Established in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a scientific, conservation and educational charity dedicated to the world-wide conservation of animals and their habitats. ZSL has four main areas of operation: the Institute of Zoology which conducts cutting edge research into conservation genetics; conservation field programmes operating in over 30 countries; and, of course, their ‘living collections’ at London Zoo and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park which are visited by more than 1.3 million people annually. Over the years, ZSL has seen many significant achievements. These include the reintroduction of Arabian Oryx into the wild, the first successful radio-collaring and study of a wild Sumatran Tiger and the release of a hundred Sand Gazelles into Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest reintroduction of captive-bred mammals.

In order to help promote this vitally important conservation work, Naturetrek will be running six different holidays in conjunction with ZSL in 2007. Most of the tours in this exciting new programme will visit one or more of ZSL’s current conservation projects around the world, together with some of the host country's very best wildlife reserves. In addition, 10% of the holiday cost will be donated to the charity to be used to further support the vital work being conducted to protect some of the amazing animal species you will see. These holidays therefore offer a wonderful opportunity to visit some of the world's most exciting wildlife destinations whilst, at the same time, learning about the conservation issues they face and raising money for their continued protection.

Kenya has done much over the past years to protect its wildlife riches, but certain key species of mammal are still struggling and in need of outside help; these include the Eastern Black Rhinoceros. Over 85% of the estimated 540 remaining Eastern Black Rhino are now to be found in Kenya. They are, however, under ever-increasing pressure from habitat loss, poaching and other threats. It was for this reason that ZSL established its Kenya Black Rhino Project in 1993, focusing on the study and protection of these endangered animals. The Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary in Tsavo West National Park has played an important role in the advancement of this work and helped to develop many of the monitoring and conservation methods now employed in other parts of the country. It is here that we will begin our holiday, learning about and looking for the Rhino in the sanctuary, and getting our first taste of the colourful birdlife that abounds here, including such species as Long-crested Eagle, Red-fronted Barbet, Lilac-breasted Roller, Superb Starling and Beautiful Sunbird. We will also undertake game drives into Tsavo West National Park itself which, when combined with Tsavo East, covers over 20,000 square kilometres and forms one of Africa's largest conservation areas. Tsavo is rightly famous for its abundant mammal life and here we will see our first herds of Elephant and Giraffe, plus Impala, Thompson’s Gazelle and perhaps even our first Lion or Cheetah.

 
Next, we will spend two nights in Amboseli National Park, which sits beneath the towering snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro and is one of the country’s most scenic reserves, its acacia-dotted plains and dry rolling grasslands supporting Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Buffalo, Waterbuck, Thompson’s Gazelle and numerous birds, including Bateleur, Kori Bustard and Red-billed Hornbill. Then, moving north-westwards, we spend two nights at the spectacular Lake Nakuru National Park, where up to two million Greater and Lesser Flamingoes crowd the fringes of the lake. This is undoubtedly one of the world's great wildlife spectacles and a wonderful back-drop to the park’s other wildlife which includes Black and White Rhino, Leopard and the rare Rothchild’s Giraffe.
 

Finally, we cross the Rift Valley and descend into the rolling grasslands of the Masai Mara for a 3-night stay in one of Africa’s finest wildlife sanctuaries. The Mara holds some of the largest concentrations of animals in the world, especially in August when huge herds of Blue Wildebeest and Burchell’s Zebra migrate into the reserve from the adjacent Serengeti. Topi, Hartebeest, gazelles, Giraffe, Elephant and Buffalo feed with them on the plains, stalked by all three big cats — Lion, Cheetah and Leopard — as well as a variety of scavengers such as Spotted Hyena and jackals. The birdlife may take second place but is nonetheless abundant and includes numerous vultures and other birds of prey, plus Ostrich, Ground Hornbill, Secretary Bird, Carmine Bee-eater and many, many more. Our time in the Masai Mara will have been an undoubted highlight of our stay in Kenya, but we will also have learnt much of ZSL’s work here over the past 14 years and can return home having not only enjoyed some amazing wildlife, but also contributed to its continued protection.

The national steering committee set up by the minister for tourism and wildlife has established, through a consultative process, that the majority of communities living with wildlife are overwhelmingly opposed to the resumption of sport hunting. IFAW's staff in East Africa, who are all Kenyan, believe that a pro-hunting policy would negate conservation and provide even fewer returns for local communities in wildlife areas.

It is far-fetched to imagine, as Norton-Griffiths does, that IFAW has the financial and political clout to influence the views of Kenyans on such a grand scale. IFAW's position is that to stem the decline in wildlife populations and their habitats it is necessary to have a national land-use policy that embraces wildlife conservation, the prudent management of conflicts between people and wildlife and the consequent compensation claims, and the establishment of mechanisms for equitable sharing of benefits from wildlife.

IFAW East Africa is working with local communities and landowners to construct a 150-kilometre electric fence in Laikipia district that will secure space for wildlife, reduce the human-wildlife conflicts that are rife in the region, and so improve the livelihoods of local people. This is but one example of our work in Kenya in which we offer practical solutions to the challenges facing the wildlife sector. One only wishes that pro-hunting lobbyists like Norton-Griffiths would do the same, instead of attempting to resurrect a bygone and largely catastrophic era for Kenya's wildlife.