Project funder Save Our Species has posted a nice news article on the Nigeria component of our SOS grant and all of Bolaji’s work to end manatee hunting there through aquaculture training. You can read it HERE!!
It’s surprising that there are any manatees left in Lekki Lagoon, which is located ~63 km east of Africa’s largest city, Lagos, Nigeria (population 21 million!). Manatees are heavily hunted there and with the proximity of so many people, I’m astounded they still survive. A couple years ago, my colleague Bolaji Dunsin proposed a project to me: he wanted to teach local manatee hunters aquaculture as
Nigeria: Bolaji Dunsin works to end manatee hunting in Lekki Lagoon through aquaculture Read More »
Wow, when I said “stay tuned” I didn’t realize how quickly I’d have more news! And fantastic news at that… today we found out Tocc Tocc Community Reserve has been designated as Senegal’s newest Ramsar site (and only the 5th one designated in the country). This recognition will certainly help us to continue to protect this beautiful place and all its wildlife for future generations.
Senegal: Tocc Tocc Reserve becomes a Ramsar site! Read More »
In the last 6 months, big things have been happening at Tocc Tocc Community Wildlife Reserve in northern Senegal. With our 22 new EcoGuards trained, regular patrols are now occurring, they’ve confiscated and destroyed illegal fishing gear, set out new buoys to mark the edge of the reserve on the lake side, and are clearing an opening through the reeds to the lagoon to prepare
In early December I attended the biennial Society of Marine Mammalogy conference in New Zealand and presented the preliminary results of my (mitochondrial DNA) genetics work in a spoken presentation as well as a scientific poster. It was fun to finally be able to share some of the results of all these past years of work, and to be able to show how I’m beginning
Society of Marine Mammalogy conference, Dunedin, New Zealand Read More »
I’m very late in posting this, but I’m proud to report that this project was able to support a four day manatee training workshop in Dizangue, Cameroon held at the end of October and led by researcher Aristide Kamla. The 17 attendees included the manager and all the Ecoguards from Lake Ossa Wildlife Refuge, as well as local fishermen. Aristide reported that “it was the a great opportunity to bring
Yesterday Victor was released into Banio Lagoon in southern Gabon, just outside the enclosure where he has been raised for the past 3 years. In the past few weeks, thanks to the supervision and dedicated effort of Jonathan, Victor was able to re-gain some weight and was deemed to be in good enough health to be released. He was fitted with a specially made belt
Yesterday I spent a very pleasant afternoon talking with Michael Scholl, the Director of Save Our Seas Foundation. Michael happened to be in Florida for meetings and asked to come by Gainesville to meet with me….it’s not everyday that the Director of one of my funders stops by! It was a really nice opportunity to hear about some of the new initiatives the organization will
It’s been awhile since I’ve written about Victor, the orphan manatee being raised in Gabon. Unfortunately there’s been a setback in his care that has resulted in his losing quite a bit of weight. Last winter and spring, Victor’s local caretakers were left on their own to do their job without supervision. They had been fully trained and knew their job, so it shouldn’t have
