Monthly Gyrocopter Log M24+M22

by Keith Hellyer
Qualified Pilot

Keith Hellyer and Danny Zuma
AERIAL AND FIELD MOBILE UNIT SUMMARY
Aerial Surveillance
Activity Hours Flown Number of tracks Distance Covered
Gyrocopters 5Y-CBW/5Y-BRD 82 hours flown 8,538 km covered
Ground operations
Teams Number of tracks Distance Covered
Six ranger teams 100 8,024 km
Activities
Poaching incidents
 Carcasses found: 7, (1 giraffe, 1 gerenuk, 3 gazelles and 2 dikdiks)
 Snares removed: 33, (32 mediums and 1 large size wires)
 Arrests made: 1 domestic poacher
 Tools & Equipment confiscated: 1 hunting torch mounted on horn, 1 knife and 1
motorbike.
 Ambushes carried out: 9, (8 ended unsuccessfully)
Elephant carcass: On the 26nd April 2020, aerial surveillance team spotted one elephant tusk and
a skull on Rukinga ranch, salama area. The field teams responded and recovered the second
tusk few meters from the skull. The carcass was too old, bones detached and scattered. The
cause of death was not detected hence recorded unknown.
Habitat destruction inside project area
Charcoal incidents
 Kilns destroyed: 227, (201 outside KCRP)
 Log heaps burnt: 671, (620 outside KCRP)
 Poles: 5
 Charcoal bags: 59, (55 outside KCRP)
 Charcoal Camps: 28, (27 outside KCRP)
 Arrests made: 21, Firewood collectors who were warned
 Ambushes carried out: 3, (1 ended successfully)
 Tools & Equipment confiscated: 3 machetes, 1 axe, 1 plough
Illegal grazing: nil
Ambushes carried out: nil
Notes:
o On the 25th April 2020, seven commercial poachers were reported seen on Taita
ranch by a herdsman. According to the informer three were armed and four
porters. A joint team together with KWS rangers responded and located tracks.
It was tracked/ambushed unsuccessfully. The incident led to the recovery of
two ivories detached from an old elephant carcass that died of unknown causes.

Domestic poaching within the project area was recorded in this month, several
ambushes were set targeting night poachers after poaching signs located by the teams
during normal patrols. Several wire snares were removed on the areas of patrol on the
south eastern and western ranches of Taita, Sagalla and Mgeno. On the 22nd April
2020, one domestic poacher was arrested in possession of game meat (3 gazelles, 2
dikdiks, and 1 gerenuk carcasses) and hunting apparatus. The mission went
successfully after a team of KWS and 6-0 located poaching incident and decided to set
a night ambush. The suspect was apprehended transporting the illegal stuff on a
motorbike. He was taken to Voi police station and booked under OB 34/22/04/2020.
The suspected was arraigned in Voi Law court and pleaded guilty hence charged with
two offences. (1) in possession of hunting apparatus, whereby he was sentenced to
two years’ imprisonment or a fine of KSH 200,000. (2) in possession of game meat,
whereby he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of KSH 300,000.