Maasai Musings at a Hippo Pool

Interviewee

Emmanuel Kishoyian

Mara Serena Lodge Driver-Guide

Interviewer

Alison M. Jones

NWNL Director and Photographer

Mara River in Kenya’s Mara Conservancy on February 25, 2015

Introductory Note

It is an honor to discuss the values of nature, ecosystems and their protection with the Maasai. Their knowledge and respect for wildlife inspires all of us who cherish the incredible biodiversity on the Mara-Serengeti plains and in its annual migrations. The oneness of Maasai with this savannah’s predators and prey; rainy and dry seasons; and constant beauty is a gift to us today and to future generations.

Their respect for nature’s needs has kept the Mara’s wild wonders intact for us; and now it is beholden on all of us to support their conservation here in the Maasai Mara – as well as across the entire planet.

Outline

MAASAI PERSPECTIVES on NATURE
MAASAI MARA CHALLENGES TODAY
MARA CONSERVANCY MANAGEMENT
MAASAI INTEREST in CONSERVATION
HIPPOS and CROCODILES

Key Quote Most of the animals in the Mara rely on this river to get water in one spot or another. Without this river, I don’t think there would be life here in Mara. No water, no life. – Emmanuel Kishoyian

MAASAI PERSPECTIVES on NATURE

NWNL Emmanuel, as we stand here on the banks of the Mara River, how do you describe the Mara River and its importance?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN We are standing at the Hippo Pool Point where we have a large number of hippos, so it’s usually a very nice place to see them. It is a very important section of the Mara River because it offers habitat for our crocodiles, hippos and many fish we have here. Most of the animals in the Mara rely on this river to find water in one spot or another. Without this river, I don’t think there would be life here in Mara. No water, no life.

NWNL Yes! I certainly agree. And about you… what led you to become a guide? Why are you interested in the Maasai Mara, the Mara River and its wildlife?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN The reason I chose to take wildlife studies is because I love nature. I want to work with animals, trees…, and nature in generally. That’s why am here.

NWNL You are a Maasai. Please describe how the Maasai have traditionally lived in and with nature and animals, honing their respect for protecting species sharing their land.

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN As Maasai, we usually live with animals. If you go outside the park, up along the Oloololo Escarpment [the western border of the Mara Conservancy], you will find Maasai people living there with many of these animals here. The Maasai and the local wildlife co-exist. One important thing with animals is that we know their behavior and respect them. If you do that, I doubt you will be in conflict with animals. The most important thing is to respect animals and learn their behavior. That’s how people and animals can exist together.

MAASAI MARA CHALLENGES TODAY

NWNL What problems does the Maasai Mara ecosystem face today? Do we need to establish more conservation efforts, or more education? We will also talk about solutions. But first, let’s discuss current problems.

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN One of the big challenges we’re facing is deforestation of Mau Forest which is the upstream source of the Mara River. The people living there are cutting down trees. That is why you see the level of water in the Mara is greatly reduced.

The main solution is to increase the number of trees there; and then we must also evict people from the Mau Forest. Then I think the river will be okay here.

NWNL I’ve heard people talk about deforestation – and talk about the large amount of sewage polluting the river. Do you see that as a problem?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN At the moment, I think folks have already sorted that problem.

NWNL So that pollution has solutions that have been put in place?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Yes. Most of the hotels and tented camps… [Sentence interrupted by noisy hippos!]

NWNL It seems you will have to wait till these hippos stop all that noise…. Okay, they’ve stopped groaning, so let’s talk about how the river pollution problem has been fixed.

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Initially, there was a big problem with pollution of water in the Mara River since most of these tented camps and hotel are located along the Mara River and so they used to drain the sewage towards the river. But nowadays, they have put things in place. There is no more pollution of the environment, especially the Mara River. Now things are okay.

NWNL What about the importance of educating people about saving this wilderness? Indeed, the Maasai understand; but what about others throughout Kenya? How can we do a better job? I ask because isn’t that a part of saving the Mara?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Educating people is very important, especially people living near these resources of our parks and reserves. It’s very important for the government to educate people here how to conserve wildlife and how to live with wildlife to avoid animal human conflicts. So, the government must educate people on that. Yes.

MARA CONSERVANCY MANAGEMENT

NWNL What are your opinions about the Mara Conservancy as a management tool?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Mara Conservancy truly speaking, is doing a very good job. If you saw the road networks before, you saw the road was very bad here. But nowadays you can drive anywhere. You can spot animals anywhere because you can access easily to different parts of this conservancy. Conservation also is very good here because we have rangers patrolling day and night to avoid poachers coming in to kill the rhinos and elephants here.

The Mara Conservancy also has community-based policies that were put in place by the Mara Conservancy founders. They told the Maasai that if one of their cows was attacked by lion, that instead of killing the lion, they would compensate the owner of the cow for his loss. So the Maasai get compensation. That one policy helps promote wildlife values and encourage the Maasai people not to attack these lions.

NWNL I just read yesterday that now the Kenya Government will do compensation.

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Yes. Currently the Kenya Government is trying to enact some laws governing that. Very soon we’ll have national laws to support the local communities living with animals.

NWNL That’s so great. It seems local policies are influencing national policies that encourage local communities to protect wildlife and their ecosystems.

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Yes. Additionally, the Mara Conservancy employs about 90% of the local community. People living around this place are working with Mara Conservancy. That’s another important thing that the Conservancy is doing to support the local Maasai people.

MAASAI INTEREST in WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

NWNL What is your educational background? I’ve heard you went to Amboseli College and continued further.

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN After my O-Level, Exam I went to college for two years to study nature. Then I came to the Mara Serena Hotel for six months of training. After that, I was employed here after being interviewed.

NWNL Which is your favorite part of the Mara Triangle?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Regarding the Mara, I like the Mara Triangle. Mara Triangle is my best place. We have a lot of animals here; you can access all the areas here; and there is no problem here.

NWNL Which animals do you like the best? When you go out just by yourself, and if you have a choice what animals do you like to watch?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Usually my favorite animals are hyenas and cheetahs. Those are my favorite species to watch.

NWNL Why?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Because cheetahs are good. Generally, I love them. Fast runners in the world! Hyenas have unique behaviors, so that’s why I like them also.

NWNL What is unique about hyenas?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN They are the animals with the most powerful jaws in the world. That allows them to crush the bones of their prey and that of others.

HIPPOPOTAMUS, aka RIVER HORSE

NWNL And, since we’re here with all these hippos, what do you think about hippos?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Hippos are the most dangerous animals killing a lot of people here in Kenya especially when they are outside the river. Because they feel they are threatened outside and don’t feel safe, they can attack anything within even provocation.

NWNL Why do hippos leave the river if they feel vulnerable on land?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN The main reason they go out is to graze, mostly at night. During daytime, they come back to the river because the hippos’ skin is very sensitive to the sun. If they stay outside for a long time when it’s too hot, they can become dehydrated, and eventually that will cause death to the hippos. So, when it is too hot, they must stay in the river. The time they come out to graze is when it’s cold – late in the evening, early in the morning, and at night – if they feel the place is safe.

NWNL How much do they eat and how far do they travel during their grazing?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Hippos usually can travel up to about 20 kilometers away from the river; and they can consume about 45 kilos every day.

NWNL Wow! So, hippos eat grass. Do they ever eat fish in the river?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Fish? No. Hippos just feed on grass. They are strict herbivores.

CROCODILES

NWNL Are there any animals that prey on hippos, or even a baby hippo?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN In the river, we have crocodiles that sometimes go for the young hippos and the baby hippos. If their parents are not around, crocodiles can go for the young ones. When the hippos are out of the river, they sometimes get challenged and attacked by lions, especially if they encounter a big group of lions which are most likely to attack the hippo.

NWNL A group of lions can take down an adult hippo?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Yeah.

NWNL Wow!

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Just 3 or 4 lions can do that. They only need to break the hippo’s front legs, since then the hippo will no longer move. That allows the lions to start feeding on the hippo while it’s still alive.

NWNL And the fish in this river, how many fish are there?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Yeah. We have a lot of fish, no one did some statistics, but we have a lot of fish. That’s what the crocodile feed on. Eighty percent of their diet comes from fish; but sometimes crocodiles must wait for the wildebeest/zebra river. They also watch for and attack tapirs, Thompson’s gazelle and baboons when they come to drink water. Otherwise, crocodiles can live without eating sometimes for 3 months in times of difficulties when there is no food around.

NWNL That’s impressive. I’ve seen crocodiles in their aestivation periods, when they just lie on a sandy riverbank with their mouth wide open.

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Yes. Crocodiles are cold-blooded vertebrates so when it’s too hot, you find them outside of the water, along the riverbank. They open their mouth as a way of warming themselves because the ground is very warm…and in many cases you find they open the mouth towards the sun, so they can get the heat through the mouth.

ADAPTATION & INTERESTING BEHAVIORS

NWNL It fascinates me to learn how animals adapt to the conditions in which they live in. Adaptation is a critical part of the grand scheme of things, and impacts how nature’s grand scheme!

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Yes! And back to hippos, they protect their skin when it is too hot for them with what we call “red oily secretion” that comes from their skin. That acts as a sunblock to resist the sun during hot seasons.

NWNL I remember, maybe 10 years ago, there was a hippo here that was an albino hippo. It was all pink, and it had trouble with the sun. Do you remember that hippo or not? Or was that before you had started guiding?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Yes, I remember an albino hippo that had a problem with the sun. Most of the time it stayed in the river and only came out at night. In the morning, it had to go back under water, since it had a big problem with the sun.

[Interruption by hippos making noise and splashing water]

RIVER WATER QUALITY

NWNL Now that the hippos are quieter, Emmanual please explain what that tail wagging was all about?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN The tail wagging usually happens because they are trying to push away their poop. So they spray it around using their tail.

NWNL What does that do to the quality of the river?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN That tail wagging helps because sometimes we have plants growing in the river, so tail wagging adds some manure into the water so the plants will grow. The plants become food for some of the fish.

NWNL Are there ever times when the fish die?

EMMANUEL KISHOYIAN Yes. Sometimes fish die – usually during rainy seasons, like we have now. In the northern part of these Mara plains, farmers spray their lands with chemicals. So, when the rains come and river-water floods the land, those chemicals come into the Mara River. That can affect some of the fish. So sometimes we see dead fish around; and I think chemicals in the river are the main cause of that. So, a lot of the fish have moved downstream.

NWNL Emmanuel, thank you for your time and for sharing your knowledge and interest in the majesty of the Mara plains and wildlife. Good luck to you in this exciting career you chose.

Posted by NWNL on August 14, 2024.
Transcription edited and condensed for clarity by Alison M. Jones.

Maasai Musings at a Hippo Pool Mara River Basin