It's one of the rarest antelopes in Kenya, uniquely adapted to its watery home. Splayed hoofs and a slick coat allow the Sitatunga to silently navigate through watery swamps and thick reeds. Because Sitatungas are so elusive, no one had managed to capture high-quality film of Kenya's Sitatunga until this project. Sitatunga is shy and secretive and in great danger. Their future depends on protecting wetlands, which many Kenyans believe are just wastelands. Now one community in Nandi County is trying to protect the Sitatunga to safeguard their own economic future.
A film by Margaret Wacera
Jim Nyamu has just walked 4000 km in a personal quest to save elephants. “Ivory Belongs To Elephants," follows his epic trek from Kenya to Botswana and his effort to raise the alarm that elephants face extinction in our lifetimes. While following the path of these regal mammals, Nyamu experienced both roadblocks and a big welcome from wildlife officials, rangers and local communities in 5 African countries. The variety of his welcome is not surprising, considering that many southern African countries favour the sale of elephant ivory to fund their conservation efforts. It's a policy that is adamantly opposed by Nyamu and Kenyan officials, who believe it will serve as a cover for the illegal ivory trade.
A film by Jackie Lebo
Snakes are some of the most vilified creatures on earth, responsible for 900 deaths a year in Kenya. But they play a vital role in the rural environment by controlling the rodent population. Kenyan scientists say people and snakes can be better protected and that poisonous snakes are the only source of life-saving anti-venom. Travel to Baringo County which has the highest rate of snake fatalities in Kenya. Meet the snake scientists of Bio Ken Snake Farm in Watamu, who collect snake venom and respond to the public's emergency calls to remove snakes from their property.
A film by Maurice Oniang'o & Alan Oyugi
Coral Reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, hosting as many species as tropical rainforests. Their bio-mass is so high because of the variety of fish and algae they shelter. They also protect the coastline from destructive waves. But coral reefs are being degraded at an alarming rate from climate change, fishing and pollution. Kenya's Wildlife Service must find a way to reduce the stress coral reefs are subjected to while working with local communities to ensure their survival.
A film by Faith Musembi
Food waste is one of the leading causes of climate change. Farmers in Kenya are wasting up to 50 per cent of their harvest when their crops are rejected for cosmetic reasons or dumped because of last-minute order cancellations. Millions of tons of food waste end up in landfills and the decomposition creates methane. Food waste generates as much greenhouse gases as road transport and four times the level of aviation. Activists say this should not be happening in a country where many still suffer from hunger.
A film by Marete Selvin & Cyprian Ogoti
Wild Dogs were once hunted down because they were regarded as vermin. Today only 400 - 500 wild dogs remain in Kenya. They are the second most endangered top predator and have suffered from epidemics of rabies and distemper originating in domesticated dogs. In all of Africa, only 3000-5000 wild dogs still roam the open savannas, where they are the most successful hunter. Now conservationist is hoping to save Laikipia's Phoenix pack, by vaccinating all the domestic dogs in the area.
A film by Teeku Patel & Amit Ramrakha, photos by @sokomotoimages
Turtle Rescue (Part 1)
Since 1997 Watamu Turtle Watch has rescued over 17,000 turtles and released them back into the Indian Ocean. Marine turtles are often caught in fishermen's nets or tangled in floating debris. Watamu Turtle Watch has worked hard to rehabilitate injured turtles at their coastal facility while educating the next generation of local school kids how to value these ancient creatures.
A film by Thuku Kariuki
What are the strategies employed by Watamu's Turtle Watch to save endangered sea turtles: promote alternative livelihoods in an area that is severely overfished, pay fishermen who return turtles they inadvertently caught in their nets, clean plastic debris from beaches before it's ingested, and relocate turtle nests from heavily trafficked beaches to more secluded spots. It's part of Turtle Watch's comprehensive community-based conservation model.
A film by Thuku Kariuki
The Grey Crowned Crane is an iconic symbol for Uganda, appearing on its flag, and coat of arms. The national football team is even called the “Uganda Cranes," in honour of the towering birds' strength and invincibility. But sadly, this spectacular bird is now on IUCN's Red Data list and if nothing is done, it's heading to extinction. That's because the monogamous cranes always build their nests hidden deep in marshy swamps. Their very future depends on the preservation of wetlands, which are being drained throughout Africa, by farmers and herders hungry for land.
A film by Leonard Amanya
Pangolins are toothless, gentle creatures that feed on insects using their tongue. Unfortunately for pangolins, their protective scales are made of keratin, just like the rhinos' horns. Used in traditional Chinese medicine, pangolin scales command a black market price of $6000 a kilogram. Up to 2.5 million pangolins are trafficked to Asia every year, where their meat is also considered a delicacy. In Kenya, pangolins can be found in the Massai Mara, Tsavo and Samburu reserves. But they won't be around much longer if nothing is done to save the world's most trafficked mammal.
A film by Samuel Waweru & Humphrey Odhiambo
They have a fearsome reputation in Kenya, but crocodiles are now being raised by the tens of thousands for the international skin trade. The Tana River Delta's traditional communities are allowed to harvest the eggs, which are then grown by Mombasa''s and Malindi's booming crocodile farms. But is the community benefiting from the trade, and who is looking out for the animals' well being?
A film by by Raabia Hawa
Salonga National Park is Africa's biggest rainforest. It's surface is larger than Belgium, the Congo's former colonial ruler. An estimated 80,000 elephants once roamed Salonga's forests. After decades of poaching, only elephants 1,800 remain, but the forest is largely intact GNV travels to the heart of Salonga, to see how rangers and conservationists are trying to save this biological treasure.
A film by Olivier Grancher, Katya Katondolo, Andrew Tkach, Patrice Citera
Part 2 of our journey to Salonga focuses on Congolese anti-poaching patrols and attempts to wean the local community from the bushmeat trade. In the dramatic conclusion of Salonga: Africa's Biggest Rainforest we focus on Congolese eco-guards and the recent controversy of how they deal with poachers. Rare antelopes, monkeys, and even leopards are all on the menu and unfortunately goods for the commercial market. Conservationists are also trying to wean the local community from the bushmeat trade by promoting a more sustainable way to survive.
A film by Olivier Grancher, Katya Katondolo, Andrew Tkach, Patrice Citera
