Newsletters Archive

Animal Welfare Updates - October 2019

Successful Rescue in Nakuru

Throughout the years, ANAW’s hands-on work including care and protection of animals and their habitats has created a strong impact on the protection of wildlife species in Nakuru. The organization undertakes emergency rescue operations and care on animals in distress and pain. On 23rd to 25th October, 2019 ANAW in collaboration with KWS team led by veterinarian, Dr. Titus Kaitho, rescued three zebras and treated a wounded giraffe. The three zebras were treated from snare - related wounds while the giraffe had a wound on its upper fore-leg.

Team on Patrol at the Soysambu Conservancy

It was a flurry of activities on 1st to 3rd October, 2019, when the ANAW team dispersed at Soysambu Conservancy for its monthly de-snaring operation. The team partnered with Projects Abroad, Soysambu Conservancy and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

The de-snaring patrol seeks to safeguard animals by removing of traps, rescuing trapped animals and assessing the status of bush meat poaching at the conservancy. Snares that targeted the wild animals at the conservancy were removed as teams spread in the hotspot areas. During the de-snaring exercise a total count of 62 snares was retrieved which consisted 46 live snares and 16 dead snares.

PAWS on as Schools End the Year!

The month of October marked the end of 2019 school Calendar in Kenya to usher in the final exams for the primary schools and secondary schools. ANAW visited schools encompassed under the animal welfare club and imparted success wish as candidates sat for the exams. Apart from the weekly meeting, the members participated in a tree planting exercise in their school to take advantage of the October rains.

The learners also took time to participate in the World Animal Day 2019 celebrations by reaching out to their schools with animal welfare messages. ANAW hopes that through this program it will be able bring change and re-ignite the love for animals in the hearts of Kenyan children.

Celebrating a Special Day: World Animal Day

ANAW joined the world in marking the World Animal Day on 4th October, 2019. Hundreds took to the streets of Nairobi to mark the day through the procession that started at Nyayo National Stadium to the Kenya National Theatre where the main event was held.

Addressing the participants during the event, Josphat Ngonyo, Africa Network for Animal Welfare’s Executive Director, thanked the participants for turning up in huge numbers to mark this important day. He reminded the attendees that animals are sentient beings and we should always remember that. The guest of honor, Dr. Peter Mbatha, Director for Veterinary Services in Kenya stated that the Animal Welfare Education to be inculcated in schools and colleges because it is an important aspect of our every day life.

During the walk, members of the public were educated through posters and banner messages as well as direct interaction through the public address system.

Addressing Illegal Cross Border Movement of Donkeys on the Kenya-Tanzania Border

In the month of October, ANAW team and their partners have been working in Kajiado and Narok communities living near or at the border between Kenya and Tanzania to find out if there is, an existing illegal skin trade of donkeys moving across the border. Residents are claiming that most of the donkeys being slaughtered in Kenya for skin harvesting are smuggled from Tanzania and find their way to Kenya through unofficial border routes. Most importantly, for the communities, during transit of these smuggled donkeys, the traders steal their donkeys along the way to supplement the demanded high numbers.

The opening of donkey slaughterhouses in Kenya since 2016 has greatly impacted the practice of donkey keeping in the country. Preliminary reports from a project being undertaken by ANAW in collaboration with Brooke East Africa and in partnership with Kajiado and Narok County governments reveal that this increase in donkey slaughter is having negative implications on the communities who traditionally rely on donkeys as a source of livelihood. Indeed, conversations with these donkey-depended communities have brought out immediate concerns about their present and future survival considering that the slaughter houses have increased the demand for the commercial consumption of donkeys.

While traditionally, donkeys are known to move across the borders, the purpose of this ongoing project would be to ascertain the extent to which increased cross-border movement of donkeys into Kenya is resulting from donkey slaughter and skin trade and to assess the impact the trade is having on the donkey-depended communities.

Bake Sale Fundraising Event

Canisius college students held a successful bake sale event to raise funds in support of Africa Network for Animal Welfare. The fundraising event involved students from The Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation Program who visited Kenya in July 2019. The funds raised will support the education outreach and training program.

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