Elephant poaching in QNP - shocking photos released

Mother and child



Here skulls gathered. We don't really know how many elephants have been killed recently.
At least 15 locally but likely to be many more.

Killed in the area surrounding Mareja within Quirimbas National Park, Northern Mozambique.  Killed for their ivory.  Ivory turned into trinkets, carved into artefacts that are sold openly in China and across Asia.

Elephants are protected by International CITES legislation - recognised as one of the most majestic and highly intelligent large mammals, from an ancient line of evolution called Afrotheria.  Their killing, trade and the making of artefacts is totally illegal.

Above a mother and baby - the baby would have had only stubs for ivory (teeth) - heartbreaking pointless slaughter. 

I am about to embark on an Appeal to better equip our local team of Rangers and increase our surveillance of the area, which stretches to 36,000 hectares of coastal forest.  These new professional heavily armed groups seem to be close to Mareja.  We provide a sanctuary for a small breeding population of now extremely frigthtened elephants.

Back with a bump: Dominik arrives in Pemba

Dominik is back in Mozambique and without car, water or refrigeration (and the hot season is well underway) ...

• car alternator broken (despite having been with mechanic for 2 months, they haven't the right screw)
• water pump totally defunct in Pemba (and no nearby river unlike Mareja)
• fridge cable chewed through by mice

He left his computer at a friend's house in Nairobi (sadly only himself to blame) and more devastatingly his bags didn't arrive with him in Pemba.  They were stuffed full of wonderful things - such as 10 new rangers uniforms, night lights and the usual mysterious and essential plumbing parts.

So all in all a bad start....not to mention the news that the armed poaching groups are on the Mareja border.

10 elephants killed in 11 days at Taratibo

Ivory poaching has been on the increase but we have just received news of a MASS slaughter at Taratibo.  A reserve run by Jacob (a cousin of Dominik's) the only other conservation project within the Park - it is a particularly beautiful area with a large Inselberg range.  How devastating for Jacob and what a huge dent in the small population of elephant in this area.  Jacob has a good local ranger force but the poachers were heavily armed with automatic weapons and supported by a helicopter that removed the ivory.  Locals say the poachers are planning to return.  We must put everything in their path to stop them getting to Mareja. 

Sign of a new born elephant at Mareja 

Only yesterday Dominik was telling me about the elephant birthing grounds that are near the house. When a female makes noises to indicate she is giving birth, all females within range trumpet back and form a protection ring against predators.  Time for trumpeting from the human world.

poachers retaliate - wild fires rage

Apparently fires have been lit all around Mareja and even below the house. The Rangers found a poachers camp and confiscated nets and snares.  They then scuttled away before the poachers returned.  Fire making is a skill everyone has with or without matches and it is very effective, used to drive game into your net, push them into a snare rich zone or temporarily wipe out a habitat.  The hope is that they were not really 'hot' fires which devastate all flammable life.  However, at this time in the season the land is getting pretty dry, so they could be...

Every year there is a programme of early burning.  And we managed, what felt like, a good amount this year trying to create 'breaks' so that the big hot fires can't take hold.  I drove as others dabbled their fire sticks into thick knots of vegetation (fire sticks made from bamboo shredded at the end like a loobrush or knots of grass tied into bundles). 

These burns are done along roads and tracks so the breaks are linear.  Dominik particularly wants to protect the rich and rare mountain vegetation.  But the thought of this uncontrollable force of nature manufactured for maximum effect is really worrying. You can only imagine the panic in the animal world when they hear that deep crackle of hungry fire.  And apparently a 3 day fire came really close to the house, they have estimated about 5,000 hectares of fire.

Intense reality...tiles, spirits and blood analysis

As usual we are doing a flying Pemba visit but this time with added urgency as we have to leave for UK in 5 days.  Much to say but in brief:

For me a time of tile making with a group  of four women (two children).  Now that they have mastered the large floor tiles, am encouraging them to explore designs.  It is a new world entirely for them and full of much excitement for me and they seem to be enjoying it greatly too.

Much illness amongst the community, Adamo has a horrendous boil in a comprising place.  Maria is suffering from various pains I can't quite understand and yesterday I took her to the Private clinic here in Pemba.  She had many blood tests that revealed great illness and were a shock (she was given an antibiotic drip and looked like a startled rabbit but I sat with here and gave her the odd mint I had (M&S curiously strong...and comforting).  She is now armed with 6 types of medication and we will take her back to Mareja today to her natural environment.  She has a chronic womb infection and syphillis but sadly that is not it and the last condition the doctor decided to keep from her for now.  The reality of life here involves major illness with an average life expectancy of 47, Maria is 37 and we must now get her the medication she needs to prolong her life as much as possible.  (Dominik is also trying to locate a councillor who suffers from the same condition and speaks Machua, as there is potential confusion, fear and stigma to try to overcome.)

An alarming turn after a happy day of tile making was a sudden call early evening as Ali's wife had 'developed madness'.  We visited to discover a terrifying night attack of wild screaming and voices where she had to be restrained.  We tried, crammed into her smoke filled dark home, to help calm her but she was consumed by a world far from our reach and had to be driven to Nanduli yesterday.   She usually had the broadest most beautiful white smile which has quite disappeared and been replaced by a deep reflective scowl. They say she is possessed by a spirit which arises from a time when she was enslaved during the war of Independence and suffered who knows what terrors.

There are reported armed Poachers on the Mareja border.  They have apparently killed many many elephants using AKAs and armory only associated with the Police or Army - a new twist to have guns involved.  Our Rangers have been flakey lately so there has been much discussion and work to improve their drive and commitment.  They are focusing patrols around our elephant strong holds.  We seem to have more elephants present than usual so they may be fleeing towards a safe haven.  Dominik is strategising and working hard - all his fears may be coming true.

On a light note I have had some clothes made by Josephina - African materials into simple but striking outfits and a few presents to add a bit of colour to the European palette.

Plans on hold - malaria and a common cold

Stuck in Pemba for the 5th day.  Dominik recovering from malaria and I have a cold (obviously less serious).  Wish we didn't live opposite the main hospital with the pavements piled high with people awaiting  treatment.  Our Pemba home could be described as the Infection Hotspot of the North, not quite idyllic coastal living...we don't even have a view of the third largest bay in the world to speed recovery.

Sengi course run at Mareja by Galen and Peter

Harith (Ecology Tutor at Unilurio, Pemba) wrote in his feedback: initiatives like these are fundamental to the growth of the biology students not only from Cabo Delgado but from Mozambique.  With these 3 days we could live and learn with the kind of people we all want to be like in the future.

Whenever we have visiting specialists at Mareja it is our express wish to involve locals were we can and in particular enable them to share and benefit from their passion, professionalism, skills and knowledge.

It is widely acknowledged that Mozambique needs to build its capacity for research and conservation so it can better manage its great and diverse natural resource.  There are huge holes in its current expertise, so it relies on visiting specialists and a small team based in Maputo at Eduardo Mondlane or the Natural History Museum. 

It is also recognized that the country's biodiversity resource is severely threatened by persistent and increasing factors - farming, development and exploitation for logging, mining and poaching.  As one of the country’s most at risk from climate change, due to its large coastal line, the preservation of its coastal forest is paramount.  Mareja supports 36,000 hectares of this unique habitat, sub tropical coastal miombo forest, an ecosystem that makes it a Global Biodiversity Hotspot.

Early this year we signed an MOU with the newly established local university UNILURIO and Quirimbas National Park (QNP). Unilurio offer two degrees, in IT and Biology - subjects that reflect areas of great economic growth and importance to the country.  However the university has limited resources with no laboratory and only 15 titles in its library.  But it has attracted 120 students who are currently studying Biology and it has aspirations, such as, to employ Tutors with a relevant MSc qualification within 5 years.

Galen and Peter only had three weeks to achieve their objectives but they made time for a 3 day course for four key individuals, two top students and a newly employed Ecology tutor, Harith, and Snr Denga, Head of Research at QNP.  They ran a practical field course offering insight into Sengi and their research.

One of the objectives of the workshop was also to teach the British and American style of discussive learning, creating an informal 'tutorial' atmosphere where questions and debate are encouraged.  (They tend to use a more lecture based style of teaching here in Mozambique.)

It was a hugely successful few days full of hands-on learning, much discussion - fuelled by homemade fare, Peter's contagious interest and Galen's life experience as one, if not the, leading Sengi specialist.

Here 'papa' (sweet maize meal) for breakfast prepared by Antonia and served by Maria

- topped with nuts, banana and Mareja honey