WAGI - Wildlife Action Group International e.V. - Thuma Forest Reserve Project...protecting elephants


THUMA FOREST RESERVE: Urgently needed roads in Thuma Forest Reserve Become a business partner to the local community! Sponsor a scout in Thuma! Volunteer in Thuma Thuma Photo Gallery		Thuma Forest Reserve Malawi - Africa Everything began with them! We only knew that some had survived the ivory-slaughtering in the 1980s. Searching for them for several years we found them eventually... 26 elephants, hidden in the steep gullies of the African Rift Valley, not far from Lake Malawi. We were fighting for their home range .... the THUMA Forest Reserve. After two years they came permanently back to Thuma and are there since under the protection of the Wildlife Action Group - Malawi. But outside Thuma death is still waiting! Just outside the Thuma Forest Reserve boundaries this young elephant bull had to die for a few kilograms of ivory! Another elephant bull, came - wounded by poachers - back into Thuma Forest Reserve to die there. For those two ivory tusks, an elephant bull had to die a senseless death! For 13 years there war no ivory poaching in the area anymore. It seems, poachers found new, lucrative markets for illegal ivory again. The adjoining Dedza-Salima Forest Reserve, south of Thuma, which is even more rugged and hardly accessible, is part of the Thuma elephants migration area. But there, poaching is still going on. With permission of the Malawi Department of Forestry, the Wildlife Action Group Malawi - Scout Team will in future also patrol that area. The Field Manager of the Thuma Forest Reserve, Albert Schenk, has to control the approx. 19.000 ha of rugged terrain of the reserve with only 12 scouts. The scouts have to face the poachers unarmed and additional they perform other duties like accompanying volunteers, who work in the bush, chase elephants back into the Reserve, if they destroy the fields of smallholder farmers outside the Reserve and go on walks with tourists. Not to forget, that part of the scout-team deserves some off days after weeks of hard and dangerous patrols. Albert Schenk needs at least double the number of scouts for to be able to cover the whole area of the Thuma Forest Reserve sufficiently. We should'nt give the poachers any more chance to kill! The Thuma Forest Reserve needs as soon as possible: more trained and professional scouts more scout satellite camps in the Reserve more and better roads in the Reserve better communication more volunteers more tourists visiting and supporting the Reserve more income generating activities for the surrounding Thuma- and Dedza/Salima Forest Reserves. Therefore we are looking for business partners! Be come an active member or supporter of the *WILDLIFE ACTION GROUP INTERNATIONAL* *and their projects!* Home		Click here to find Thuma on Google maps! Albert Schenk, Field manager Thuma Waldreservat The Thuma Scoutteam Senior scout Polah with a female bushbuck killed in a snare for bushmeat. Thuma -scout with collected wire snares. Arrested poacher and his handmade gun. Illegal cutting and burning of charcoal is another big problem in Thuma. 03 Apr 2008 © WAGI

THUMA FOREST RESERVE:

Thuma Forest Reserve

Malawi - Africa

Everything began with them!

We only knew that some had survived the ivory-slaughtering in the 1980s.

Searching for them for several years we found them eventually... 26 elephants, hidden in the steep gullies of the African Rift Valley, not far from Lake Malawi.

We were fighting for their home range .... the THUMA Forest Reserve. After two years they came permanently back to Thuma and are there since under the protection of the Wildlife Action Group - Malawi.

But outside Thuma death is still waiting!

Gewilderter Elefant, gefunden außerhalb des Thuma Waldreservats...

Just outside the Thuma Forest Reserve boundaries this young elephant bull had to die for a few kilograms of ivory!

Knochen eines gewilderten Elefanten...

Another elephant bull, came - wounded by poachers - back into Thuma Forest Reserve to die there.

Für diese Stoßzähne mußte der Elefantenbulle sterben! For those two ivory tusks, an elephant bull had to die a senseless death!

For 13 years there war no ivory poaching in the area anymore. It seems, poachers found new, lucrative markets for illegal ivory again.

The adjoining Dedza-Salima Forest Reserve, south of Thuma, which is even more rugged and hardly accessible, is part of the Thuma elephants migration area. But there, poaching is still going on. With permission of the Malawi Department of Forestry, the Wildlife Action Group Malawi - Scout Team will in future also patrol that area.

The Field Manager of the Thuma Forest Reserve, Albert Schenk, has to control the approx. 19.000 ha of rugged terrain of the reserve with only 12 scouts. The scouts have to face the poachers unarmed and additional they perform other duties like accompanying volunteers, who work in the bush, chase elephants back into the Reserve, if they destroy the fields of smallholder farmers outside the Reserve and go on walks with tourists. Not to forget, that part of the scout-team deserves some off days after weeks of hard and dangerous patrols.

Albert Schenk needs at least double the number of scouts for to be able to cover the whole area of the Thuma Forest Reserve sufficiently.

We should'nt give the poachers any more chance to kill!

The Thuma Forest Reserve needs as soon as possible:

more trained and professional scouts
more scout satellite camps in the Reserve
more and better roads in the Reserve
better communication
more volunteers
more tourists visiting and supporting the Reserve
more income generating activities for the surrounding Thuma- and Dedza/Salima Forest Reserves. Therefore we are looking for business partners!