a full capacity booking of volunteers in December 2007, we experienced massive cancellations of bookings only a few days after the crisis and the situation has never been the same since. In fact we did not have a single volunteer in December 2008 despite the period being the peak tourist season. Eco-tours did not fare any better as there were very few tourists on Diani beach. On a positive note, the crisis has been an eye opener to the Trust that the organization is too dependent on tourism for its operations. As a first step to reduce this dependence, the board of directors has employed a fund raising consultant to coordinate all fund raising activities. Working closely with the management team of the Trust, the consultant is formulating achievable fundraising strategies for the immediate and long term needs of the Colobus Trust. Fundraising this year got off to a good start with a generous donation from Lantana Homes. These are the sort of local support initiatives that are so necessary for non-profit organisations like ours. The Trust will also continue to participate in the WSPA sponsored fund raising training programme. This programme is intended to help participating organizations to develop capacities in fundraising instead of being donor dependent. Thus expectations are high that the current financial crisis will soon be resolved. With the determination of management spearheaded by the board of directors, we know we can steer the

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Wildlife Care by Lulu Clark (Trustee)

If you enjoy having wildlife in Diani as much as I do, and especially in your own garden, and you wish to help them tackle the dry season, traffic, dogs, snares and power lines, here are a few things you can easily do to help them out:

1.Put water into the trees; select a tree that allows monkeys access by tree as opposed to on the ground, especially if you have dogs. A simple 'karai' or bowl filled with water and securely positioned into a fork in the tree, above the reach of any dogs you may have and away from any roads where cars may be passing close by, is a great help to the monkeys, and you will be rewarded by a steady flow of visitors. The water will also attract a lot of birds and maybe some squirrels. Remember to fill it up morning and evening as once they know it is there your arboreal waterhole will be an important stopping place on their daily travels.

2.If you are lucky enough to have suni in your garden, during the dry season you can keep a patch of grass watered so that they always have something to eat. Ideally it should be at the edge of the garden as they feel more secure near the bush, and again, make sure it is well away from any dogs or roads. You could also keep a karai or basin of water on the ground as although suni usually get enough moisture from the vegetation they eat, when the vegetation dries out they will drink water.

3.Did you know that you can order suni meat at Mwisho wa Lami? Ask your gardener to do regular checks for snares in your own garden and in any bush nearby, even if it is not your property.

4.Dispose properly of your own rubbish and collect rubbish whenever you can … empty tins, broken bottles etc are a hazard to wildlife. A member of staff at the Colobus Trust recently helped a civet cat that had its head stuck in a tin; imagine its relief when the tin was pulled off.

5.Get ready to plant indigenous trees … to be ready for the long rains, now is the time of year to be digging holes for trees. Remember the holes should be 4 ft square and filled with good topsoil. The Colobus Trust has an indigenous tree nursery and can offer advice on what to plant and where.

6.Support the Colobus Trust power line insulation program; get your power lines insulated and prevent any more deaths by electrocution on your patch.

7.Stick to the 50 kph speed limit on the Diani Beach Road and encourage others to do the same.

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Charity work can be very broad, and that's why there is charity education at the Colobus trust. Come every Tuesday and you will see our dedicated staff, with at least a group of thirty happy students, ready for a full day’s learning. And on two Fridays of each month the team visits a school for an outreach programme. The education programme is about eleven years old and provides education to primary, secondary and college

There is nothing as fun as an educational workshop at the Colobus Trust. Students get to learn more about wildlife, habitat, ecology, conservation and being kind to the animal kingdom in general. By taking a walk through our nature trail, students learn more about trees, monkey species, and other small animals. At the Centre, they also get to see the unfortunate ex-pet monkeys undergoing rehabilitation. This empowers them to report any such future cases to the Colobus Trust as well as passing information to the entire community around them. Monkeys are part of our wildlife and an attraction to the tourism sector. They deserve the same respect as leopards and elephants. It is very true that every tourist staying in Diani will take a picture of a monkey.At the trust you can also watch “Mizoga”, a video by Born Free in collaboration with Kenyatta University, which explores the very complicated problems surrounding bushmeat consumption. Long discussions with the students always follows after this drama. And finally, after a long day of walking, learning and discovering, kids enjoy our beach (environmental) games, but not before completing our workbooks and worksheets. Over 1000 students visit the Trust each year. Our education programmes have been supported by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and our outreach programs could not have been possible without our WSPA donated vehicle.The Colobus Trust also continues to work very close with teachers. KWAPAG, for example, is a group of wildlife patrons from Kwale district under the umbrella of the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya. Competitions to registered members have been done twice, both held at the Colobus Trust. The first one commemorated the Trust’s tenth anniversary. We supported these events by providing educational material and prizes. All the participants agreed that the Trust was the best venue and that's why it hosted the second prize giving.Our way forward: In partnership with WSPA, we hope to purchase visual resources for our outreach programmes. We will also be launching special packages for schools to come and stay and learn at the Trust. Keep visiting our blog for updates. And Remember: By being kind to any animal you are helping create a better future.

students.

FUN LEARNING WITH

EXPERTS

By Hamisi Pakiah

(CT Education Officer)

Last year, 2008, generous donors helped the

Colobus Trust to employ more casual

labourers to remove snares in the

surrounding areas in Diani. They were

removing an average of 40-50 snares per

day, the worst having been 137 snares in

just one day in one area. It was a gruesome

job as several dead animals were found

which included not only suni and monkeys,

but also cats and dogs. The attached photo

is of a lucky Suni, called Bambi, who

survived, but sadly her mother was found

dead in a snare. The Colobus Trust is still

continuing with this program, but much

reduced, due to financial constraints. Any

donations to the Trust for this purpose

would be much appreciated to enable us to

go full steam ahead.

(Luciana Parazzi, Colobus Trustee)

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The Importance of primate

monitoring programmes (By

Julie Belmont, CT Volunteer)

The south coast of Kenya forms part of the “Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa” Global Biodiversity Hotspot and thus is recognised internationally as a unique area, the wildlife and ecosystems of which must be protected. For more than 10 years the Colobus Trust has been dedicated to the conservation and welfare of primates living in the Diani area, and especially the charismatic and vulnerable Angolan black and white colobus monkey (Colobus angolensis palliatus).In Diani, the major human impact on wildlife comes from habitat alterations due to the growing human population. Within the last few y e a r s , i n c r e a s i n g t o u r i s m , u r b a n expansion and new roads have had a huge negative impact on the remnants of a once large and rich forest ecosystem. You can s t i l l see monkeys on a daily basis in Diani, including vervets, Sykes, colobus and baboons. These species have tried in different ways to adapt to their rapidly changing e n v i r o n m e n t , f o r example by foraging on rubbish tips, eating introduced plants in private gardens, and t a k i n g f o o d f r o m kitchens and dining areas. However this impression of a large number of monkeys is an illusion. The Trust has been conducting regular primate censuses for the past decade and has seen a decline in numbers for all species, and especially for the colobus. Colobus have a special and limited diet, constituted only of leaves and some flowers, which does not allow them to adapt as well as other species. Therefore they are much more sensitive to habitat modification. Due to the major financial difficulties that the Trust faced during the past year, it was not possible to conduct a proper census of primates and we are therefore uncertain about the current status of primate populations in Diani. This is really worrying, especially for the colobus which are so vulnerable. As the Trust emerges from this difficult period, it is with a will to renew proper scientific research in the area. One of Trust's objectives over the coming decade is to conduct a large, ongoing primate monitoring programme, to permit us to follow closely the

status of the primate populations, and in particular the colobus.Monitoring programmes are often used in conservation biology, especially with large mammals including primates. Such programmes consist of doing regular and numerous surveys of species populations within a precise area. In our case, we want to make two surveys per year, conducting fieldwork sessions in Diani forest and within all the surrounding kayas (local sacred forests) (see green areas on the map). During these sessions, we will walk along targeted areas, following a precise methodology and recording data on each primate identified. In this way we will be able to answer many questions about populations and troops organizations, including for example population sizes, troop structure, sex and age ratios,

reproduction rates, etc. This valuable information will give us indications of how stable the monkey populations in the area are, and what the main factors are that affect this stability. We will be able to determine existing and new threats and be able to act against them in an informed manner.Obviously such an ambitious project will r e q u i r e a h u g e amount of input, both in the field and for data a n a l y s i s a n d r e p o r t i n g , a n d t h e r e f o r e n e e d s significant funding. However the products of the project will benefit not just the Trust, by informing the

future focus of our conservation efforts, but will be hugely useful to other students and scientists conducting studies in the area. With future collaborations and funding, we hope to extend the monitoring programme on a wider geographical area in the south coast. The Trust will also use the opportunity to gather data on other wildlife species encountered during the field work. This will allow us to have a better understanding of the species richness of the south coastal forests, and will hopefully inspire new studies of the fauna of this unique area of the world.Even though much forest and wildlife has already been lost, there is still hope. This monitoring programme will help ensure that what is left has a stable and long-term future.

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When I started working for the Trust in October 2007 I had only just completed my degree. Whenever asked what I wanted to do after university my idealistic response was “run away to Africa and save monkeys”. Needless to say, when I received a phone call asking me to come out as soon as possible I could never had said no!Seventeen months have now passed. As you would expect from a tourist town, not one of these months has been the same as another. I have seen volunteers come and go; I have lived alone for many months and at other times I have had a home full of great friends. But through all of this we have, together with the fantastic staff, survived some of the toughest times the Colobus Trust has ever seen and it is thanks to the combined force of these people and many more, that we have survived.The Colobus Trust truly is a modern conservation organisation. It is hard to think of anywhere else in Kenya, or elsewhere in the continent, that is faced with the task of trying to conserve such a unique habitat. This “uniqueness” comes from the fact that Diani's remaining forests are nearly all confined within developed, “urbanised” land, mostly hotels and luxury private houses. This unique “urban conservation” effort causes a complete shift in the prioritisation of well know conservation strategies. Therefore the well known and widely publicised conservation strategies such as a continual education program and the fight against the unsustainable harvest of plants and animals alike, although still relevant (and tackled by the Trust) are superseded by the threats caused

Assistant

Manager, Gwili

Gibbon says,

kwaheri...

Partners inPrimate ProtectionFor Diani

Preparing insulation material with Camp Kenya for open electricity cables

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THANK YOU!THE COLOBUS TRUST WOULD

LIKE TO THANK ALL THE INDIVIDUALS AND

ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR CONTINUOS AND DEDICATED

SUPPORT WITHOUT WHICH WE SINCERELY WOULD NOT HAVE

BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH LAST YEAR

by human introduced elements. Therefore priorities lie in the management of the threats put in place by this urbanisation. Priorities for ensuring the survival of Diani's special ecosystem are therefore combating such issues as the electrocutions and road traffic accidents that are responsible for the majority of primate deaths. These are difficult issues to manage, given that development usually lacks the foresight required to act responsibly and the tendency of developers to treat the Colobus Trust as a hindrance. So the Colobus Trust works, alongside other organisations, to promote these issues and combat them in a multitude of ways. To combat the two highlighted issue we have long been known for our Colobridges program and more recently, for our successes in working together with the local community to insulate hazardous power lines that run through the forest. Whilst at the same time we have continued our education program, animal rescue and rehabilitation unit and attempted to control and manage poach ing and i r respons ib le deve lopment .Rest assured, we are moving forward. So far in 2009 we have insulated over a kilometre of power lines as well as regularly maintaining our 28 existing Colobridges and much more. This work is ongoing. We have also continued to host volunteers from Kenya and all over the world, recently taking on students from Lund University in Sweden. This has been a very interesting time for us as they are undertaking a study on Colobus feeding behaviour; answering many questions we have long wanted to answer. I hope this is the start of something

new and can build into the Colobus Trust becoming a host research centre for scientist from all over the world.There is lots going on at the Colobus Trust and things are rapidly moving onward and upward. But the truth is that yes we do need more help and yes, we need more financial support. But, rest assured, we are doing the best we can with what we have so please continue supporting the Colobus Trust in every aspect it needs! It has been a real pleasure to be part of the Colobus Trust family and although I am moving on, I know I

will always be attached in one way or the other!(The Trust would like to thank Gwili for his

dedication to primate protection and we all wish him the best in his future adventures)