The Samburu Reserve to the north experienced horrific flooding of the Ewaso Nyiro river during the week, resulting in the loss of at least 7 camps and lodges, and Iain Douglas-Hamilton's elephant research camp.  This is approximately the 3rd time this has happened in the last 10-12 years, although this most recent flooding event was by far the worst.  It will be a disaster economically for the Reserve, and will likely impact negatively against the northern tourism circuit of Kenya.  

Why is it that the weather almost always conspires to do the opposite of what you want or expect?  Now pouring with rain with lots more expected, all at a time when we have enough grass for the cattle and wildlife, and we are desperately trying to harvest our wheat crop - an essential contributor to our diversified land use system, especially now when cash-flows are traditionally poor!  Testing times again!

Lots of debate in recent days about the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) operation to restock national parks devastated by the drought of 2009.  In a world of increasingly fragmented habitat, I happen to think that the science behind the translocation of up to 2000 zebras from overstocked private lands to Amboseli National Park is actually quite sound.  Some mortality is to be expected, as long as it does not exceed 10% that is acceptable.

At the behest of Ellie Jones-Perrott aged 10, she and I completed a 20 kilometre sponsored walk yesterday through the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.  I had forgotten how far 20km is!  Suffice to say I have blistered feet and sore legs this morning.  Ellie undertook to do this walk to raise money (she raised nearly $3000!) to support our bursary scheme by sending 2 orphaned children to secondary school!

It is fascinating reading Peter Beard's famous book, "The Last of the Game".  It is only by reading such books that one begins to understand how prolific the wildlife of Kenya (and indeed other parts of Africa) must once have been.  And how quickly it has been removed (70 years give or take) to make way for expanding human populations and their needs.

We are currently doing battle with the Laikipia County Council over a series of punitive taxes (otherwise known as "single business permits"!?) they wish to levy against those practicing wildlife conservation; "doing battle" is the wrong phrase, but both local and senior government continue to introduce policies that act to reduce incentives for land-owners to practice conservation  

The northern white rhinos that arrived just before Christmas are doing well, in fact probably better than expected.  They appear to have adapted well to the Kenyan climate (which has been pretty wet since they arrived!) and can't seem to get enough of our grass.  They are being supervised on a 24/7 basis by their keepers, and are now starting to explore the wider enclosure beyond their acclimatization "bomas".

Funny how things turn out sometimes, suffice to say we have had our wettest December on record - over 200ml across the majority of the Conservancy, meaning that we now have loads of grass, the wildlife is now fat and healthy and our roads are a bit of a mess!!  Thank goodness for the rain, not only for us but for the whole country.  It may still not be enough to restore water levels in the hydro-electric storage facilites, but should certainly be sufficient to restore the country's food deficit and ensure good yields in the tea and coffee industries

It has been all over the internet and in the media, so many of you who follow this blog will doubtless be aware of the arrival of 4 northern white rhinos to Ol Pejeta; it is a fantastic thing for us to have pulled off and many thanks go to all involved, not least the senior management staff of Ol Pejeta and our partners, especially Dvur Kralove in the Czech Republic, Fauna and Flora International, Back to Africa, the lewa Wildlife Conservancy and the Kenya Wildlife Services

I am hesitant to say this, but I suspect our fortunes may be looking up a bit.  Hesitant because in this environment things can go wrong again a the drop of a hat! But as I write on this sunny Sunday morning we have received good rains over the past week, tourism is beginning to pick up after the traditional November "low period", the cattle are fattening nicely, beef prices are at record highs and our wheat crop is looking excellent!