At our first meeting of 2018 we were delighted to welcome as speaker Wesley Gold, introduced by Roderick Skinner and who told the story of the Singita Grumeti Fund. This is a not-for-profit organisation, whose mission is to contribute to the conservation of the Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania.
We heard that the Singita Grumeti concessions are lands rich in flora and fauna and considered by many to be an international treasure; but that uncontrolled hunting and rampant poaching had decimated wildlife populations, in turn plunging surrounding communities into poverty.
What emerged was the sheer scale of the task in balancing the conflicting needs of wildlife, including elephant, wildebeeste, rhino and cheetah, with those of perhaps 80,000 people across some 353,000 acres of unfenced land. And of course the challenge of controlling hunting and poaching - for meat and for ivory. An especial curse is the use of snares, which are poorly monitored and can be forgotten. Perhaps as many as 30 million!
Wesley outlined the methods being used in partnership with local communities and stakeholders. It was interesting to hear of the use being made of modern technology to gather and analyse intelligence; the use of drones to quickly monitor large areas and, most recently, the use of night-vision equipment. The drones used are of advanced design and can remain airborne for five hours at a time - controlled from a central operations room.
The Fund employs 180 dedicated staff, including 104 game scouts, to protect, manage and monitor Grumeti’s concessions and wildlife. Success is being achieved and can be seen where the near-barren plains of ten years ago teem with wildlife once more. The great herds are once again lingering in this region during the annual migrations; a direct result of re-stabilising the fragile ecosystem.
A fascinating talk about a task that remains daunting, covering as it does anti-poaching and law enforcement, community outreach, research and monitoring, relationships and conservation. Following many questions a vote of thanks was proposed by David Mann.
