Kenya wildlife reserves threatened as tourists stay away

Female elephants get into a protective formation around a pair of calfs on a grassy plain at the Ol Kinyei conservancy in Maasai Mara, in the Narok county in Kenya

AFP/Talek, Kenya: In the majestic plains of the Maasai Mara, the coronavirus pandemic spells economic disaster for locals who earn a living from tourists coming to see Kenya's abundant wildlife.

Even before the virus arrived in Kenya mid-March, tourism revenues had plummeted, with cancellations coming in from crucial markets such as China, Europe and the United States.

According to the tourism ministry, the sector has lost $750 million this year -- roughly half of the total revenue in 2019.

‘We were fully booked in June but now we have zero bookings. Nothing. It's terrible,’ said Jimmy Lemara, 40, the manager of an eco-lodge in the private Ol Kinyei conservancy.

In the Maasai Mara, one of Africa's most highly-rated wildlife reserves located in the vast flat plains of the Great Rift Valley, the local Maasai community, traditional herders who make up 2.5 percent of the population, now depend almost exclusively upon tourism for their livelihood.

In a unique model set up to engage local communities in tourism, enabling them to see the value of wildlife and thus protect it, the Maasai now get revenue from renting their land to form private wildlife conservancies.

Some work as cooks, guides and security guards in the lodges while others give tours of their traditional homes or sell homemade crafts to tourists.

- 'Survival mode' -

People in Talek, a dusty town situated at one of the entrances to the Maasai Mara national reserve, are gloomily buckling down, hoping for better days.

Kenya has announced international flights will resume on August 1, but the high season is already lost.

‘Since December, work has been extremely low, and now we're in survival mode hoping to make 150 to 200 shillings ($1.4 to $1.9) a day, to be able to buy a meal,’ said Ibrahim Sameri, 38, whose small mechanic workshop can generate up to $30 a day in the high season.

Nalokiti Sayialel normally sells bead necklaces and bracelets to tourists passing through.

‘It's been three months that I haven't sold anything,’ the 45-year-old told AFP.

‘This is terrible. Everything is stuck. Everything is shut down. (I have) never seen something like that’, said tour guide Petro Nautori who has had no work since January.

The Maasai Mara national reserve, run by the Narok county government, extends to the north with several privately-managed conservancies renting land from the Maasai who in exchange do not graze their cattle or settle there.

This model has since 2005 allowed the doubling of the habitat for wildlife in this area.

On average, each land owner earns $220 per month, far more than the minimum wage in the area.

However like other conservancies, Ol Kinyei is struggling and has agreed to only pay half the usual rent to the Maasai, after having to pay back deposits to tourists who cancelled their holidays.

The salaries of lodge employees have also been cut by half.

- Forced to sell livestock -

Some Maasai families are having to turn to selling their precious livestock to earn money.

‘Because we're getting little and it's not enough to sustain the family for a living, I had to sell two goats worth about 12,000 shillings to put on top of what I'm getting to keep me going,’ said Julius Sanare, 41, head chef at the eco-lodge in Ol Kinyei.

However livestock markets have been shut due to coronavirus prevention measures.

Residents said the Maasai are instead selling their animals on the black market for a pittance to unscrupulous buyers taking advantage of their desperation.

Mohanjeet Brar, managing director of Porini safari camps which run two conservancies and several lodges in the Mara, said the ‘catastrophic’ situation could threaten the existence of the reserves.

‘If the landowners are not getting any revenue, they can't feed themselves, they can't send their kids to schools, they would have no option but to look at other forms of land utilisation,’ he said.

‘Fencing it off, selling it to people, building businesses... all those alternate land uses don't go together with wildlife and elephants and big cats and so this would be completely lost,’ he said.

‘And once it's lost, if you look at Kenya and its very fast population growth rate and good economic growth over the last few years, it would be lost forever. It would be a real shame. ’Source: https://www.gulf-times.com/

Read More........→July 13, 2020

Wild imagination

If you are a nature lover then wear your love on your sleeves, or rather all over your body. And while you are at it, you can carry a clutch with animal motifs too! A model walks in Manish Malhotra’s creation

• Manpriya Singh: Whilst the flora has gone for the overkill, the fauna begins to invade the creative space. Crawling its way onto clutches or chirping atop a bridal outfit. Butterflies, we’ve long known, sparrows, parrots, peacocks, ants, beetles and bumble bees happily wallow in the attention. Accorded by those looking for alternatives to flowers, paisleys and motifs we’ve forever classified as Indian. “There is always an obvious choice of taking inspiration from all things beautiful—be it the breathtaking landscapes, pretty flowers or colourful butterflies. We found the bugs and crawly creatures more intriguing. They have the most beautiful colours and shapes,” shares the designer-duo Shreya Bhan and Anshul Tyagi from the accessory label Etre. Having just come up with the autumn 2015 collection, Art-o-Dae, of clutch bags, they share, “For our collection, we have taken inspiration from the shapes of ants and beetles and bumble bees. Each piece is inspired from a different insect making it completely different from the other, yet forming a coalition.” Think of the night crawlers, the creepy creatures, the majestic creations of nature brought to life with embroideries and an enchanting colour palette. 
• Bees and birds: Pictorial, embellished and aesthetic, covetable and contemporary. What’s more? “Even a small slice of wildlife instantly brings about quirky chic quality to an outfit,” shares Sonika Dhamija, from the label, Sod. “If used aesthetically, they blend in perfectly well with flowers too, thereby scoring on the traditional front and yet standing apart from the rest of the embroideries.” She adds, “Animals and birds have always been design ornamentation in several traditional embroideries, for instance kashida embroidery used for phirens.” Manish Malhotra let his birds do the chirping in one of his latest collection The Empress Story, comprising olive greens, icy pastels and large bird motifs. Rohit Bal’s quite elaborate attempt Husn-e-Taa’iraat explored rich detailing, colourful flowers and equally colourful birds against the base of red, black and white. Perched atop the branches, dotting the flora, they looked as celebratory as aesthetic.
• Animal instinct: Wildlife for inspiration has often been relegated to fixation with zebra and leopard print, largely explored in western silhouettes, although lately in lehengas and saree gowns. What remains largely elusive is animal inspired motifs, either embroidered or patched onto elaborate Indian outfits; a lehenga, blouse or even kameez. The absence of any tradition in the fashion world instantly makes things suitable enough to be classified as different. Shares Chandigarh-based designer, Babi Grewal, “Animals and birds for motifs is again an old look slowly coming back. I have come up with a line on velvet where I have explored them.” The Parsi Gara is proof of century old fixation for coloured flowers and birds. She adds, “Traditionally we have seen peacocks, birds and parrots also in Chinese fashion. But these birds are considered auspicious in Indian context.” All the while, lending an interesting break from flowers and a strong base for classics. manpriya@tribunemail.com. Source: Article

Read More........→September 07, 2015