The answer is: they haven't! They are still very much around, all 650 of them !

It seems there are some Doubting Thomases out there, who after a drive through the Reserve enjoy propounding the view that it is all rubbish, they didn't see a single elephant or even a turd, so therefore all the talk about an overpopulation is pie in the sky!

Let us set the record straight. In 1997 a professional aerial census of the ecosystem's elephant population was carried out.

The details of this and its results are written up in the scientific journal Pachyderm No. 32. The author is Moses Litoroh, the

Resident Scientist at KWS Kwale, and a SSG Member. An update population census was carried out 5 years later in 2002, utilising the Elephant Dung Count Technique. ("An Elephant Dung Survey of the Shimba Hills Ecosystem and the Implications for Management." Moses Litoroh 2003.)

In the first of these counts, a total of 464 animals were actually counted and after extrapolation for those animals unseen and other possible bias a likely approximate total of 575 was arrived at.

From the second census an estimate of approximately 649. ± 77 elephant was obtained.

These figures indicate that in a 5-year period the total population increased by approximately 200 animals (this is the net, taking into account births, natural and poaching deaths, problem animals shot).

This represents an approximate 6 - 8% annual increment, a statistic which at first glance appears modest rather than frightening, but which represents an inexorable increasing pressure on an area of about 250 sq.km where some of Kenya's most treasured forests and rarest plants exist, and into which this population of pachyderms has now been fenced.

One of the reasons why visitors to the Reserve frequently don't see elephant is that most folk just drive along the main track and down to Elephant Look-out (for Sheldrick Falls), or possibly to Makadara and Pengo Hill.

In fact, the highest density of elephant (apart from the Mwaluganje, which was included in the counts) is in the Marere area, the north-western corner of the Reserve, where no tracks penetrate.

However, if you take the outer western tracks (the Marere circuit) turning right after entering at Sable Entrance, you can frequently meet ellie family groups on or close to the track, emerging from the light bush and woodland.

Also, from my personal experience, and not to be recommended unless you have nerves of steel, try driving along the main Kinango-Kwale road after dark, and you will the find the stretch between the Cha Shimba Bridge and the Shimba Gate alive with giant grey phantoms crossing the road from Marere in the south into the north, on their way to their night-time haunts.

This area is unfenced and is known as the Corridor, enabling animals to migrate without hindrance between the Reserve and the Mwaluganje.

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rare chestnut-fronted Helmet Shrike

The early Bird ... the Hon Sec, early abroad in the Reserve on ACM day, was rewarded by her second sighting ever of that remarkable and rarely observed species the Chestnut-fronted Helmet Shrike - a sizeable flock was noisily foraging and interacting among the topmost cones of the exotic pine plantation near the old airfield.

At the Makadara glade itself, in the early sunlight things were humming: White-eared Barbets, Blackbellied Starlings, Greenheaded Orioles, Dark-backed Weavers (announcing their arrival with that haunting, minor-key whistle), Blackback ed Puffbaclcs, Collared and Olive Sunbirds, Tropical Boubous, Fischer's Luracos, Silvery-cheeked and Trumpeter Hornbills, Blackheaded Apalis andd several others.

In contrast, during our 2.30 pm post-prandial AGM Forest stroll the only birdlife on offer had a definitely greenish hue: calling Green Barbets, Little Greenbuls and Greenheaded Orioles! However, towards the end of the path, a Yellowbill succeeded in modifying the colour scheme!

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new mammalian sub-species
for the Shimba hills ?

Hippotragus niger kirkii! (Kirk's or Common Sable)

A new mammalian subspecies for the Shimbas ? - Hippotragus niger kirkii! (Kirk's or Common Sable)

SSG Members may be interested to read the following extracts from the two most recent issues of the East Africa

Wild Life Society's illustrious magazine SWARA.

In Volume 26:1 an article entitled 'Higher hopes for Sable Antelopes' was reported by Steve Foreman, FRGS.

Extracts from this article follow:

'There was much debate during the early 1980s as to whether the Sable Antelope, Hippotragus niger roosevelti, occurring on Kenya's Shimba Hills was of the same subspecies as that occurring in Tanzania, previously recognised as Hippotragus niger kirkii.

However, it is now generally accepted that the two are of the same subspecies.

This follows a number of independent studies by various scientists during the 1980s and '90s."

"H. n. roosevelti tissue samples from the Shimba population (were) compared with samples extracted from Sable herds in

Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve. DNA results showed a 'genetic distance' so small as to preclude any significant taxonomic difference at the subspecies level.

This made the antelope less endangered than was previously thought. The latest aerial survey, completed in October 1998, puts the Selous' Sable population at about 3,900 animals. . . . Around Saadani, there may be 100-200 animals. . .. ln total then, the Roosevelt Sable population can conservatively be estimated at more than 4,000 individuals, and probably a lot more - as against the 120 formerly thought to exist only on the Shimba Hills."  

The ensuing issue of SWARA Volume 26:2 canied a Letter to the Editor penned by me (SSG Honorary Secretary, Fiona Alexander) and this is what I said:

Steve Foreman's article at last vindicates the contention I have propounded for more than a decade that the Shimba animals are merely a (possibly rather stunted) population of the kirkii subspecies.

The shortness of stature and horn may possibly be due to the poor quality of the

hilltop forage, now exacerbated further by the encircling fence preventing the sable from seasonal south-eastward migration in search of minerals.

Kingdon (1997) also sounded a note of doubt: 'The isolated Kenya coastal population (with somewhat smaller horns) is recognised by some authorities as the Shimba sable, H. n. roosevdti."

However, Mr Foreman states that the Tanzanian sable were "previously recognised as Hippotragus niger kirkii" and further on writes that "the Roosevelt Sable population can conservatively be estimated at more than 4,000 individuals, probably a lot more - as against the 120 formerly thought to exist only on the Shimba Hills."

I would strongly suggest that this is putting the equation back to front.

The common sable, Hippotragus niger kirkii is documented as existing from southern Africa north to the Galana River. All Tanzanian and Kenyan populations have therefore now been proved to belong to this one subspecies and the (albeit resounding and presidential) epithet 'roosevelti' should now be expunged from sable literature!"

My assumption is based on the chronological declaration of subspecific status, and from available literature it would appear that kirkii came on the scene in 1822 (Grey), whereas roosevelti was probably declared in 1914 (Roosevelt & Heller), a time lapse of almost a century!

Anyway, the jury is out, and now we await the final verdict of the taxonomy boffins ! (FA.)

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Afrothismia baerae: new plant
species for the Shimba Hills

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Coastweek - - Flowers of the 'afrothismia baerae' plant. 

aclorophyllous mycotrophic FIND

Described by SSG trustee Sabine Baer: "One day in September 2002 I found this interesting little plant right in the middle of Longomagandi.

I was studying a civet latrine with a lot of germinated seeds, trying to figure out what that civet had been eating.

Then, next to the seedlings in the latrine, there was this tiny plant, consisting only of flowers, no leaves, no chlorophyll. Looked interesting; I figured out it must be a parasite, took photographs and a few plantlets as samples.

I sent the photos and some drawings to Quentin Luke, an associate of the National Herbarium in Nairobi, and he in turn contacted the Herbarium at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (UK), and there it was identified as belonging to the unusual family of Burmanniaceae.

The expert working on this group of plants is Martin Cheek, and he supplied the following information."

To date four species of Afrothismia have been reported in Africa, and two of these are in East Africa.

It is a strange plant with an integral fungus in its root system, these two parts forming a unique symbiotic/ parasitic relationship.

In other words, whereas most plants draw in soil nutrients through their root-hairs, in Afrothismia carbon and nourishment is supplied by the fungi.

In scientific terms it is an aclorophyllous mycotrophic plant.

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NEW OFFICE BEARERS ELECTED

The second AGM - Where have all the Members gone ? Well, on paper we have 230 of them, but sadly most of them stayed at home! We had a total attendance of 40, of whom 31 were Members so that we just scraped together our constitutional Quorum of 30.

We thought perhaps some of you had remembered the terrible delay in starting last year: this year we started on the dot !

Perhaps others looked up at the sky and thought it would rain the two light showers we had did nothing to disrupt proceedings or to dampen spirits !

A delightful day in the freshly-mown sunlit green glade was enjoyed by everyone, and after picnic lunch the'hard-core' were left happily carousing beneath a shady tree while the rest of us followed the newly-cut footpath winding through the forest and then along its westerly edge, with Ann Robertson expertly botanising, and Fiona identifying non-existent birds which were sensibly taking an afternoon snooze with their heads tucked under their wings !

The Minutes of the AGM will be sent with an ensuing issue of the Newsletter, but in the meantime here is the newly-elected Board of Trustees for 2003/4 - several familiar faces and a couple of new ones.

Honorary Chairman                 Dr Rene D. Haller
Honorary Vice-Chairman          R. D. Knight
Honorary Treasurer                Susanne Schleiss
Honorary Secretary                Fiona Alexander
Trustee (ex officio)                Director, Kenya Wildlife Service
Trustee (ex officio)                Sen. Warden Kwale C. M. Amboga
Trustee                               Sabine Baer
Trustee                               Dany T. Haller

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New Members since March 2003

New Members since March 2003: Prof. Klaus Bonath, Selina Lutjeboer, Kim C Martin, Mrs E A Leckie, Angus Leckie and Sue Wilson, irene Coldwell, Karsten & Susanne Schleiss, SJ & DW Harris, Ian Robertson, P. Lagoussis, Kathy Jogschat, Nick & Angie Taylor, David & Ann Taylor, Nick D'Souza, Dr Daphne Sheldrick MBE MBS, The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - WELCOME!

GOING, GOING, GONE .. .That familiar green-printed document with the handsome sable logo in the corner may have dropped into your post box for the last time, IF YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN to send us your annual top-up which was due on 31 July 2003.

Please read our full appeal in Newsletter NO.9 or if you've thrown it away (heresy!) the gist is that sadly, unless you let us have an annual Kshs.500/- per person subvention, the Newsletter will not be coming your way! If you have already made ad hoc donations to us over the past year, this does not of course apply to you.

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AFRICAN BUTTERFLY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Have you visited the Butterfly Centre at Karen Nairobi?

Education Centre, Flying House, Caterpillar Café, and Metamorphosis, the Wildlife Gift Shop. Did you know that we fly thousands of butterflies grown by local Kwale farmers from Shimba Hills?

This gives valuable revenue to the local community and hundreds of children from Nairobi surrounds come to the Butterfly Centre every month for free to learn environmental awareness. We look forward to your visit.

Phone: 020 884972/ 3 Jackie Email: collinsabri@iconnect.co.ke

Newsletter Sponsorship: 

A big THANK YOU to Steve and Jackie Collins of ABRI (African Butterfly Research Institute) for sponsoring this double-page spread. Do visit their magical, professional, spectacular Butterfly flying house in Karen.