Most East African readers have
certainly heard about this. What matters, however, are reactions and what should
be done.
Is there any need for the
average African living in this so- called wild continent to be concerned that
animals are being for pesa? Aren’t we supposed to love meat? Wild meat
is especially more delicious than domesticated cows, goats, chicken etc. One guinea
fowl (“Kanga” in Swahili)-which I find tastier than chicken or duck- costs
around 10,000 T-shillings in a London supermarket, for example.
I am being sarcastic of course.
Slaughtered elephants, pic by Michael Nichols courtsey of Advocate Habitat Blog...
One. An assumption that we live
among freely available meat. No wonder the debate about Serengeti being turned
into a free farm has been so controversial in the past few years. Two. That these poachers belong to the same tribe
of gangsters robbing everyone including sad mourners driving to funerals. We live in horrifying times where the “name
of the game” is ruthlessness and immorality.
Poachers will therefore, kill
animals preserved to be ogled by tourists, as well as you and me. That is not
only ruining wild life preservation, but also sending signals about the
realities of the international trade system. Find and sell anything to survive.
So then, what are we going to do about it?
We have an early example in a
crusader called, Kidon Mkuu Ngoille.
Ngoille outside a Manyata hut in the Maasai area of Arusha.
Born in Loliondo in 1965,
Ngoille studied in Arusha, Nanyuki (Kenya) then went to Sweden and Norway where
he completed his political science degree. While still studying he was touched
by how overseas citizens are concerned about the welfare of animals. This came
about in his involvement in various campaigns to protect natural wildlife. Kidon
says he was impressed how hunters of certain wild beasts such as deer, elk and rend
were regulated by specific government laws. He also noticed that not many European
people were fond of wearing animal fur made from bears, foxes and wild cats.
Since settling in Arusha
recently, Kidon Ngoille set up a charity - “Sema Ndiyo Kuwalinda Faru na Tembo”
(“Say Yes to Preserve Rhinos and Elephants”) –aimed at raising awareness and
funds. These funds the Loliondo born campaigner insists, shall be used to assist
NGO’s, buy T-shirts, stickers, brochures and literature crucial for this
venture.
Why such a futile campaign, I
asked Mr Ngoille? After all we have existing government bodies that deal with
the issue. Tanzania, believe it or not, has an excellent history of fighting
poachers. During Ujamaa days- poachers were hunted down and severely punished. He says, currently, within
our institutions there are good guys keen to deal with the crisis, as well, as
bad guys who aren’t that bothered. “We all have to do this together.”
It is well said from the top, I
argued.
What about notions which I
raised at the beginning of this article? The average African sees wild animals as free
range meat and a sight -seeing object catering for Wazungu tourists bringing
cash for wildlife businessmen. Of which he replied: “We all belong to this
world. We humans are more intelligent than animals so we should not destroy the
nature that we found when we came here.”
But there is a more sinister
problem.
A subject that was a theme of a National
Geographic channel program a couple of months ago. In “Man Vs Monster”, British
film maker and adventurer, Richard Terry, travels across Tanzania searching for
a werewolf: supposedly half hyena, half man which is terrorising villagers in
River Rufiji, Uru (Kilimanjaro), Lake Eyasi, etc. Terry is told by peasants
that the super creature has relations with devils and genies. The Briton eventually discovers it is nothing
else but lions resorting to humans because of food scarcity. Kidon Ngoille argues that we need more
security from authorities around our remote villages.
Our beautiful earth. Sunset at Lake Tanganyika. Pic by Revo Meza..
His is a positive suggestion of
what should be done, i.e. joining this battle across East Africa. The preservation
of our natural environment is not just about trees (helping regulate climate),
waters (oceans, lakes, rivers and fish), minerals (gold, diamonds etc), keeping
cities tidy and un polluted. It is also about caring for all living species. Every
resource is a part of mother earth and justifiably, beneficial in all kinds of
ways.
Interested? Contact Mr Ngoille
on Tel +255-755-001-123.
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