Kenya June 2011 (Laikipia and Masai Mara)

[Sangeeta]

Not being a Big Cat follower, I hadn't heard about Notch's dethronement! Who took over his prides, does anyone know? One of his sons? How is it that Notch is wandering around with a coalition & hasn't targeted any new takeovers himself?

 

Interesting what you say about the habituation, Paul. In that Mara Conservancy report about Masaai spearings that Leeds had posted, they also make the same point.

 

And yet, there is something so alluring about the Mara that it keeps beckoning us again and again...

[twaffle]

When I first saw your image of the rodent on the island, I thought you were pulling my leg. That had to be a Nutria which are so prevalent and destructive in Louisiana that the state government actually has a bounty on them . Then I saw the Wikipedia reference that said the Coypu and Nutria are the same thing. I will have to go back and look at the actual annual expenditures by the state but its over a $1m per year that they pay in bounty. I think its $3-$4 per tail. The nutria has done a great deal of damage to our coastal wetlands and is right there with hurricane as being the biggest culprit with our huge problem of Coastal erosion.

 

Now that the alligator has made a big comeback in our state from the endangered status, the rodent might be brought back under control. I am curious if they have the same destructive habits in Africa.

 

 

Mosquito, a very in-depth report put out by the East African Wildlife Society many years ago on the way the coypu came into the country and the destruction in has caused in Lake Naivasha (I think it was there) were very concerning. There was some information about what was being done about the menace … probably not much. But I have heard little to nothing about them since, and had, in fact, forgotten about their presence especially as I don't like to visit Lake Naivasha anymore.

[PT123]

Hi Sangeeta, I believe that Romeo and Clawed were the pride males and have heard that Clawed has subsequently passed away. Also, I was told that Notch formed the coalition with two of his sons. This was a year ago, so who knows what's going on now.

[samburumags]

Yes I saw Coypu at OP. I had an excellent guide at Sweetwaters his name was Sam and he was older than most of the others. We did have to visit Baraka and the chimps but I found it very interesting.

[Mosquito]

When I first saw your image of the rodent on the island, I thought you were pulling my leg. That had to be a Nutria which are so prevalent and destructive in Louisiana that the state government actually has a bounty on them . Then I saw the Wikipedia reference that said the Coypu and Nutria are the same thing. I will have to go back and look at the actual annual expenditures by the state but its over a $1m per year that they pay in bounty. I think its $3-$4 per tail. The nutria has done a great deal of damage to our coastal wetlands and is right there with hurricane as being the biggest culprit with our huge problem of Coastal erosion.

 

Now that the alligator has made a big comeback in our state from the endangered status, the rodent might be brought back under control. I am curious if they have the same destructive habits in Africa.

 

 

Mosquito, a very in-depth report put out by the East African Wildlife Society many years ago on the way the coypu came into the country and the destruction in has caused in Lake Naivasha (I think it was there) were very concerning. There was some information about what was being done about the menace … probably not much. But I have heard little to nothing about them since, and had, in fact, forgotten about their presence especially as I don't like to visit Lake Naivasha anymore.

 

 

n Louisiana, damage is so prevalent from Nutria that the State has a bounty program for harvesting Nutria that last year netted 338,512 nutria tails worth $1,692,560 . The state considers $1.6 million per year a small drop in the bucket compared to what they cause. I need to find that report you mention. Very curious how they got to Africa. They were not a native species in Louisiana.

[twaffle]

Mosquito, I'll look for it. It's in my magazine rack. Will email you a copy as I wouldn't be able to post it for copyright reasons.

[Atravelynn]

Coypu is becoming quite a sensation! Thanks for sharing this creature with us. Now I wonder if someone will start a "Show us your Coypu pictures."

 

I have heard of Nutria.

[armchair bushman]

n Louisiana, damage is so prevalent from Nutria that the State has a bounty program for harvesting Nutria that last year netted 338,512 nutria tails worth $1,692,560 . The state considers $1.6 million per year a small drop in the bucket compared to what they cause. I need to find that report you mention. Very curious how they got to Africa. They were not a native species in Louisiana.

 

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, they were brought here early in the 20th century to be farmed for their fur. If I'm not mistaken, its the same reason they were introduced to North America. They were released in Kenya completely by accident when heavy rains damaged the holding tanks and they escaped downstream from the highlands around Nyeri to Lake Naivasha and beyond.

They were touted as a better alternative to Mink. If I'm not mistaken, they almost completely out-competed mink in many of their native habitats. They cause extensive damage on Lake Naivasha lakeshore vegetation as well as elsewhere in Kenya. Unfortunately many of the waterways that they inhabit in Kenya are high altitude cold-water areas that do not support Nile Crocodile populations, so there are no major predators that could reduce the populations significantly. As far as I know, Kenya does not have any real plan to rid itself of this pest (or any other invasive species for that matter).

There have been articles in Swara Magazine (East African Wildlife Society), Africa Geographic, and a few others about Nutria/Coypu in Kenya.