Finally, the good news on rare monkeys of Samburu
Category: Samburu Survey | Date: Oct 02 2008 | By: samburumonkeys
For the last one and half years, we have carried out an extensive survey of six rare primates species in the plains and forest of Samburu; from Mt. Nyiro in the north to Uaso Ng’iro river in the south. Whereas we found some like the senegal lesser galago to be plenty, sykes monkey in Leroghi remained elusive and only one Patas monkey was reported on the south in the Samburu national Reserve. There was more good news for de brazza’s monkey as more groups were discovered in Ndoto. For more details, see the summary below or email me to get a copy of the full report.
I am grateful to Milgis trust’s Moses Lesaloiya and Helen Dufrense and their highly skilled scouts for their effort in making this survey a success.
Summary
This primates’ survey was carried out in Samburu district of northern Kenya with semi-arid lowland and forested highland mountains. The aim was to study the distribution of the following rare primates’ species; the de Brazza’s, the Sykes and the Patas monkeys, the Somali and the Senegal lesser galagos and the Mt Uarges guereza. The six have received marginal attention and their status in the area is poorly known.
De Brazza’s monkey
During the survey that started in April 2007, six more groups of de Brazza’s monkey were recorded on the northern Mathews range, an addition to the 24 groups recorded in the year 2006 pioneering survey of de Brazza’s monkey. Additionally, Milgis Trust game scouts also reported new groups in southern parts of Ndoto forest.
Patas monkey
In the district, only one Patas monkey was officially reported. Dr Iain Douglas-Hamilton of Save the Elephants reported seeing one Patas monkey on the western parts of Samburu National Reserve. Given the mobile of nature male Patas and the proximity of the reserve to the Laikipia population, this sighting could not be construed to mean that there is a new resident group in the district yet.
Sykes’ monkey
A very small population Sykes’ monkey is believed to be present on the northern fringes of Leroghi forest although tangible evidence has been had to come by. However, effort to get hold of such evidence his still ongoing.
Mt Uarges Guereza
The Endangered Mt Uarges guereza is found in substantial number distributed over central and southern parts of Mathews range forest. The population in the neighboring Kirisia hills and Leroghi forest was last seen by Forest Guards in 2006 and is now believed to have sought refuge in the dense inaccessible part of the forest following two decades of persistent poaching by local people who highly value its skin.
Lesser Galagos
The Senegal lesser galago was found to be widespread in the district. Eight live specimens were collected at South Horr and Mathew range. However, the Somali lesser galago was not seen though there were reliable reports that it is common particularly on the southern drier parts of the district.
Senegal lesser Galago collected at Ngare Narok on Mathew range
Iregi Mwenja
Presenting my team
Category: Samburu Survey | Date: Dec 28 2007 | By: admin
The Samburu primates study that I lead is made up of research assistants, guides, scouts and secuirity escorts who are mostly drawn from the local Samburu community. I am glad to share with you photos of some of the peope that have made the fieldwork part of this study a success.
The Team at Ngare Narok in september 2007 where we were making preliminary observations of the ecology of the newly discovered population of de Brazza’s monkey in Mathews range.
The Ang’ata Nanyuki team in Leroghi where our search for sykes monkey were fruitless in June 2007.
The Uaso Ngi’ro rivers near Lodung’okwe. The team which I led was searching for sykes monkeys believed to have been in this area in the 1980s
The team at Lagat valley in Baragoi searching for Patas monkey
Another team at Angata Nayuki in Leroghi that was looking for Patas and sykes monkeys
A guide and an escort in last year’s de Brazza’s monkey survey in Mathews range.
The list is not exshaustive as not all of them are currently available in my photo library. As you read my posts, please remember that this people played a crucial role in the study and they deserve credit for their contribution. I am personally very grateful to my team for serving with deligence and dedications despite the numerous difficulties and hardships, especailly lack of adequate resources during feildwork.
Iregi Mwenja
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Climbing Mt Nyiro
Category: Samburu Survey | Date: Dec 26 2007 | By: admin
Climbing Mt Nyiro was the most physically challenging moment of my primates survey fieldwork in Samburu this year. The photos say it all…
Climbing from South Horr
My local Guide, Ljejian
Taking a break
Another Break
It took us ten hours to get to Kurante where we picthed our tents before heading to Kosi Kosi (which is 2600 m above sea level) the next morning.
Finally the view
South Horr trading center and the Ndonyo Mara on the background
Iregi Mwenja
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Delayed field trip
Category: Samburu Survey | Date: Dec 13 2007 | By: admin
I have been forced to postpone my last field trip of the year following continued rains in Mathews range whose river drains to the Milgis river on the western side. I have been planning to survey the Ndoto by going round the mountain using the Milgis lagga (dry River bed) as it is the only way to cross over from the west. Until the River bed is dry, most parts on the south are inaccessible. If I go now, I will only be able to access the mountain from Ilaut side via Baragoi-South Horr road and leave out the crucial southern parts. The General elections are also due in two weeks and it would not be advisable to conduct the study during the last days of campaigns and voting day. The is also the festive season and christmas is around the corner and it will be difficult to convince people to join me, like it happened last years during my last fields trip of the Mathews range de Brazza’s survey.
Ndoto mountains, a view of the northern side’s from the top of Mt Nyiro, 30 km away
Seiya river and a patas monkey
I have been able to get this regular updates courtesy to my partner on the ground - Milgis Trust. The Manager, Moses Lesoloiya have also been assisting with leads into unconfirmed reports of patas sightings at Suiyan and trip logistics, including transport and scouts. We have agreed to make it early January.
Mwenja searching for patas monkey at Lagat river, a tributary of the Seiya river four months ago.
Open grassland near suiyan with a view of Leroghi/Kirisia Hills on the background
Acacia bushland which offer ideal conditions for patas monkey habitation
Iregi Mwenja
Project Leader
Samburu Primates
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More skulls
Category: Samburu Survey | Date: Oct 15 2007 | By: admin
Thanks Louise for your assistance with the skull identification. I take photos of everything I come across and sometimes they happen to be species outside my speciality. But how did this buffalo skull at Mathews range end up with a new body! I just liked the image.
There is a fossilized remains of an elephant skull at Marti which residents claim has turned into a rock. Does that interest you? I could get speceimens next month, for free!
Iregi Mwenja
A small but costly mistake in the field
Category: Samburu Survey | Date: Oct 13 2007 | By: admin
As I promised in the last post, I have posted this link to a video that showing how the Samburu make fire for dried sticks. This is how the Samburu people used to make fire before modern fire lighters were introduced. We had to rely on this method after we forget a fire lighter in our car (which was parked 15 km away at Marti) during a Patas’ monkey survey along the Lagat valley
It was late in the evening and we couldn’t find the species required to make fire in the valley. We spent the night without food after the 15km walk to Lagat Valley. The next morning, had to call-off the survey and return to Marti, another 7 hours walk in a temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. On the photo in the last post, we had done about 10 km and had run out of the precious water. That morning, we threw away our raw foodstuff - potatoes, rice and beans to cut on our luggage and save our dwindling energy to walk to the car at Marti.
So my sadness had nothing to do with insecurity! But I learnt a valuable lesson. To pack one item at a time! Next month I will be back and you guess what will be the first item in my luggage!
Back at Marti, I bought a chicken from the locals which was prepared for us as we had animated discussions with the Morans who couldn’t understand why these people have to leave their comfort in Nairobi and subject themselves to the hardship in such remote and insecure places. What they will never understand is that this is adventure to me, not hardships. It’s fun. It’s want I want to do for my country, to help save our planet!
Iregi Mwenja
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