Nineteen members of the Scientific and Exploration Society – including Islanders David and Sally Langlois, fellow Jerseywoman Sarah Cohen and St Helier Savoy hotel owner Roberto Lora – flew to the east African country to provide medical, engineering and educational help to some of its poorest residents.
The expedition’s work included ensuring a safe passage for migrating elephants, monitoring wild woodland on and around Mount Kenya to prevent animal poaching, building a school classroom and delivering medical aid to impoverished local communities.
Jerseyman Col Blashford-Snell (81), who co-ordinated the expedition from its central hub, said the appearance of the leopard caused consternation in the camp – but only among the equine fraternity. ‘A leopard came into the camp one night and frightened the life out of the horses,’ he said.
Mr Langlois, a committee member of the Jersey Scientific Exploration Society from St Mary, led the expedition’s horse patrol group alongside the Mount Kenya Trust Rangers.
‘We were at our second camp, at 3,350 metres, on the mountain when the horses were spooked by the leopard in the night. Footprints of hyena and baboons were spotted too.’
The expedition party also worked to ensure the safe movement of elephants north of Mount Kenya.
‘There’s a big highway north of the mountain which cuts through the routes these elephants take every day to get to and from their traditional feeding areas,’ Col Blashford-Snell explained.
‘The highway has an electric fence either side, but we found that the elephants had discovered a way to get over the fence by dropping planks of wood onto it.
‘So we rode horses to gently herd the elephants through an underpass beneath the highway, after rangers had laid dung along the route to encourage the elephants to take that safer passage.
‘We also carried out a study on the reticulated giraffe population in Kenya because they are one of the most threatened animals in Africa, and we undertook a two-day national census of another endangered species, Grévy’s zebra.’
Meanwhile, the expedition party’s medical specialists helped at outreach clinics set up by the Mount Kenya Trust Community Health Service Project, in the foothills of Mount Kenya.
Mr Langlois said more than 100 patients of all ages attended each day’s clinic, where primary health care, HIV testing and cancer screening were offered.
‘My wife – who is a nurse – assisted in taking blood pressures and our group dentist dealt with an apparently neverending stream of clients who required teeth extractions from early morning to dusk,’ he added.
The expedition’s engineers helped finish the construction of a classroom at the local Nkiria Primary School, and gave out books and special expandable shoes to children which were paid for by donors to the SES.
Mrs Cohen also handed out more than 100 pairs of reading glasses to locals.
Col Blashford-Snell added: ‘The expedition was one of the best we’ve ever done.’
The intrepid octogenarian is planning to lead another expedition in July to the Altai region of Mongolia to carry out similar projects.
For more information, visit ses-explore.org.
