Re: Jonathan & Angela Scott's Blog

**Doogs** Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:04 pm

Good wish list Lai Wink

I take it you've seen White Eye before ?

**Laikipia** Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:43 pm

Yes - very lucky to have seen all the Marsh Pride - White Eye, Red, Bibi, Lispy - back in Dec 2008 I think. Will have to check notes What a Face

It looks like we might get to see Zawadi which would be amazing given her age.

Lai

**Doogs** Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:47 pm

Good stuff, I did think you would have.
That would be just amazing if we did get to see Zawadi Jonathan & Angela Scott's Blog - Page 7 768480

**Laikipia** Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:18 pm

Just checked my notes from Dec 2008 safari (I know it's a bit OCD to have a notebook) but I love to remember exactly who and what we saw each day, otherwise it becomes a blurr or is it drunken

We saw Sita/Shakira + her 3 cubs Moja Mbili and Tatu
Honey's boys
Binty
Olive
Romeo & Clawed
Red, White Eye, Bibi & Lispy + 9 cubs
Lorian (leopard)
3 cheetah boys in Lewa

and that's just the well known ones Laughing

To see Zawadi would be a real treat.

Lai

**Doogs** Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:32 pm

Update from J&A Dated 26/08/2011 - San Francisco: The Friendly City

Arrived safely in San Francisco. The coffee is good and Whole Foods our favourite place to buy and eat – that goes for the Whole Foods in High St Kensington in London too. SF really is a delight – people so friendly and just a really good buzz about the place; very cosmopolitan. It is like the old days when David was a kid and we all slept in the back of the LandCruiser on safari – a jumble of mattresses and sleeping bags – the thrill of cooking breakfast somewhere secret in the bush – a good ol full English Breakfast cooked over an open fire – nothing tasted better than that. Jet lag means we wake early – Domino the cat is outrageous all big and fluffy and sweet natured, diving in and out of boxes or nesting in the rucksack or crawling into a suitcase – cats just love that stuff!

I am reading Virginia McKenna’s autobiography The Life in My Years – makes an easy read with some lovely poetry included – a mix of a varied and exciting life as an actress and conservationist alongside her actor husband Bill Travers, founders of the Born Free Foundation.

By chance (or not) Virginia read The Marsh Lions on Radio 4 when it was first published in 1982, and of course I was one of the millions of people who sat in the cinema as a teenager in 1966, dumbstruck with the emotion of watching Virginia and Bill play Joy and George Adamson in the epic Born Free. Bill and Virginia later produced the movie about Christian the lion who in recent times became a Utube sensation when he was reunited with the two Aussies who had purchased him one Christmas at Harrods

Safari Maiden Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:41 pm

Thanks for the update Doogs and I must admit I dont get to read their blog much and posting it here helps!

SM

**Laikipia** Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:25 pm

Thanks for that Doogs.

Lai

**Doogs** Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:23 pm

There's been a couple of updates from J&A since my last post on 27/08/2011:

The Marsh Lions: Conflict with Pastoralists.
The Cattle Issueby Jonathan Scott on Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 11:51am

Hi Everyone. We have been talking about the Marsh Pride on the Big Cat Fanz page and people have been raising the issue about the loss of adult lionesses from the pride over the years. Here are my thoughts on this:

There can be no question that a ‘boundary’ pride such as the Marsh Lions who live both inside the Reserve and outside it at times is always going to be vulnerable to losses due to conflict with pastoralists. We have documented over many years the loss of adult pride members due to conflict with herdsmen – lions have been speared and/or poisoned. This is a fact.

We also know that this year has been very dry – a drought in parts of Kenya/East Africa (and we all know of the terrible humanitarian troubles that Somalia faces). There have been continual incursions by pastoralists into the Reserve throughout much of 2011 due to the dry conditions. Killing of lions is at times a by-product of this situation.

Over the years it has become the norm rather than the exception for cattle to enter the Reserve. This situation is not sustainable if we are serious about maintaining the integrity of the Reserve and its wildlife. We – or rather the authorities/government – have to make hard choices as to how they resolve this issue. Politically, favoring wildlife over people is a sure way to lose popularity with your constituency. But we also know that if we humans continue to overpopulate our world and use the planet’s resources in an unsustainable way then life become untenable – it already is in parts of the world.

The Mara is far too valuable a world heritage – a priceless gift to Kenya and its economy – to be reduced to a glorified safari park in years to come. If we take the stand point that the Mara was conceived as a way of protecting wildlife and its wild habitat, then we have to find solutions to the cattle issue. There is a way to do this. Cattle in the area could be managed in a far more efficient way – animal husbandry practices need to change to adapt to a new reality. Less cattle – and better managed ones at that – and proper resources (slaughter houses, transport, etc) to allow cattle to be harvested well ahead of time in periods of drought would be a start.

I am not a livestock expert but the need for people who are to help solve the cattle issue in the Mara region is vital.

**Doogs** Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:29 pm

Shompole: Predators targeted by Pastoralists dated 15 September 2011

My good friend Brian Jackman (co-author The Marsh Lions, 1982) emailed me the other day with news highlighting the issue of predator/livestock conflict. Shompole is a beautiful camp in southern Kenya in the Magadi area – Anthony Russell and his team have done a lot to encourage wildlife conservation in the area and work with the local community to this effect:

“Hi Jonathan, Just had an anguished email from Anthony Russell in Shompole, saying 5 of his lions and 10 hyenas have been poisoned…..Presume this is Furadan yet again.”

Shompole are not sure who was responsible – local pastoralists or those from the adjoining ranchlands to the north. Anthony says that the Kenya Wildlife Service are after whoever did it.

Anyone wanting to know more about the pesticide marketed as Furadan should check out Dr Paula Kahumbu’s website for more info on this.

There was a wee bit more on their blog after this about a talk in Nairobi by Dr Paula Kahumbu but the date has passed so it's now irrelevant.

Anne-Marie1981 Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:57 pm

Jonathan and Angela have updated! A very thorough update and a good read!!

**Laikipia** Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:10 pm

Thanks for the nudge Anne-Marie, off for a read now ............................

Lai Pai Reading

**littlewid** Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:43 pm

Wow, that is some update Anne-Marie but well worth the read. it sounds bad for Clawed doesn't it and I didn't like reading that Jonathan said it would be the Hyena's or the 4 Muskateers that would be the end of Clawed, I would rather he just slipped away peacefully, he doesn't deserve to have his days ended the other way.

I hope Sienna is pregnant by him, that would be a nice continuation of Clawed but then I suppose his cubs would be at risk.

Very sad to read that one of Honey's boys has more than likely bee kiled by a lion, I know that has got to be confirmed, it would be the best news if it was wrong.

So sad that Romeo has ust run off and left Clawed, I thought they may have found each other and stayed together.

littlewid-x-

**whitestarling** Mon Oct 10, 2011 10:40 pm

Phew as LW says that was some update. A lot of catching up. Seems Joy's doing her best to protect the Cubs, but she has a long time to go before they are safe. I really can't see any future for Clawed sadly, he's in no condition to hunt, and was struggling before with his teeth worn down to make a kill. Fingers X everything will start to settle down
WS

**Doogs** Mon Oct 10, 2011 10:58 pm

I did see that J&A have updated a very long entry in their blog. Haven't had time to read and digest it yet, may have to do it tomorrow as I'm getting rather Sleep

Cheers for the nudge AM cheers

**Laikipia** Fri Oct 28, 2011 6:31 pm

Jonathan and Angie have updated their blog - 28th October.

http://www.jonathanangelascott.com/travel_club/wordpress/

Lai Pai

Safari Maiden Sat Oct 29, 2011 12:17 pm

Thanks for the nudge LP. I will check it out later.

SM

**Doogs** Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:50 pm

LP - will catch up with that after I'm finished on here

**Doogs** Mon Nov 14, 2011 1:59 pm

Update from J&A dated 04/11/2011 with a link at the bottom with some info/picutres from J&A :

Hi Everyone. Excuse the hype but we wanted to share with you. We are delighted to be part of the SanDisk Extreme Team – part of a select group of photographers whose iconic work captures exciting action scenes for all to enjoy. Here is a link for you to enjoy meeting the Extreme Team. Enjoy:

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/30fd3922

**whitestarling** Mon Nov 14, 2011 3:15 pm

Thanks Doogs should be good to follow on FB
WS

**littlewid** Mon Nov 14, 2011 8:02 pm

That looks really good Doogs, I enjoyed browsing through that one and I will try and remember to have a look on FB but I don't get on there very often, I need to be more organised Embarassed

littlewid-x-

**Laikipia** Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:09 pm

Jonathan and Angie have updated today - 6th December

Lots of news - some good and of course some bad ...........

http://www.jonathanangelascott.com/travel_club/wordpress/

Lai Pai

**whitestarling** Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:25 pm

Thanks LP. As you say good, and bad news for the Marsh Pride, wont say anymore untill the others have had a read. They stayed at the same lodge as you in Zambia, were they there when you were, or did I miss you saying it
WS

**Laikipia** Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:32 pm

Jonathan & Angela Scott's Blog - Page 7 615959

WS - yes funnily enough I was part of his 'hosted' safari and a very wonderful memorable trip it was too - at least I don't have to write a diary now as Jonathan has covered it beautifully!

Lai Pai

Anne-Marie1981 Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:21 pm

Thanks LP. I feared there was bad news coming Sad

**Doogs** Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:37 pm

Mmmmmmm

At least it's not the worst possible news that they have given us and to be honest I half expected the boys to move away from the area as they would have known their beloved Marsh Pride was now a thing of the past with the 4 new males moving in. It's the not knowing where they are and how they are that makes me Crying or Very sad

Were J&A heading out to the Mara after Zambia Lai Pai ? I.E. is their update coming straight from the Mara just now ? Was Angie in Zambia as well as Jonathan ?

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