Field operations
The BSP team consists of 18 committed rangers with specialist Bongo tracking skills and knowledge, all from forest communities, to protect and conserve the mountain bongo in its natural habitat. Their primary mission is to patrol and combat the significant threats facing the bongo, which include poaching, habitat destruction, and livestock grazing.
Every team is supported by community scouts who assist with gathering intelligence and conducting outreach efforts within the community. Additionally, each team is reinforced by two highly skilled and armed KWS rangers, funded by BSP.
These dedicated individuals tirelessly carry out de-snaring operations, maintain crucial camera equipment, conduct surveillance missions, and closely monitor signs of bongo activity and food browsing areas.
BSP’s dynamic operations span across 5 diverse regions. Aberdares boasts a strong team of 2 members. In Mau Forest, a team of 7 strategically covers South West Mau and Maasai Mau. In Eburu Forest and Mt. Kenya, we collaborate with our partner Rhino Ark, operating with a team of 11 members.
The central Kenyan highlands they inhabit – Mount Kenya, the Aberdares, the Mau forest, Eburu forest – are experiencing the rapid growth of human population and settlement, lying close to cities such as Nairobi, Kericho and Narok. This has given rise to a proliferation of illegal and destructive activity within the forest reserves, ranging from logging and charcoal production to active poaching with snares and dogs. Along with many other species in the region, the mountain bongo is hunted as “bush meat” to feed a growing human population.
Habitat degradation is a serious problem in these regions and has environmental consequences far beyond the range of the bongo, which includes increased droughts and drying of natural water sources. The Afromontane (mountain forest) ecosystem the bongo inhabits forms a significant water catchment zone, collecting and storing rainwater which feeds many of East Africa’s river and wetland ecosystems. When Afromontane ecosystems are degraded, mountain bongos are historically one of the first organisms to disappear. The bongo may therefore be useful as an indicator of ecosystem health which is important for many other species, including humans.
Domestic grazing poses a significant threat to the survival of the mountain bongo. as cattle and other livestock graze in the same areas competing for resources such as food and water. Domestic livestock can also introduce diseases to the bongo population, which may have devastating effects due to their small numbers and limited genetic diversity.
Surveillance
BSP has dedicated tracking teams in each of the four mountain bongo protection areas to conserve their remaining populations and protect their habitat. The trackers main activities include: gathering data on the presence and distribution of the remaining bongo populations using visual signs (spoor etc), camera traps & GPS equipment. Gathering photographic evidence of bongos allows us to prioritise areas for protection, which is passed on to government authorities and other conservation organisations, and also enables us to pinpoint new areas of potential bongo habitat to search for new individuals or populations.
Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflicts
Due to the elusive and nocturnal nature of bongos, direct conflicts are rare. Our rangers focus on mitigating indirect conflicts by removing hazardous traps and snares, monitoring poaching activities, and collaborating with authorities to prosecute offenders. Additionally, we work to minimise human-wildlife conflicts by addressing threats such as road construction in bongos’ habitats.
Gathering intelligence
Teams, with the help of community scouts, gather crucial human intelligence on poachers and scientific data. Information on poachers is shared with government partners like law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies to combat criminal activities and safeguard national security. Meanwhile, rangers are collecting DNA information and reporting on the genetic diversity of known herds from a scientific perspective.
Our community outreach program
We strive to inspire and empower children and community member to become stewards of the environment, planting seeds for a sustainable future. Recognising the significance of involving local communities in our conservation efforts, we have dedicated ourselves to working tirelessly towards this goal and, through our outreach program, we have successfully engaged more than 30,000 community members over the last 15 years.
Through the programme, we also address challenges that some of the schools and local communities face, such as access to a reliable water supply, and also providing alternative fuel opportunities.
Community projects
We launched various initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable living and resource management. One of our key projects involves installing water tanks and implementing rainwater harvesting systems to address water scarcity issues in the community. Additionally, we have introduced solar cooking equipment and provide demonstrations and family trials to promote eco-friendly cooking practices. We also emphasise the use of alternative fuels, such as cooking stoves, to reduce environmental impact. In our efforts to promote self-sufficiency, we are working on developing revenue from fish ponds and planting trees to enhance the local ecosystem.
The Mountain Bongo Wildlife Clubs
The Clubs, established in 2007, involve school children aged 10-12 in promoting the conservation of bongos and their forests through education. Currently, we have 22 active clubs, all located at schools near the remaining bongo populations.
Through its Clubs, BSP offers a variety of educational and immersive activities to engage children in natural heritage and conservation. These interactions serve as a stepping stone towards a deeper connection with conservation efforts and understanding our profound connection to nature.
We are grateful to our international and local partners, as well as individual contributors, for the photos used on this website. Thank you for your support.
