On the Trail - Robin des Bois

killed by the poachers for fear he would tell the
police. Finally, the deputy director of the Tsavo protected
area expressed at this time his frustrations
with seeing more and more KWS agents drawn into
involvement with the poachers. At least a dozen
cases have been reported. Rangers are on the trail
of the poachers while a team of veterinarians struggled
to save another elephant hit by a poisoned
arrow.
Boda-boda is popular in East Africa
© Newvision et © Kikulacho
was presented to the press in a rather ostentatious
way by the authorities. The fall of the 2 reverends is
to be credited to the new «Information and Intelligence»
Unit of the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Elephant poaching and vulture mortality among
which lappet faced vultures (Torgos tracheliotus),
hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus),
white-headed vultures (Trigonoceps occipitalis),
cape vultures (Gyps coprotheres) and African
white-backed vultures (Gyps africanus) all endangered
and protected by Appendix II.
Bwabwata National Park, Regions of Caprivi and
Kavango, Namibia
July 2013
Bands of vultures circling above the carcasses of
the forest, savannah and desert, are benchmarks
for rangers watching for poachers. Where there are
vultures in the sky, there is often an elephant down.
600 vultures died after one or more elephants’ carrion
was shared. 3 hypothesis could explain this
raptors massacre.
1 - elephants were killed by poisoning and vultures
were secondary victims;
2 - poachers spread a toxic liquid waste on the carcass
to reduce flights of vultures and risks to be
identified during their campaign inside the park.
3 - this massive mortality could also be due to live
vultures feeding off the poisoned and dead vultures.
The poison has not been identified. All raptors have
been gathered and summarily burned in the open.
The carnage has probably hit several species, all
vulnerable or endangered. IUCN vultures specialist
estimates that at least 5 species of vultures were
affected. Ivory trade kills more than elephants.
On the Trail #1 relayed the news of a seizure on
June 16, 2013 of 10 tusks at the border post of Singalamwe
in Namibia found in a Zambian government
official’s car. The tusks are suspected to have
originated from the Bwabwata National Park.
Trial held against 2 people for illegal possession
of ivory
Tanzania
July
The loot of this 27 year old Tanzanian policeman
and his accomplice is estimated at US$ 75,400. They
were held in custody in waits of their trial.
Seizure 2 pieces of ivory
Harugare, Region of Western Uganda
July 2013
A few days before the Migoul iman in Togo, pastors
of the Rwenzori diocese in Uganda were implicated
in ivory smuggling. It all began when Reverend Misaki
Maitene was accused of holding 2 tusks of dubious
origin. A few weeks later, another pastor from
the same diocese was tricked by pseudo buyers,
who were in fact investigators. A middle man in the
deal, Reverend Baguma led the undercover investigators
to an accomplice. The initial offer involved
25 kg of ivory at a price of 118 U.S. $ / kg. The reverend
and the second suspect also mentioned another
stock of ivory which «needed to dry.» Pastor
Baguma said that it was a misunderstanding; he
600 vultures ! ©Bruno Congar, Robin des Bois
59 On The Trail # 2. Robin des Bois