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Here is a long overdue newsletter from WAG. I arrived in Thuma one month ago and plan to stay for some time to come. My name is Lynn and I thank you for taking the time to read. The last few weeks have been very exciting and very productive. Our brave scouts are shaking things up in Thuma.! Read on for more information.
Best regards
Lynn Clifford
Sunday morning 19th September started as a normal day. Our
scouts and armed ranger mission was to return and destroy an
illegal charcoal ovens in the Chilombo area approx. 5 km from
base camp. We had on the previous day arrested and imprisoned
one man. On arriving at the site WAG scouts found 4 men
working the ovens again and after some fighting arrested and
handcuffed two.
As they started back to camp with the arrested men WAG scouts
were set upon by large and very angry mob from the local
village of Chilombo. The villagers were armed with stones,
pangas and sticks. Our armed ranger fired warning shots in
the air and at the feet of the mob but the angry mop started
running towards them. Senior scout Mr Oliver Polah said: “I
smelt blood in the air”.
The situation spiraled quickly out of hand and it was quickly
decided by our senior scout and ranger that it was best to
withdraw quickly to prevent loss of lives. The villagers
followed the scouts who split up into small groups with the
intention of getting back to camp but the villagers had the
same thing in mind and quickly headed towards WAG base
camp.
Meanwhile, driver Chifundo, worker Lucius and Lynn was
blissfully unaware of what had happened.
Greetings from Thuma & Dedza Forest Reserve,
The month of September has been something of a mile stone
for us here at Thuma.
In our last newsletter you heard about the attack on our
Thuma camp along with all our things having been stolen and
destroyed. And about the gun shots we kept on hearing.
Most people would have given up and cried about such events!
But not our brave dedicated scouts.
Just days after our attack, WAG scouts tracked and arrested
an armed poacher with a fresh kill in our beloved Thuma
FR.
Thank you for reading.
Best regards
Lynn Clifford
Just days after the terrible attack on Thuma base camp, WAG’s dedicated scouts were back on the job as if nothing had happened. It was another day, another patrol set out by myself that morning. We had been hearing single gun shots for some days now, both the scouts and myself were determined to catch whoever was out there.
That morning I woke the scouts extra early, gave them a route
to patrol covering a large area and this time moving around
the area rather than going directly to where we heard the
shots.
In camp at about 7.20 am I heard a gunshot. I waited 5 mins
waiting for some communication from the scouts. When I didn’t
get a phone call, I knew they would be tracking the poacher
and it was just a matter of waiting.
Some 30 minutes later I heard further shooting! This time I
knew they had got him or them!
Then I got the call, asking to come meeting them at Lake view
with the car. They had caught a poacher!
When we arrived we were met with some sight! It was like
something from the story “Peter and the wolf”!
A handcuffed poacher who was carrying his kill. This man had
killed a beautiful male bush buck, who was in his prime.
It was a terrible sight especially as I am now so used to
seeing them running through the bush not tied on a pole
dead.
Mr Mizeck, 24 year old is from the village of Kaliwanya and
was using a shotgun rifle which is licensed to a retired
Police man,
Wildlife Action Group
named Mr Chimphepo. He crossed into Thuma forest reserve via
Dowa in the east. And admitted that this was not his first
time to poach here.
He and the dead animal were promptly brought to Salima Police
station. We will follow this case very closely and hope for a
hefty sentence.
Under Malawi Forestry Act 1997 section 66, - any
person who pursues, kills, hunts shat be guilty of an offence
and liable upon conviction to a fine of 10,000 MK and to
imprisonment for a term of five years.
WAG Scouts & Ranger after poacher arrest –
from left – Chifundo, Bitson, Richard, Edward, Olvier,
Lammeck, Felix and Joseph (Rangers)
ince the 19 Sept the police have arrested a further 4
suspects related to the raid on Thuma camp after after WAG
scouts patrol found they were illegally chopping down trees
and manufacturing charcoal north of Thuma Base camp. Scouts
captured and arrested 2 men in the Chilombo area but were
then faced with a large angry mob as they headed for camp.
Chilombo area is renowned for its illegal activity in the
past and several elephant pits have been destroyed.
Salima Police have assured us that they are still not
completed their investigations and on Friday they went to
court to request additional time so they can make further
arrests of people named.
WAG scouts needed to return to the area to finish the work
they had started. On the 23 they returned to destroy all
working ovens by setting them alight and knocking them down.
Villagers ran away, scared from the scouts.
We have done several return patrols to this site in the last
two weeks to let these people know that we are watching
them.
2WAG scout return to destroy Chilombo charcoal
area
To make charcoal, many trees are cut down, then stacked
and covered with grass. Then they cover completely with sand.
This is then set alight and left for up to 2 days. Once this
is finished the wood has become charcoal and is ready for
sale.
Although charcoal is illegal in Malawi, you can see it being
sold on the streets and most houses esp in the cities use
it.
We have estimated that an area inside the boundary of Thuma
of approx 8 kms long and at least 1\2 km wide has
been destroyed by these people.
Those imprisoned face several charges. WAG have requested
that the illegal charcoal burning be the main charge,
followed by resisting arrest, theft, destroying property and
so on.
Letter are gone to various Ministers to raise the profile of
this.
Despite all this human drama going on in Thuma, I am
delighted to be able to report a record number of sightings
of our beloved ellies! There is not a day that goes by when
we see them close to camp (maybe they know we are trying to
protect them?!) or the scout see them while on patrol. I am
lucky enough to be here so I can enjoy watching them plus at
night listening to them communicate to each other. Most
families that I have seen all have young which is a good
indication that they are at one in this environment and that
this habitat is encouraging reproduction and natural
behavior. This is a credit to all of you that support and
enable WAG to manage this area.
Here are one photo for you. I promise there will be many more
in the coming months.
3A huge family of over 15 spotted on the way to
the Gate
Based on Sept 2010 scout operations it shows that our
scouts are able to carry out successful operations once given
the facilities to do their job. We are very grateful once
again to REA Germany for their support enabling us to get
Rangers at this period when it is most needed. We have won a
major victory in Thuma FR last month and local communities
are at the moment scared to come in the reserve. Now is the
time that we must step up our patrols, maintain the presence
of our scouts and Rangers and patrol every inch of Thuma and
Dedza.
See below our results for the last 3 months. We will have a
more detailed account of yearly operations at the end of the
year.
Poacher foot prints | Daily Patrols | Snares | Knives/ panges/axes |
Arrests |
Destroying charcoal ovens | |
July | 2 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Aug | 2 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Sept | 3 | 24 | 33 | 15 | 4 | 10+ |
The Wildlife Action Group (WAG) is registered in Malawi as
a non-governmental, non-profit organization since 1994.
Its main objectives are to protect Malawi’s wildlife and
environment, and to assist and support the Malawi government
in the protection of areas like the National Parks, game and
forest reserves.
Sponsor Scout OR DONATE WHAT YOU CAN |
To protect the reserves flora and fauna, and to restore its
ecological balance in co-operation with the communities
around Thuma F.R. and Dedza-Salima F.R. and enforce the
Forestry Act of Malawi.
www.wag-malawi.org
4WAG scouts with snares collected – top
left Felix (DWL Ranger, Edward, Bitson,
Chifundo
Bottom: Oliver, Lammeck and Richard