End of Year Message from the Executive Director
Complexities brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic did not, however, dampen our spirit; with your unyielding support, we strove with our last ounce of energy and courage and continued to safeguard the welfare of animals through our various programs! Animals continue to face increasing threats to their survival, and support such as you have given to ANAW, especially this most trying year, has gone a long way in giving our animals a chance for survival even in the face of these monumental challenges; and for that, we are forever grateful. In this year I am glad to report to you that as an organization, working with our incredible partners, we have been able to achieve many important animal welfare milestones, some of which you will read in this newsletter. Amongst the top was this year’s Africa Animal Welfare Conference (AAWC) held virtually on September 7 - 10, 2020 and attended by 523 delegates. The conference realized resolutions and a policy brief shared with Member States. Allow me, on behalf of the Chairman, Board and staff of ANAW and ANAW-USA, to sincerely thank you for your support in this near-ending 2020. You have made a great contribution to Africa’s animals and with your continued support, we are without a doubt looking forward to 2021 with renewed energy for the work we do. May you have a blessed Christmas and prosperous New Year 2021. Josphat Ngonyo. Judicial Dialogue on Wildlife and Environmental Crimes
ANAW supported and participated in the dialogue as part of the Secretariat, and the Executive Director, Josphat Ngonyo delivered opening remarks highlighting ANAW’s collaboration with Judiciary Training Institute (JTI) and law enforcement agencies in response to issues of wildlife and environmental protection. JTI and ANAW, together with six lead law enforcement agencies held a meeting during the conference regarding the law enforcement curriculum that was due for adoption and validation. It was resolved that based on the current needs of the law enforcement agencies, what they required was a detailed training manual for ease of reference in executing their day-to-day duties. The manual will also aid in ensuring sustainability of the dialogue process which would function as an annual monitoring tool. This manual development process is being facilitated by financial support from Animal Welfare Institute. Arising from this meeting, therefore, a workplan to develop a detailed training manual was endorsed and the process would be completed in April 2021. Stakeholders’ Workshop on Cage Free Chicken Farming in Kenya
During the workshop, ANAW shared progress regarding its work on the campaign against battery cage chicken farming in Kenya. A key highlight of the workshop was the presentation of a study report done by ANAW on the status of battery cage farming in Kenya. The one-day workshop resolved to build a credible, skilled and coordinated coalition for advocacy against caged chicken farming in Kenya, which is planned to be established in the first quarter of 2021. 41 Animal Welfare Cases Attended to in October and November 2020
Building Resilience and Capacity of Donkey Owning Communities
These activities included:
Two Suspected Bushmeat Poachers Apprehended in Machakos and Kasighau
Two notorious bushmeat poachers in Machakos had been on Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) radar for some time. When they woke up on the morning of October 21, 2020, and as usual, armed themselves with bows and poisoned arrows and machetes and set out for a wildlife harvest in Malili Ranch, they did not know that their forty days’ grace had expired and would soon be in the unforgiving hands of the wildlife protectors! According to locals, the poachers had set up wire snares the previous night anticipating a heaped catch the following morning. When the morning came, they went about inspecting, and were buoyed with joy when they saw a limping zebra dragging one of their wire snares by its left hind leg, to which they shot with a poisoned arrow to make a quick kill and save on time. When the zebra was down, they hurriedly slaughtered it and put the carcass in gunny bags ready for transportation to the nearby shopping centre to sell to unsuspecting residents. Unknown to these two poachers, however, a ‘little bird’ was watching as they slaughtered the animal in the grassland bushes and reported to ANAW’s informant who in turn relayed the information to both KWS and ANAW who swung to action. The joint rescue team rushed to Malili area where the incident had been reported and commenced a wild chase for the suspects after which they apprehended the two as they ferried the zebra carcass on a motorbike. KWS confiscated the zebra carcass, poachers’ paraphernalia that included arrow, knives and containers and the motorbike used, and detained the suspects at Kyumbi Police Station for onward prosecution. While this seems a success story to the protection of wildlife, it is important to note that elimination of bushmeat poachers is far from over for they continue to multiply in different regions of wildlife areas – both protected and unprotected as poverty among those communities living close to the said wildlife areas continue to bite, especially with the advent of Covid-19 pandemic. With this worrying reality in mind, ANAW and KWS team, with financial support from Animal Welfare Institute, conducted four de-snaring exercises in Machakos and Nakuru regions, in the months of October and November 2020 lifting a total of 87 wire snares. The devoted team will religiously continue to comb the bushes for lifting of more wire snares and rescue of trapped animals in the efforts to conserve these precious wildlife species. Similarly, in the expansive Kasighau ranch, Taita Taveta County, a suspected poacher was jointly arrested by Wildlife Works and ANAW supported Kasighau Wildlife Guardians with 7kgs of impala’s meat on 24th October 2020 at Mto Mwatate area. Glimmer of hope ANAW’s de-snaring and rescue activities continue to be inspired by the desire to create positive change within the communities that border these wildlife areas, who are almost always, the culprits of bushmeat poaching, by among other ways championing the ‘Africa Conservation Education Fund’ (ACEF) program. This program seeks to empower these communities through education to ultimately get employment for alternative income, with the goal of decreasing poaching and care for wildlife. We encourage all our partners to walk with us in this promising journey of paradigm shift and conservation success. If you would like to know more about the ACEF program, read more here Africa Animal Welfare Conference, Action 2020 Publications.Conference Report - Click Here to Read/Download . Conference Policy Brief - Click Here to Read/Download . Support Our Work Here's a great way to support Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) and enable us to protect future generations of animals. You can do so through the following ways: Leave a Legacy in Your Will Through Donation |
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In a few days, we will all be bidding farewell to this extra-ordinary year, 2020, which ends at an unprecedented time when the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all countries of the world. The pandemic has caused much suffering, driving most economies into chaos. Extra-ordinary, also, because we brought this onto ourselves - through disrespect and interference with the natural world, and animals’ well-being. ANAW, like many other organizations, was not spared either; since our work was affected by this pandemic especially during the lock downs. A time, we established that the poaching incidences went up by 50%.
The 10th National Judicial Dialogue and Continuing Judicial Education on Wildlife and Environmental Crimes was for the first time held virtually on 26th and 27th November 2020.The theme of the conference was, ‘Emerging Issues and Trends in Adjudicating Wildlife and Environmental Crimes’.
On December 7, 2020, ANAW facilitated a successful Stakeholders’ Workshop on Cage Free Chicken farming in Kenya. Participants included representatives from Kenya Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), Chairperson Counties’ Directors of Veterinary Services CCDVS), Kenya Pigs and Poultry Veterinary Association (KPPVA), Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA), World Animal Protection (WAP) and Farm Animals Voice.
ANAW in partnership with Brooke East Africa kicked off the third quarter of the project’s implementation plan with activities geared to building resilience and capacity of donkey owning communities residing along the Kenya-Tanzania border in both Kajiado and Narok Counties, as well as bridging the trust gap between the said communities and the grassroot government authorities for effective vigilance and security of the animal they love – the donkey.