Day Operations At Sinya
Every day starts just before the first shafts of daylight peep over the horizon, when the scouts gather to discussthe day’s maneuvers with Zone Commander Manja, over steaming hot cupsof sweet tea. Much depends onthe developments of the previous night, but after the morning’s briefing an average day startsby communicating with Chief Commander and Operations Officer, John Magambe – always based atthe unit dealing with the most urgent anti poaching activities at any given time.
By 8am the unit is out on patrol, heading for one of their strategic hilltop viewpoints to check both wildlife and human movements. Dust clouds are a dead giveaway of any activity, and suspicions areimmediately investigated. Driver Ibrahim defies all odds in the unit’s 4×4, with his ability to negotiate rugged terrain including jagged rocks, potholes and blinding dust with control and ease – with at least 5 of the scouts on board. If no suspicious movements are sighted Commander Manja initiates surveillance operations, which often as not will involve work close up, such as checking wildlife trails and any previously unidentified human or vehicle tracksfrom the previous night. It is an intricate and painstaking process, reading signs that an untrained eye would simply miss! Patience, attention to detail and instinctare just some of the skills, which combined with the scout’s stamina;grit, experience and determination make them serious adversaries for any poacher(s).
Wildlife movements are recorded with a GPS and noted, with special attention paid to the animals’ activities. Subtle changes in wildlife’s natural behavior are key and when analyzed quicklycan make the difference between foiling poachers, or pursuing them after the fact!
Early morning is perfect for scouting long distances, covering terrain that includes the Acacia forests, vital water spots and the vast open plains and flat pans. Monitoring Sinya’s beloved elephants is critical and something that these gentle giants’ future is irrevocably dependent on.But the elephant’s don’t really belong to Sinya! Whilst they follow alocal routine they also answerto a greater call, wandering far greater distances – a blueprint predetermined by their ancestors’ centuries back. Locally, their daily schedule includes visiting their favorite waterhole(s) and eating spots, which invariably involves a lotof walking, withintermittent stops for dust baths and snoozes on their feet! Family interaction and social networking is KEYin their livesand many argue that they are consistently more gentle and caring with each other than us humans!
It’simpossible not to be totally immersed with these giants, but Big Life’s scouts guard all of Sinya’s wildlife for the poaching doesn’t end with ivory. Sinya’s healthy populations of giraffes are constantly under threat from meat poachers looking for cheap alternatives to swamp the town markets with. It is foaling season and the poachers are taking full advantage. Burchell zebra and other plains game such as Impala, Grant’s & Thomson gazelle, wildebeest, kudu and even warthog are also in danger. At night a full moon offers poachers’ ideal conditions to easily move undetected and operating in the pitch-dark means they can blind unsuspecting wildlife and strike quickly and mercilessly. Monitoring movements during daylight hours is crucial in theirpreparations forNight Operations and itgoes a long way in acting as a deterrent byincreasinglyaggravating poachers, who previously had a free hand!
Operations by vehicle can cover a huge area in a short space of time and will either concentrate on a specific location or be widespread. Operations by foot are often reached by vehicle and involve an isolated area and/or a specific concern, be it observations at close quarters or an intricate maneuver with a defined goal!
As the baking sun sits directly above, the scouts take a break back at the unit’s headquarters; however varying their activities and schedules regularly is an important strategy in their fight against poachers!
Lunch is communal and a perfect opportunity for Commander Manja and the scouts to evaluate their morning activities and plan the remainder of the day. Often they will visit the local communities whom they share close ties. The children come running out of their Maasai ‘manyattas’ (local villages) to greet them, giggling and talking excitedly, whilst the adults approach in a more dignified, yet just as friendly and welcoming manner – before the rangers and Commander Manja enter the Manyattaand respectfully greet the elders andchief.
Tanzanian etiquette dictates a certain amount of time spent just on initial greetings and pleasantries -something that, to a large extent, the western worldhas abandoned with its lifestyle in the fast lane! It has gone a long way in cementing close relationships between Big Life and the local communities, developing essential communications and an understanding at all levels. Often as not these meetings reveal important information about unusual movements in the area, or trigger a trail of events resulting in vitalnews reaching the rangers later on in the day or the evening. It is a time for winning the trust of the local communities,upon which the success of Big Life lies to a great extent. Both sides support and assist each other and in so doing face a brighter, more promising future together.
The rangers will also visit prominent areas where wildlife, domestic livestock and humans come into close contact regularly – for Sinya is a delicate balance of all three.
As the sun’s strength weakens the rangers head for one of the many prominent hillsfor an eagle’s view over Sinya and its movements… the circle complete, another Night Operation begins in earnest.