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LATEST NEWS
FROM KENYA
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JULIE
D. POWERS MEMORIAL LIBRARY
The
dedication of the Julie D. Powers Memorial Library will
take place on August 8, 2011. Check back for photos from
the dedication. |
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BURNING OF IVORY
SENDS A WARNING TO POACHERS
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Kenya has publicly
burnt elephant ivory worth £10m – at Manyani,
Tsavo National Park - in an attempt to focus
attention on rising poaching deaths. President
Mwai Kibaki personally wielded the torch to
light the
bonfire of 335 confiscated tusks and 41,000
ivory trinkets. He told several hundred people
gathered at a rural Kenya Wildlife Service
training facility: "Through the disposal of
contraband ivory, we seek to formally
demonstrate to the world our determination to
eliminate all forms of illegal trade in ivory.
"We must all appreciate the negative effects of
illegal trade to our national economies. We
cannot afford to sit back and allow criminal
networks to destroy our common future." Elephant
numbers are much healthier today than in the
recent past, but conservationists say a second
crisis is looming as poachers seek to satisfy
China's appetite for ivory. Iain
Douglas-Hamilton founder of Save the Elephants
said he hoped people would see Kenya's latest
ivory destruction as further warning that
elephants are again being hunted. The economic
loss from the burning was part of the message.
"This is a clear signal that it's worth a lot
more money than you could get on the market. We
have to stop the buying if we want to stop the
killing," he said. "I'm not totally pessimistic.
I think the Chinese can be converted." A global
ban on the ivory trade in 1989 briefly halted
the elephants' demise. But the ban's initial
success has been undermined by booming Asian
economies and increasing demand for land. Africa
had 1.3 million elephants in the 1970s but has
only 500,000 today.
Article by Jason Straziuso, Independent
Newspaper |
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Wildlife
numbers in the Mara on the decline
‘’The status of Masai Mara as a prime conservation area
and premier tourist draw card in Kenya may soon be in
jeopardy” Dr Joseph Ogutu Senior statistician in the
Bioinformatics unit of the University of Hohenheim
The BBC has published an article from the Journal of
Zoology on the decline of Wildlife species in the Masai
Mara. The Mara has lost more than two thirds of its
wildlife.
A few highlights from the article on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13573912
· Numbers of impala, warthog, giraffe, topi and Coke's
hartebeest have declined by over 70%
· The declines are particularly surprising, say the
scientists, as they had expected animal populations to
have recovered since 2000-2001.
· The great wildebeest migration now involves 64% fewer
animals than it did in the early 1980s
· During the wet season, when there is no migration,
resident wildebeest in the reserve have all but
disappeared, falling by 97%.
· Zebra numbers residing inside the reserve have also
fallen by three-quarters.
· Dr Joseph Ogutu, a senior statistician in the
Bioinformatics unit of the University of Hohenheim,
Germany conducted the study with colleagues there and at
the International Livestock Research Institute in
Nairobi, Kenya.
Kenya part of elephant E – 8 group
Eight countries with the largest number of elephants met
for the first time last week in New Delhi to plot new
strategies to protect the animal.
"Delegates here represent two-thirds of the world's wild
elephant population," Indian Environment Minister Jairam
Ramesh told the inaugural gathering of the Elephant-8
group. "From poaching for their ivory to habitat loss,
every issue to conserve the elephant needs to be
addressed."
The meeting was attended by delegates from Botswana,
Congo, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and
Thailand. |
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SPECIAL
MESSAGE FROM
WHWF
PRESIDENT
STEFANIE
POWERS
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It
is with great sadness that I have to report the loss
of our great friend, supporter and foundation
director, Tom Mankiewicz.
Tom was well known for his exceptional wit and for
his talents as both writer and director of Films and
of Hart to Hart which he created.
Although the creation credit goes to Sidney Sheldon,
Mank re wrote Sheldon's idea and gave birth to
Jonathan, Jennifer, Max and Freeway. He further
insured the criteria for the style of the show by
directing the pilot and many of the hour shows.
More recently, Mank served as chairman of the board
of GLAZA, the greater Los Angeles Zoo association,
helping to bring the zoo and their facilities into
the modern age and well on its way to privatization.
He was the proud owner of several winning race
horses and he was given a full professorship at
Chapman College where
he taught film to a grateful student body for the
past five years.
He will be adoringly remembered by all of his
friends, to whom his loss is enormous. For my part,
I have lost a piece of myself.
Thank you
Stefanie Powers
President |
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SPECIAL
MESSAGE FROM
WHWF
PRESIDENT
STEFANIE
POWERS
As
you may have
read, Kenya
and most of
East Africa
is
experiencing
the worst
drought
since that
of 1962.
Rivers are
running dry,
grasslands
cannot
support
traditional
herds of
cattle,
sheep and
goats
forcing
tribal
migrations
to higher
altitudes in
search of
grass where
the colder
climate and
weakened
condition of
the domestic
animals
causes large
numbers to
die. Power
sources,
mostly
hydroelectric,
have been
forced to
engage in
blackouts
twice a
week. We at
the WHWF's
education
center have
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also suffered
from these
conditions.
There is little
if no water in
the river from
which we derive
the water to
serve our
kitchens and
flush our
toilets. Power
outages cause us
to run our
generator at
great expense in
order to operate
essential
equipment. These
reasons coupled
with the effects
of the last
difficult
financial year
have greatly
effected our
financial
health. In order
to prudently
manage our
donors
generosity we
have had to make
a difficult but
necessary
decision. Since
we have already
served nearly
8,000 students
this year we
feel it
appropriate to
close the
education center
grounds
temporarily to
groups while
continuing with
all our outreach
programs and the
rural libraries
inclusive of the
pen pals ongoing
correspondence.
It has also
become necessary
to downsize our
staff whose
services will
not be necessary
in the
forthcoming
months. Since we
opened our doors
in 1982 we have
served over
300,000 students
and visitors of
all ages free of
charge as a
result of our
donors ongoing
commitments. I
personally have
also committed a
great deal of my
own income to
our project and
have always
taken pride in
the knowledge
that we over all
other
organizations
can actually say
that 100% of
each donation we
receive goes to
our work in
Kenya and that
nothing is
deflected for
directors
expenses, or
overheads in the
US. We are also
proud of the way
our money and
expenses have
been carefully
managed and
overseen by
David McConnell
in Kenya, who
has been able to
consistently
prevent waste
and find ways to
cut erroneous
costs. I hope
you will bear
with us while
continuing your
support in the
hopes that we
may ride out
these difficult
times and emerge
successfully to
reopen and
continue the
vital work of
the foundation.
Thank you
Stefanie Powers
President |
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JULIE. D. POWERS
MEMORIAL LIBRARY
PROJECT
COMPLETED
We are delighted
to share with
you that the
Julie D. Powers
Memorial Library
is now
completed. The
library is
located at the
Guara Primary
School, built
from the funds
raised from
those loving
friends of our
chairman to
honor her
beloved Mother.
The dedication
ceremonies will
be conducted
later this year
when our
chairman returns
to Kenya.
The
headmistress,
teachers and
parents of Guara
are thrilled to
have the
long-awaited
library, which
also contains
offices for the
Headmistress,
Anne Muricki,
and the Deputy
Head.
Given that
construction
began in January
of 2010, we are
extremely
impressed with
our contractor,
Charles Kingori
Gitonga, who
managed to
complete the
project in
record time.
Charles also
built for us the
library and
kitchen at Mlima
Primary School
and the kitchen
at Wathituga
Primary School.
For more photos,
please visit the
Julie D. Powers
Memorial Library
page. |
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WHWF MOURNS THE PASSING OF JULIAN
MCKEAND
DIRECTOR OF THE WILLIAM HOLDEN
WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
ORIGINAL FOUNDER OF THE MT. KENYA
GAME RANCH
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Julian
McKeand was not only a
beloved friend of William
Holden and Stefanie Powers,
and a director of the
William Holden Wildlife
Foundation, but he was one
of the trio of partners
(along with William Holden
and Don Hunt) who purchased
and founded the Mt. Kenya
Game Ranch.
Julian was a renowned
professional hunter turned
conservationist, who
organized the first camel
safaris in Kenya, leading
his clients into the bush
and imparting to them his
love of nature and wildlife.
His knowledge of Kenya and
his understanding of animal
behavior were unparalleled.
But over all his life's
achievements, he was first
and foremost a loving
husband and soul mate to his
wife Jane, and a dear and
loyal friend to those who
had the privilege of that
position in his affection.
We will miss him very much. |
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CONGRATULATIONS TO
JOSEPH NGETHA GATHOGO
WHO WAS HONORED BY
WHWF DIRECTORS FOR HIS
21 YEARS OF SERVICE AS OUR
MAINTENANCE FOREMAN! |
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