THE VIEWFINDERNEWSLETTER: ISSUE No 46, DECEMBER 2006 [Wildscreen Festival] [Seasonal Silliness] [Maasai Mara National Reserve] [Tortoise] As always, Jean attended Wildscreen and enjoyed meeting many old friends as well as watching a number of films and discussing future projects. The festival seems to go from strength to strength, and Harriet and her team are once more to be congratulated. Our congratulations also to all those who won awards.
The holiday season is on us once again, and in the absence of more traditional fare, here is the only picture I have of a bird with a red breast… or, rather, belly. The Giant Kingfisher is one of Africa’s most handsome birds, as well as being one of the most difficult to photograph. They are nowhere numerous, but we are lucky to have a resident pair in suburban Westlands. After several years of unsuccessful attempts to photograph it, this bird obligingly sat in our flame tree for a few minutes. We hope all our film making friends and others have a happy and peaceful festive season, followed by a wonderful 2007.
Photo by Jean Hartley In October, a team from ABC relayed a live broadcast to “Good Morning America” from the Mara, following an exercise to identify the seven new ‘wonders of the world’. The panel of experts consisted of oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, Prof. Karim Hirji, former director of the Serengeti Wildlife Research Centre, tour guide David Bromham, and Neil de Grasse Tyson, an astrophysicist. The annual wildebeest migration in the Mara/Serengeti ecosystem is now officially the 7th new wonder of the world, following Tibet’s Potala Palace, old Jerusalem city, the Polar ice cap in Iceland, the Hawaiian underwater monument, the Internet, and the Mayan pyramids in Cancun. The area was chosen because of “the uniqueness of the area and the preservation it provides to so many species living in harmony”. However: Also in October the Minister for Local Government and the Narok County Council announced new filming fees for the Narok side of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. With effect from 1 November 2006, the new rates are: For a crew of up to 5 people: US$ 3,000 per week This astronomical increase in filming fees was announced without any reference or consultation to anyone in the film industry, and became effective almost overnight. On 5 December, the Koiyaki Lemek Wildlife Trust also increased the rates for their area of the Mara. Filming fees announced are: For a crew of up to 5 people: KShs 40,000 per week (US$580) In marked contrast, the Trans Mara side of the reserve, managed by the Mara Conservancy, is a joy to visit and the roads are in tiptop condition. The Conservancy has no plans to increase filming fees, which remain at approx US$200 per week. The Kenya Film Commission, among others, is fighting to get these rates reversed. Having different rates for filming in different parts of the Reserve, which should surely be managed as one unit, does not seem to make any logical sense, quite apart from the fact that the new figures are punitive and will surely discourage film makers to visit the area. The weather has been incredibly wet during November (400 mm of rain measured at our offices) and the soil is soft, but despite the use of a stethoscope there is no sound or sign of anything happening under the rose bed, so we continue to wait and see how many, if any, of the 74 eggs may hatch. Right now, the male is starting to show rather half-hearted signs of repeating the process, and is doggedly following the female around. She is showing no enthusiasm at all. |
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