Photograph by Yvonne de Jong

LOLLDAIGA HILLS RESEARCH PROGRAMME

Tom Butynski & Yvonne de Jong

Monthly Report – June 2016

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Cover photograph: Adult female plains zebra Equus quagga. There are >3,000 plains zebra on Lolldaiga Hills

Ranch.

New to lolldaiga.com

Camera trap portfolio for June 2016

Additions to Yvonne de Jong’s photographic portfolio

‘Landscape’ portfolio updated

Link to Robin Hurt Safaris (in tourism section of website)

North-western Lolldaiga Hills Ranch at corridor to Ol Jogi’s Pyramid.

Aerial Survey Working Group Workshop: 7 June 2016, Lions Court Inn, Nanyuki A systematic aerial sample survey of Laikipia County was conducted in April 2016 by the Department of Resource Survey and Remote Sensing, Laikipia Wildlife Forum, and Mpala Research Centre. The preliminary results and report (Hillman Smith et al 2016) were presented at a workshop on 7 June 2016. Yvonne de Jong, Mike Roberts, and Tom Butynski attended on behalf of the Lolldaiga Hills Research Programme to discuss the findings. The final report will be distributed to all stakeholders.

Peter Hetz, Executive Director, Laikipia Wildlife Forum, leading the Aerial Survey Working Group Workshop. Photograph by Yvonne de Jong.

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Naibunga Conservancy Elephant Crisis Meeting: 20 June 2016, Barney’s Restaurant, Nanyuki The high level of human-elephant conflict in and around Naibunga Conservancy (north of Lolldaiga Hills Ranch) was discussed in a meeting on 20 June 2016 organised by the Northern Rangeland Trust (NRT). Yvonne de Jong, Mike Roberts, and Tom Butynski attended the meeting, together with representatives of Ol Jogi Ranch, Space for Giants, Lewa Conservancy, and Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF). Possible reasons for the high level of human-elephant conflict in Naibunga Conservancy over the past few years were discussed. Among the possible solutions discussed were (1) an elephant fence to restrict elephant movement to the south; (2) additional elephant movement corridors; and (3) increased effort to quickly remove prickly pear Opuntia sp. from Naibunga. Over the next few months, (1) elephant movement on Naibunga Conservancy will be further analysed with the help of the Save the Elephants Google Earth and STE app; (2) distribution of Opuntia on the Conservancy will be assessed by Mpala; (3) an Opuntia eradication programme will be designed (jointly by LWF and NRT); and (4) a fencing plan produced (jointly by NRT and Naibunga Conservancy).

Elephants on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch, off the south boundary of Naibunga Conservancy. There are often >300 elephants on the Ranch.

Some participants of the Naibunga Conservancy Elephant Crisis Meeting of 20 June 2016. Photograph by Yvonne de Jong.

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Monitoring Tool for the Lolldaiga Hills Research Programme (LHRP)

In order to monitor the larger mammal and bird

species of Lolldaiga Hills Ranch, and to keep the

species distribution maps up-to–date in an

efficient manner, LHRP looked into the new

ArcGIS survey tool ‘Survey123’ (beta version).

During June 2016, nine transects were driven in

the morning by Yvonne de Jong and Tom

Butynski. The data were recorded on the

Survey123 app using an iPhone. Transects varied

in length from 1.7 km to 5.3 km. A total of ca.

30.1 km were driven on the east, central and

north parts of the Ranch. The results of these

surveys will be presented in January 2017.

Marwell Wildlife (Marwell Zoo, Winchester, UK) (24–26 June, LHR) – Dr. Zeke Davidson, Marwell Wildlife Kenya

Programme Manager, visited Lolldaiga Hills Ranch to (1) see the landscape and biodiversity of the area, (2)

discuss collaboration with Marwell Wildlife’s camera trapping project in northern Kenya (particularly the viewing

of images of desert warthogs, primates, jackals, and dik-diks), and (3) discuss possible partnership with Lolldaiga

Hills Ranch as concerns the conservation of Grevy’s zebra, Lewel hartebeest, and guereza colobus monkey.

Marwell Wildlife has started to send camera trap photographs of warthogs, with coordinates, to the Lolldaiga

Hills Research Programme.

Africa Butterfly Research Centre, Nairobi (24–26 June, LHR)

– Steve Collins, Director, African Butterfly Research Centre,

and two butterfly experts from South Africa (Bennie Coetzer

and Andre Coetzer) visited LHR to work with Mike Roberts on

advancing the butterfly species list. Together, they added 12

species to the Lolldaiga Hills Ranch Butterfly List, bringing the

total to 135 species.

The monitoring data can be easily plotted in ArcGIS

and basic analysis provided by the Survey123

website.

Blue pied pierrot Zintha hintza is one of the species of butterfly new to the Lolldaiga Hills Ranch Butterfly List. Photograph by Mike Roberts.

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Meetings and Visits

Planned

German Diplomats to Lolldaiga Farm House (7–9 July, LHR) – Dr. Johannes Refisch (Project Manager, UNEP’s

Great Apes Survival Partnership) has organized about 10 Germans who work for the United Nations, German

Embassy, or GTZ in Nairobi, for a visit to Lolldaiga Hills Ranch. During this visit they will tour the Ranch, meet

with LHR staff to learn more about management, conservation activities, and biodiversity on the Ranch, and

make a visit to Mukogodo Forest.

Two Great Ape Conservationists Visiting (5–7 August, LHR) – Dr. Johannes Refisch (Project Manager, UNEP's

Great Apes Survival Partnership) and Jef Dupain (Regional Director for West and Central Africa, African Wildlife

Foundation), will visit Lolldaiga Hills Ranch to discuss great apes research and conservation.

African Queen Butterfly Meeting (15–18 September, LHR) – Dr. Ian Gordon (BirdLife consultant and

evolutionary biologist) has organized a meeting at the Lolldaiga Farm House to discuss future research related to

the evolution of mimicry in the African queen butterfly Danaus chrysippus.

Publications and Reports

Publications and completed reports

None.

In press

Butynski, T. M. & De Jong, Y. A. Primates of Africa’s coastal deltas and their conservation. In Primates in Flooded Habitats: Ecology and Conservation. Barnett, A. A., Matsuda, I. & Nowak, K., eds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

Butynski, T. M., Parker, I. & De Jong, Y. A. Historic and current distribution, abundance, and habitats of Roosevelt’s sable antelope Hippotragus niger roosevelti (Heller, 1910) (Cerartiodactyla: Bovidae) in Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 104.

De Jong, Y. A., Butynski, T. M. & d’Huart, J. P. IUCN/SSC Red List assessment for the desert warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.

De Jong, Y. A., Cumming, D. H. M., d’Huart, J. P. & Butynski, T. M. IUCN/SSC Red List assessment for the common warthog Phacochoerus africanus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.

Zinner, D., Keller, C., Nyahongo, J. W., Butynski, T. M., De Jong, Y. A., Pozzi, L., Knauf, S., Liedigk, R. & Roos, C. Distribution of mitochondrial clades and morphotypes of baboons Papio spp. (Primates: Cercopithecidae) in eastern Africa. Journal of East African Natural History 104.

De Jong, Y. A. & Butynski, T. M. IUCN/SSC Red List assessments for 13 African primate species.

Submitted

De Jong, Y. A. & Butynski, T. M. Desert warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus. In Ecology, Evolution and Management of Wild Pigs and Peccaries. Implications for Conservation. Melletti, M. & Meijaard, E., eds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

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In preparation

Butynski, T. M. & De Jong, Y. A. Common warthog Phacochoerus africanus. In Ecology, Evolution and Management of Wild Pigs and Peccaries. Implications for Conservation. Melletti, M. & Meijaard, E., eds.

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Butynski, T. M. & De Jong, Y. A. South Western Mau Forest Reserve game proof barrier feasibility study.

Unpublished report to IDH/ISLA and Rhino Ark.

Butynski, T. M. & De Jong, Y. A. Taxonomic status of the Mount Kilimanjaro guereza colobus.

De Jong, Y. A. & Butynski, T. M. A new subspecies of gentle monkey Cercopithecus mitis (Primates: Cercopithecinae) from northern Tanzania.

De Jong, Y. A. & Butynski, T. M. IUCN/SSC Red List assessments for 30 African primate subspecies and one species.

De Jong, Y. A., d’Huart, J. P. & Butynski, T. M. Biogeography of the desert warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus (Pallas, 1766) and common warthog Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin, 1788) in the Horn of Africa.

Adult beisa oryx Oryx beisa at Ol Jogi Ranch, Lolldaiga Hills Conservation Landscape.

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Rainfall on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch

Species totals as of end of June 2016

Mammals on the Lolldaiga Hills Conservation Landscape…………………………..105 species Birds on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch…………………………………………………………………….371 species Birds on the proposed IBA/KBA………………………………………………………………….525 species Reptiles on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch……………………………………………..……………….….32 species Amphibians on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch...............................................................12 species Butterflies on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch……………… ……………………………………………135 species Moths on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch......................................................................200 species

Except for moths, species list for the above taxonomic groups can be viewed at www.lolldaiga.com

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Monthly rainfall (mm) on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch during 2016 (mean of four sites)

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South West Centre North

Rainfall (mm) at four sites on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch during June 2016

Northern Lolldaiga Hills Ranch looking southeast from Ngainitu Hill.

Rainfall data kindly provided by Peter Karani.

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Best Zoological Society of London/Lolldaiga Hills Ranch camera trap images on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch (June

2016).

Savanna elephant Loxodonta africana

Mountain reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula

Mountain reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula

Common warthog Phacochoerus africanus

Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis

Common warthog Phacochoerus africanus

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Savanna elephant Loxodonta africana

Savanna elephant Loxodonta africana

Leopard Panthera pardus

Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus

African buffalo Syncerus caffer

Olive baboon Papio anubis

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Spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta

Striped hyaena Hyaena hyaena

Plains zebra Equus quagga