The Galana Conservancy borders Tsavo East National Park in Kenya and consists of a 60,000 acre wilderness haven for some of the world’s most renowned and rarest African wildlife species. The conservancy serves as a crucial un-fenced buffer zone between Tsavo East National Park and the vast agricultural areas of the Galana and Kulalu Ranches which are managed by the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC). We have been working since 2008 with local communities, international NGOs and the ADC to preserve this vital habitat and the amazing creatures that rely on it.
In 2013 we started to record and document our resident and transient wildlife populations using road transect counts, static OP counts and camera trapping for our nocturnal inhabitants. It is crucial that we collect data to monitor populations and be in a position to identify positive or negative trends. These research activities also presented us with some wonderful surprises. In a 12 month period between September 2013 and September 2014 we photographed and identified four individual striped hyena within the conservancy. The striped hyena is listed as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List but with that assessment dating back to 2008 we can only imagine how bleak the picture is now. We are passionate about preserving our Stripey population and the habitat they need to survive and would be happy for any assistance in these efforts. It will take considerable effort to track and map their movements. So little is known to science about these elusive creatures. We must create interest in their plight and develop an effective conservation policy.
In recent years we have also focused on developing the Conservancy's infrastructure and we now have a wonderful network of roads that invite the visitor to explore. Our Warden and trained Scouts patrol the area each day and have a strong working relationship with the Kenya Wildlife Service.
The area has suffered in the past from ivory poaching and we have lost not just some of our magnificent Tsavo bull elephants but also many family groups. We work proactively with the community, government agencies and other NGOs to prevent or investigate such incidents and have successfully coordinated the rescue of orphaned elephant calf's in three poaching related incidents.
