Hi again
Herewith, some snippets from various sources.
I appeal to you to send me items to distribute to our members for the Cleft Stick, the Game Ranger magazine and to be posted on the web site. These are your magazines and website, so ensure it gets the news that you would like to see in it.
Please let me have any changes to your physical address, phone no. or e-mail address to keep the database up to date. Remember this is the address we will send your Game Ranger Magazine to.
Thanks to all of you who have made the effort. Please will any of you who know of members who do not get this “electric” Cleft~Stick, & have access to e-mail, pass their address along to me.
I have just posted out Number 2, 2007 of the Game Ranger Magazine – if you do not receive a copy you probably have not paid your subs up to date. Everyone on the mailing list will have received an invoice with their copy of the magazine. I have sent out additional invoices by email. If for some reason you have not received a copy and need to know your payment status, please drop me a line and I’ll look up your record.
Thank you to all of you who have sent Christmas greetings. May I wish you all, all the best for the festive season and a very happy and prosperous 2008
Don Yunnie
7 Chalet Drive, Hilton, 3245, South Africa Local Tel & Fax (033) 343 1534 Int. Tel & Fax (+2733) 343 1534 cell 082 377 7562 E-mail dyunnie@xsinet.co.za.
If you do not wish to receive this e-mail newsletter please send a blank e-mail to me at the above address with the word “unsubscribe C~S ” as the message heading.
AGM REMINDER
There has been a very disappointing response to the AGM in February 2008, especially from KZN members. This is an opportunity to show the rest of our members that we have commitment and dedication to conservation, and that we welcome members from elsewhere to our region, but, apart from committee members, we have only received bookings from a few members. If you intend to be at the meeting, but have made bookings elsewhere, PLEASE let us know, as the registration fee will include lunches and suppers each day, and if we don’t know you are coming …… (hope there are no sudden storms that flood the low level bridges between Hlalanathi and RNNP, you will wish you had booked at Hlalanathi!!)
We will be handing back the accommodation that has not been booked by early January, as we cannot ask them to turn away other possible bookings. If you intend to attend the meeting, please let us know by the end of December. For those people who have made bookings but have not yet paid their deposits, a reminder to pay their fees to the KZN bank account, (chalet – R524 per person for 4 days, camping - R192 per person for 4 days, FNB, Howick branch, branch code 220725, account no 62103195956, ref
It appears that there are not sufficient people interested in the bird walk with Dr David Johnson, and this event may have to be cancelled.
COME ON EVERYONE, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET OLD FRIENDS IN BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS, LEARN ABOUT HOW WORLD HERITAGE STATUS HAS AFFECTED THE DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS, AND HAVE A SAY IN THE RUNNING OF YOUR ASSOCIATION FOR THE NEXT YEAR. PLEASE SUPPORT THE GAME RANGERS ASSOCIATION AND ATTEND THE AGM FROM 17 – 21 FEBRUARY 2008.
Thank you,
Penny Schofield
It is with great sadness that we record the passing of Penny Schofield, on Thursday the 6th of December, after a long illness. Penny was involved with the admin of the GRAA for a period of time and will be missed by all those that knew her.
News from Chris & Julie Wex in Canada
This is the letter that I have been promising to write for some months, and now that we have been in Canada for a year, it is definitely due! Please excuse the fact that it is a group letter.
Canada has been quite an experience ….
Upon our arrival in Canada, Tim and Val Condon and my brother Jeremy welcomed us at the Vancouver Airport and gave us tremendous support during the first few days, when we bought a vehicle and all the necessary paraphernalia for our move up North to the Chilcotin mountains.
Tim and Val share a beautiful home in North Vancouver with their daughter Linda and son-in-law Ian Graham (ex RSA and International Head of Diamond Exploration Rio Tinto) and three teenage daughters. A more loving, generous and all together family one could never wish to meet.
The first two weeks at Chilcotin Holidays was a disaster. Based in the southern Chilcotin mountains, 20 kms from the small village of Gold Bridge (pop. 43), this outfit has been going 15 years, and run by an outfitter and his common law wife, who have managed to alienate all the local people in that time.
We found out the hard way that the unscrupulous systems they had in place we were expected to emulate before they would let us take over management as they eased out into semi-retirement.
Alarm bells began to ring when we met the skeleton staff they had kept for the winter. They were all young and totally intimidated by the owners who had rules in place, which must have come from a prison warder’s manual. We also witnessed some very dodgy hunting practises. Their horses and dogs’ living conditions were appalling and much of what we were led to believe, was not forthcoming.
At a meeting after the first couple of weeks, all four of us reached the conclusion that it just wasn’t going to work and when I expressed the opinion that they were running a cult, it became a bit unclear whether we resigned or were fired! (This happy couple have since separated, and the business is for
sale).
Anyway, the long and the short of it was that we were out in the snow, with no work permit (A Work Permit is conditional to a specific employer) and issued after months of scrutiny by Human Resources and Skills Development in Canada.
The kids were by now happily ensconced in their new (9 student) school in Gold Bridge, and since they had made new friends, we were reluctant to uproot them once again, so we found a small place to rent in Gold Bridge from a fantastic couple that took us under their wing. They introduced us to the most friendly, helpful community who regaled us with anecdotes about Chilcotin Holidays, and who had been taking bets as to how long we would last there.
It wasn’t long before Julie got a job at a very up-market resort (Tyax Mountain Lake Resort) and soon after I was offered a job as Horse Wrangler there. Tyax agreed to make application for a new Work Permit on my behalf, and my work would commence pending the issue of the new permit.
I used the time to do some exploring in the most beautiful mountainous countryside. To give you some idea of the remoteness, we are 100 kms (or a 2 hour drive) from Lillooet Town. After a few scattered smallholdings there is no habitation at all until you reach Gold Bridge.
Behind (to the north west of) the village of Gold Bridge is the beginning of Spruce Lake Protected Area – a huge wilderness area – and then a vast area of snowfields and glaciers, through to the Coastal Mountains. Then a mosaic of forests and meadows to the Tweedsmuir National Park and to the west, the Pacific Ocean.
I bought a 17’ 6” Canadian Canoe and did a 70 km trip with the Food and Beverage Manager from Tyax, down Harrison Lake and Harrison River, to the Fraser River. This route was the earliest access to the Interior and the Cariboo in the early 1800’s gold rush. The lakes here are deep and clear and their temperature adds a dimension one doesn’t have to think about at home; if you fall out you are
in a life-threatening situation.
The lake is beautiful and surrounded by seemingly endless forests. Its shores are pebble beaches and piles of driftwood or steep rocky slopes. The only people we saw were a crew of a tug, pulling a mile-long chain of logs to a sawmill. The lie of the Lake makes it quite dangerous because of windstorms
and the waves generated together with the fact that for much of the length the steep rocky shore makes it impossible to get out.
On our second day out it blew a gale and after half an hour of paddling into massive waves, and making little progress, we decided to go back to the beach where we had camped. Turning around in 2-3 foot waves was nearly our undoing but the canoe, designed to carry a 1000 pound load, proved to be very seaworthy, and we made it back to the beach where we waited until 4pm when conditions improved and we were able to paddle until late that night.
I spent the summer taking horse rides for Tyax Resort guests in the spectacular vicinity of Tyaughton Lake. Most of the clients were from overseas, Germany, UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and about 40% local Canadians – usually from Vancouver. It was most frustrating not to be able to get into the real backcountry, as the rides were so short.
At the end of summer (end of September) the tourist season stops until December. Then Tyax do Heli-skiing, which is their main business. They fly their guests by helicopter up to the ski slopes, where they spend the day skiing in virgin snow as long as conditions and the clients’ energy lasts. All for $1200 per person per day.
In October I was able to accompany the other local outfitter (Spruce Lake Adventures) on a 7-day ride to close down 4 of his camps in the wilderness area, for winter. We took 6 packhorses to bring back some of the equipment. He has 5 permanent camps (cabins, wood frame tents, paddocks etc) and uses about another 6 overnight areas with no facilities. It is the most awesome (in the true sense of the word) scenery. It is an area which stretches 100’s of kilometres between the Coastal Range in the West and the semi-arid interior to the East. It is characterised by a jumble of high mountains, (up to 3000 m) with bald, snow-covered tops, then patches of forest and jumbled scree slopes, and further down, wide valleys, with a mosaic of grassland and forest patches.
We worked from dawn to after dark each day, building pole and rail holding pens, at two of the camps, and made everything ready for winter – like emptying pipelines and shoring up kitchen tent roofs from the inside against heavy snowfalls. Last winter there was 12 feet of snow on a kitchen roof, which collapsed. Despite the hard work, it was definitely the best week I have had so far in Canada.
In September Lyndi Renee and Matthew came out for a couple of weeks and had a great time exploring and mountain biking on some of the local single track trails, which are rated amongst the best in the world. I don’t think it would take too much for them to move out here as well!
Julie left Tyax for a four-day a week teaching job at Gold Bridge school, while on Fridays she works for the local museum, typing up a book. Gold Bridge has an interesting and significant history. A local gold mine was responsible for a population of 3-4000 people in the 1930’s. It closed down as recently as 1971, leaving the ghost town of Bralorne 11 kms farther up the mountain. There is also lots of early pioneering and first nations history involving this area, and it is really very interesting.
I have a year round job at Tyax Mountain Lake Resort running the horse trails. Now that the snow is too deep to ride in (4 ft deep!) I will be working with the Heli-skiing team, keeping comms with the helicopters and the movement of the skiers by radio, and co-ordinating emergency procedures (where’s 15 Squadron!)
Anyway I won’t ramble on anymore; suffice to say that we are enjoying being in this most beautiful part of the world, but miss South Africa and our friends and family. We are happy not to have crime, violence and corruption in our faces daily and to be able to leave the vehicle keys in the ignition when we go in to the store. Not to have to worry whether the kids made it home from school safely makes for peace of mind.
We also miss being in close proximity to the bushveld, but are enjoying the novelty of frequently (in summer) seeing black and grizzly bear, mule deer, moose and coyote and on occasions wolf, beaver and mountain goat. The only cougar we have seen was one that was hunted when we were at Chilcotin Holidays.
We keep up to date with RSA news and enjoy reading the GRA’s Cleft Stick as well as KZN Wildlife’s press releases.
With kind regards and best wishes for the Festive Season
Keep Safe!
Chris and Julie Wex
Dear BIOPLANNERS,
I have recently been cautioning against "extravagant" claims on extinction rates - only to find that, this week, the US journal Science carries an article which predicts that 98% of coral species could be severely degraded by 2050 if current trends of carbon emissions continue (see posting 2 below).
Coral reefs are currently being hit with a triple "whammy" of climate-induced bleaching, ocean acidification and a raft of other chronic anthropogenic pollution impacts.
Thus, as we enter the International Year of the Reef (2008) (see posting 1 below), it will take unprecedented amounts of effort from the conservation and coastal development communities to focus politicians and policy-makers attention on the need to factor this, and many other linkages between biodiversity and climate change, into account as they develop mitigation and adaptations strategies.
Best wishes
Extract from The Thin Green Line
We continue to receive grave reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo about the ambush and killing of rangers and the gorillas they are protecting. On October 27th, suspected Rwandan Hutu rebels ambushed rangers in Virunga National Park, killing ranger Rwiko and injuring ranger Gato. Since January, eight gorillas have been killed and over fifty are missing.
In the midst of this grim news, we have a bright light of hope from an increasing number of world citizens who are supporting rangers. As a result of the efforts of ranger Sean Willmore (Australia) and the directors of the Thin Green Line Foundation, his documentary film, The Thin Green Line, has been well publicized and well received. A recent story on Australian TV generated an additional $50,000 AUD over the $100,000 AUD produced by the initial launch of the film on World Ranger Day (July 31st). To see the TV story, go to http://www.abc.net.au/austory/specials/wildside/default.htm
The Thin Green Line Foundation has made a commitment that all funds generated from the sale of the DVD and events around the film will go to the families of rangers who have been killed. The foundation has asked IRF and IUCN to consider having it act as the administrator of the Ranger Dependants Fund. We have agreed to that concept and are now developing a memorandum of understanding between the three parties.
On October 6th, the first payments to families of killed rangers were given at a special ceremony in South Africa. Sean Willmore, representing The Thin Green Line Foundation, presented the first payment to Girlie Ndolvu, the wife of ranger Wilson Ndolvu, who was killed in Kruger National Park. According to Sean, “it was a very emotional experience for the 70 rangers and families who attended.” The proceedings were opened by world renowned conservationist and past ranger, Dr. Ian Player, and concluded with the handing over of certificates of recognition and $1,000 USD to each family. “Whilst it was noted this in no way compensates for their loss, we hope it goes someway to relieving the financial pressure and to recognizing their loved one’s sacrifices,” said Sean. Africa Representative Wayne Lotter (South Africa) represented IRF at the ceremonies.
Draft Program For 2008 European Ranger Seminar
The draft program for next year’s European Ranger Seminar, which will likely be held in September. Additional information will appear in future newsletters:
REPORT ON THE VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK MANAGEMENT
IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
It is a matter of choice; of attitude even if it will sound ridiculous for some people but animals need change in their management here in the Virunga National Park, and for this the first step hinges on government willing.
A. SLAUGHTERING AT SEVERAL LEVEL
The third level is: COMMUNITY IMPACT. Massive slaughtering is in most of cases identified
B. Animals Rights Violations description
Pupils who were going to school saw their director being beaten and humiliated in mud they run quickly to alert and inform their classmates.
Tailpiece-
When four of Santa's elves got sick, and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the regular ones, Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule.
Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her Mom was coming to visit. This stressed Santa even more.
When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven knows where. More stress.
Then when he began to load the sleigh one of the boards cracked, and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys. So, frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard he discovered that the elves had hidden the liquor, and there was nothing to drink. In his frustration he accidentally dropped the cider pot, and it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw end of the broom.
Just then the doorbell rang, and irritable Santa trudged to the door. He opened the door and there was a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.
The angel said very cheerfully, "Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't it a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?"
And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.
Matter of Fact
AGM Committee,
We arrived on January 1st, 2007, in a winter of exceptional snowfalls, and having come from mid-summer in RSA, it was a tremendous contrast. But one we had prepared for, and we were well equipped with warm clothes.
Even though it went to minus 23 degrees in the first week we were here, cold wasn’t an issue, with heated vehicles and buildings.
I remember though, making the mistake of holding my glasses in my mouth for a moment to do something, and then finding I couldn’t get them off my lips, as the metal frame had frozen to my skin.
Tim at 70 is still the big loud enthusiastic guy I remember, and a fund of knowledge when it comes to BC and wildlife in Canada.
Most of the trails (and there are hundreds of kilometres of them) are in the latter zone, but now and then you need to go over a saddle where there is often permanent snow and ice. We went over one at 5 500 ft and there was snow thigh deep with a frozen crust on top. The horses take it in their stride, even though they keep breaking through the ice. All-round the horses are fantastic; forward-moving, well behaved and tough as nails. They carry huge loads all day, and like the field rangers back home, no one gets off to lead, even when the going gets really tough.
General Delivery
Gold Bridge, B.C.
V0K 1P0
CANADA
(250) 238 2571
David Duthie
UNEP-GEF Biosafety Unit
Geneva, Email: david.duthie @ unep.ch
IRF Ranger Dependants Fund
We expect the final to be signed before the next issue of this newsletter.
Introduction
The management of the Virunga national park is quite a serious concern. In this area some people do not see things in the same direction as others. At S.E.A youth club rooms our favourite poem is stuck.
Don’t quit, makes statement more eloquently by saying: “When things go wrong, as they sometime will. When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill…rest if you must, but never quit.”
The reason is that it states a simple truth so well, that for many it is like shining a light in the darkness. The reason of sticking this on wall is simple. When things are going wrong it is very easy to loose perspective and to focus on the problem. The light in our lives often goes off at such instances, like today in the Virunga National Park.
It is a reminder that no matter how bad it may seem; for us there is always hope. A positive attitude can be learnt and developed regarding managing animal welfare protection.
Animal’s salvation seems to be so far when it’s near. Let us stick on the fight; always when things seem worst that we mustn’t quit. Our cause is noble; let us speak for voiceless; your support is needed at this crucial time. We believe that any time we can loose our lives due to making noise through such reports, but we truly believe that one day unspoken truth will be known and spoken on the top roofs.
Things must change; it is not a faith fact; but a truth and reality because in many countries you cannot witness again what we are still witnessing here. This report focus on technical weaknesses that are undermining animals protection efforts in the P.N.Vi. In other countries there is a success, why not here!!
Also you will found include some recommendations which can help to improve animal’s welfare.
No one factor does not explain at itself why animals are being killed in general; even those animals which are on the extinction chessboard are also being killed. There are several facts that have impact on animal welfare management in P.N.Vi.
The first level is: INDIVIDUAL. At this level we can speak about instruction of many of our gamekeepers; about 50% didn’t school. Many game rangers have a personal history profile which is very low. Apart of this, the overpopulation in the P.N.Vi and this is supported by local authorities.
The second level is of: RELATIONS. The PNN is occupied by several armed groups, like Mai Mai, gamekeepers; infantry troops (from loyal army of the DRC), FDLR ; Interahamwe (rebels hostiles to Kigali regime) Laurent NKUNDA troops, poachers from surrounding villages of the P.N.Vi but there work closely with militias or militaries; all these groups do hate game rangers they fight them in several patrols stations. They are devoided of weapons to protect animals; some of them do surrender when they realize the threaten is high. Some of them are involved in illicit fishing due to several difficulties they face. The more they witness animals being killed by others armed groups; they are also attempted to do the same due to the generalised unpunishment. These interactions which are almost daily; the sharing of the same localities with soldiers involving in massive slaughtering has a high impact on gamekeepers mind and career. In east side of DRC in localities and cities where women and children rights are unknown;
The recent case date of Saturday Sept 29.2007.
Identity of the victim
Names: Raphael Muhindo YALALA, Born in: KAGHUMO on March 12th, 1973
Nationality: Congolese, Civil Status: Married. Father of: 2 kids
Address: Lulimbi Avenue, Mangobo Quarter; , Territory of: Rutshuru
Village: Lulimbi Station, Job: Director of Lulimbi Primary school.
And headmaster of Nyakakoma secondary school; also member of the Catholic Church committee.
It was on Sept 29, 2007 at 8h00 pm; a gamekeeper whose name is MUKONGOLI after having killed an hippopotamus has come at the school director compound in Lulimbi station and brought him a cut of hippopotamus meat.
The following day, Sunday Sept 30, 2007 around 5h00 p.m the conservator whose name is KAMBALE KIPIRI-DILERE sent his gamekeeper (bodyguard) to call the primary school director of Lulimbi station to tell him that he is required to report himself without delay at the conservationist compound; because his name have been found on the list of people who ate bush meat (of hippo) yesterday.
When the school director came; he was questioned about that meat that he received at his he agreed he of course got a piece of meat and it is finished and he said it was brought at his by game rangers called MUKONGOLI and some of his colleagues from the Virunga Park.
After having explain himself; the Lulimbi station conservator whose name is KIPIRI was furious; got in his house and brought a stick of Hippo skin and a cutlet of an Hippo that he used as a whip after having undressed him, seriously beaten by the conservator and his compound sentries till that that he lost mind.
When the conservator realized that his victim has lost his mind due to whips and that he was cutting his breathing, KIPIRI ordered his sentries to bring the director in jail where as you know is not appropriated to some who is in that condition.
It is only at night that the director realized that he was in prison where he found: MUKONGOLI (the gamekeeper who brought him meat); NYAMBOKO; include two workers of the station respectively: KAPALATA and Paluku MAKEUKA and the Mukongoli son surnamed “KIDODI”.
The following day morning; the conservationist came at the jail, opens the door and took the director out begun to torture him in the presence of the public and to the gamekeepers show off (parade) of office station.
Alerted; all pupils came and come down to the conservator station office, to claim the immediate liberation of their director. At their arriving; furious the conservator ordered his game rangers to shoot on youth pupils.
But as all pupils in that village are gamekeepers children; they disobeyed that instructions and orders from their chief; because they were afraid to kill their own children: then they began to shoot in air to make pupils afraid. When they heard shootings they run away. Furious children succeeded to progress while gamekeepers shootings; they have arrived to the gamekeepers sentry box that they succeeded to burst into fire and broke the jail door.
The conservator KIPIRI and his game rangers went down till to his residency (KIPIRI) in order to save their lives. Appeased by their teachers; children came back to school where two game keeps appeared suddenly: one in the name of TIMORO wounded the teacher Jean Pierre BIGATE on the head with a stick; and the other gamekeeper wounded another teacher whose name is Kakule TSONGO; the gamekeeper name is DEROUGE-MUNDEKE.
The conservator realized that he can not control the situation then he called for support help from the PNC (Congolese National Police) from Nyakakoma in order to rescue and protect him. The police arrived with off other security officers well armed in order to restore peace in that station (patrol post).Include were ANR (National Agency of Investigation) officers to discuss with local authorities and pupils involved in manifestation against game rangers.
The victim (director of Lulimbi primary school) was brought at his after being liberated in morning October1st, 2007. Really it was sorrowful to see a conservationist act as small god in this area. Every time we have been denouncing many facts and these days such practices have taken a high stage.
No long time ago; a gamekeeper have been arrested in traffic of his ammunitions to poachers, commandant who ordered to his soldiers to kill animals for his wedding; we regret to realize that these practises do still continue.
According to information we got; it is said that the conservator KIPIRI had a settling of scores with the director of Lulimbi Primary school. Some teams were sent to meet with him before in order to arrange his problems with the director but the negotiations always came to a deadlock.
You understand that it is ashamed to see people trained to keep the Virunga Park are also becoming destructors. We regret as these pictures attached do not show wounds that were caused to this high responsible and respectful personality by a game rangers responsible of animals slaughtering..
Dear animal lovers and conservationists many things remain to be done; in order to improve the animal management in PNVI.
Looking to this incident we can say about:
None punishment measures which was taken against responsible, said our base located in that area when called a week ago.
We have tried to know what have been done for these game rangers (responsible of animals killing) here in Goma (Provincial Direction) we were astonished to hear from their chiefs that they are not informed about that case.
How can you understand such things…?
They have to inspire from the DRC president Joseph KABILA saying: “I will meet every quarter of society, hear their views and address them” this is a good example.
We need mature democracy that does not support impunity as we have seen it in some cases. A democracy which supports a genuine access to animals liberty and freedom, so that we do not experience more vultures coming to rip us out of the little resources we have to save the lives of animals in the P.N.Vi
The tourism industry is one of the sectors accounting for the country’s economic growth, along with mining and agriculture industries, the tourism seems to grow, but this progress is being stifled by the lack of strict control measures Laurent Nkunda rebels.
That’s why the SEA faithful to his ideal recommend the following:
For the S.E.A
Paul LUGHEMBE
S.E.A Activities Coordinator
**A Christmas Story for people having a bad day...**
This is an electronic newsletter of the Game Rangers' Association of Africa. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Association, nor of the Editor. This is intended to be an exchange of news snips, ideas and communication between members. Newsletter content may be copied and re-distributed without authorisation. Correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at dyunnie@xsinet.co.za