Center for Wildlife Management Studies
March 10, 2006

Academic News

The past two weeks have been jam-packed academically with a final trip to Amboseli National Park, a full-day journey to Chyulu Hills National Reserve and our six-day expedition to Tsavo West National Park. In Amboseli the students observed the behavior of tourists to assess the relative importance of various species in drawing tourism to the park, which they learned has a significant impact on park management decisions. In the Chyulus the group had lectures covering the unique importance of the Chyulu system in the area, both ecologically and socio-economically. The knowledge students gained from these experiences was combined with lectures to prepare them for one of the highlights of the semester: expedition to Tsavo West.

Expedition began with an impromtu lesson on the need for flexibility in field research as we rearranged the schedule due to the heavy rains which have at last reached the area after about four years of serious drought. It was impossible to cross Tsavo River and make it down to Lake Jipe on the Tanzanian border as planned, so we arrived at Komboyo campsite two days before expected, set up camp and immediately got the academic program underway with preparation for the wildlife-habitat field exercises. The next morning the group left camp shortly after sunrise to their respective transects to record wildlife sightings and the corresponding habitats. The next day saw a continuation of the field exercise followed by a lecture by the head of research in Tsavo West regarding the challenges to conservation and park management in Tsavo. The students then engaged in a discussion about possible solutions for the challenges facing this ecosystem, employing all facets of their learning up to this point in the semester.

Other academic activities during expedition included a lecture on the unique socio-economic and ecological setting of Lake Jipe as a shared resource between Kenya  and Tanzania, a traveling lecture where students were able to see first-hand the different land usage on the other side of the Chyulus inhabited primarily by the agriculturalist Kamba tribe, as opposed to the pastoralist Maasai, and a visit to the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary complete with a lecture on the complex questions surrounding sanctuaries as a conservation tool. The students left Tsavo with a much deeper understanding of the larger Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem and are moving towards formulating informed views on how best to manage this system. Dr. Simon K. Seno, Center Director

Student Reflections

Tsavo expedition was a remarkable experience, one that is impossible to replicate. The dense vegetation and mountainous geographical landscape was a delightful change from the Amboseli- Kimana ecosystem and one that further strengthened my respect for the immense diversity that Kenya has to offer. On expedition, we were able to climb Chaimu lava cone which offered a breathtaking view of the park, and visited the massive hippos of Mzima Springs. A trip to Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary offered some unique opportunities to see the endangered black rhino, as well as an extremely rare sighting of a leopard. The trip was also unique in the climatic variation that it had to offer. One miserably hot afternoon we were begging for a cold soda, while that same evening, were scrambling to keep our clothes, sleeping bags and tents dry in a relentless rain storm. Although the weather caused some unexpected changes in our schedule, it was still the most incredible six days of my travels thus far, and increased my excitement for what is to come. Courtney Steed, Washington State University

On our second day of expedition, we did a large mammal counting exercise in Tsavo West National park and I got to see my first crocodile in action. We were waiting by a watering hole in our Land Cruiser, counting this group of impalas going to drink. One of my group-mates was saying she thought this one impala must be afraid of the mud on the bank because he kept going up to the water, barely drinking, and then would back up frantically. Its behavior was both unusual and comical. We kept watching for a while and then, all of a sudden, this crocodile comes jumping straight up out of the water and goes for the impala's neck. It was unbelievable! It took a split second; you barely saw it. The crocodile propelled itself diagonally about five feet out of the water. Prior to that, it had been completely submerged. Unfortunately for the crocodile, it wasn't fast enough. The impala got away and started a stampede as the whole herd went crashing through the bush to get away. Julie Viollaz, Mount Holyoke College

Here is, left to right, Brittain Mason, Beki Toussaint, and Jessica DeAcetis after setting up our tent at our camp site in Tsavo National Park. You can see in the back right corner our choo (bathroom) and showers. We were actually able to get slightly warm water for our showers as the water was warmed by the hot temperatures. It was 112º F one afternoon. We were also able to get ice cream two times in the nearby town Mtito Andea, which for us, at this point, was quite a treat! 

While in the park there were two cars that were very lucky and were able to see the famous man-eaters (lions) of Tsavo. There were also several sightings of elephants as well as many other rare or endemic species. When we went to the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, with only 60 rhinos left and odds against us, two cars were able to see rhinos! As we left the sanctuary we were all able to see our first leopard. Beki Toussaint, Colorado State University

Meet the students!