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Raw Wildlife Encounters Founder Director and Orangutan Land Trust (OLT) Trustee Jessica McKelson is currently in Singapore for the Orangutan Land Trust workshop to determine the Trusts future direction and strategy.
Executive Director of OLT, Michelle Desilets, said of Ms McKelson's involvement and the workshop "I am so proud of you and to be a part of the efforts of Orangutan Land Trust. I am only too excited to be a part of this strategic workshop with dynamic people. You are such an inspiring woman, keep up the great work!"
OLT was founded by Lone Drescher Neilson, known internationally as a champion for orangutans, and as one of the foremost experts in the rescue, care, rehabilitation and release of these orangutans. She is the founder and manager of the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction Project in Central Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) operated by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. OLT is also a partner of Ms McKelson's Earth 4 Orangutans project founded with acclaimed primatologist and Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program Director Dr Ian Singleton.
"I feel privileged to be part of such an amazing organisation", Ms McKelson said of OLT.
Today Ms McKelson departs for Sumatra to meet with The Guardian (UK) Environmental freelance journalist Oliver Milman to share with him the incredible work Raw's conservation partners achieve within the unique areas of Sumatra Raw Wildlife Encounters visits. Read Milman's past articles on RWE and our conservation partners work here:
Zookeepers plan to build islands for orangutans - The AgeOrangutan Land Trust
Earth 4 Orangutans
Jessica McKelson
Director RWE
jess@rawildlife.com.au
+61409162946
Lauren Jones
Marketing & Communications RWE
lauren@rawildlife.com.au
+61422248967
About Raw Wildlife Encounters
Raw Wildlife Encounters (RWE) is one of the world's leading eco adventure travel agencies. It provides guests with life-changing travel experiences and unique wildlife encounters while catering for an exceptional quality and comfortable journey along the way. Raw tours are lead by qualified wildlife professionals who take guests along roads less well-travelled and allow them truly unique learning experiences with exotic wildlife. Raw Wildlife Encounters fosters responsible tourism that benefits the local people, tribes and wildlife in all travel destinations through Raw’s Conservation Commitment programs.
Author: Brooke Squires
Believe it or not, there is snow at the equator.
Don’t believe me? Journey with me to Kenya and see for yourself. Mt Kenya is remarkable; it is dramatic, it is surrounded by the most diverse and unique eco system I have ever witnessed, and yes, it boasts snow-covered peaks even though it sits at the equator.
On our way to Melako and Il Ngwesi Conservancy, we stop for a couple of nights in Nanyuki. Great town and the best pizza ever, oh and the 2nd best Gin & Tonics in Kenya. Nanyuki sits at 1900m above sea level and Mt Kenya is even higher. Mt Kenya is the 2nd tallest peak in Africa and is unforgettable. It is also the southern most point of the elephant migration route that starts up in Melako, makes its way through Il Ngwesi and Lewa, and finishes on the mountain, so it is kind of the end point of the journey for many of our herds.
I always love the stories of the elephant herds, especially those about the big bulls getting to the mountain. Many of these bulls are so skilful at negotiating the gates out of Lewa, creeping across the highway, sneaking through farmland and villages, that you would never know they had been there.
Radio tracking collars have been attached to the biggest bulls to see how they do it and these guys appear to be the masters of sneaky night-time travelling. When Richard Branson heard about this amazing feat he decided to help these ingenious elephants out by building an elephant tunnel under the highway. Can you imagine a tunnel for elephants to use to get from one side of the busy freeway to the other? It is just like the wombat tunnels they use at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania.....except heaps bigger! Since the tunnel opened a year ago, over 600 grateful elephants have migrated back to Mt Kenya. I think truck drivers, communities, motorists and the elephants must all be breathing a sigh of relief, it would have given a few people a heart attack to come around that sharp bend near the Lewa turn off and come face-to tusk with 15 tons of freeway mammal traffic.
Can’t wait to introduce you to these elephants, Mt Kenya, and the elephant tunnel, and chat about the unique and inspiring methods for dealing with conservation issues in such contemporary and clever way. This is what I look forward to showing you: the beautiful traditional ways of working with wildlife, combined with the clever innovations that make it easier for communities to live side by side with wildlife like the Mt Kenya elephants.
Join me to witness the elephant tunnel and Mt Kenya covered in snow. Come and visit the African Tour page.
Brooke Squires has worked in zoos, national parks and conservation areas around the world. These days, she divides her time between her beloved rhinos at Werribee Open Range Zoo, Victoria, where she is a rhino keeper, and the International Conservation Partnerships for Zoos Victoria.
bsquires@rawildlife.com.au
Ph: +61 (0) 423 393 836
Serien! (Samburu for Hello)
I find it amazing that I just never tire of coming to Kenya. I have been so lucky; in the past 4 years I think I have spent around 9 months in the north of the country, working in Melako community conservancy with communities and wildlife and alternative livelihood development.
Melako is my home away from home. I have my own rhythm there, and great friends, and endless appreciation for the incredible people, landscapes, and wildlife; it is so untouched.
Just some quick background on Melako: it is home to 6000 members of the Samburu and Rendille people who are nomadic pastoralists and amongst the most enterprising, welcoming, and stunning people I've ever met. To top it all off, the environment is spectacular. The backdrop for Melako is the dramatic Mathews Ranges that drop into the most arid regions in Kenya. I am always surrounded there by beautiful Acacia trees that symbolize the African plains, and wildlife like giraffe, elephant, hyena and lion are never too far away.
Africa, and how it touches your soul, is actually really hard to describe, you must experience it for yourself. It’s the sunsets, the smell, the feel, the colour — and the goat for dinner! All of these things plus something you can’t quite put your finger. It simply remains with you.
It was all this “amazingness” that inspired a new venture. The Melako community, a friend from Il Ngwesi Conservancy, and myself put our heads together and concluded: ‘you know what, I bet other people around the world would find this part of Kenya just as inspiring, I bet other people would like to learn about how we work with wildlife’. So here we are 12 months later, proudly welcoming you to join us on a journey that will change your life forever.
Now we have our own company based in Kenya, RAW Africa Eco Tours, and we are proudly partnered to Jess and her crew at Raw Wildlife Encounters. The community has put together a fantastic program for our guests, showcasing some of their favourite locations and experiences, and want to present it to you. We have access to places and people and conservation ‘stuff’ that no one else will ever offer because of the strong relationships and connections RAW Africa have made in the most famous conservation areas in East Africa.
So come and meet the Antipoaching Dog Unit at Lewa, climb into the treetops in Ngarendare Forest, sleep under the stars with lions calling in the distance in Laisamis, share a meal and stories with the Scouts of Melako, and relax by the pool at Il Ngwesi Lodge while elephants and giraffe refresh nearby at the waterhole.
How could you not want to come on this journey!
Over the next couple of months I will be posting blogs introducing you to the community, the scouts, the wildlife, and the landscapes of East Africa. If you have any questions please get in touch.
Brooke Squires has worked in zoos, national parks and conservation areas around the world. These days, she divides her time between her beloved rhinos at Werribee Open Range Zoo, Victoria, where she is a rhino keeper, and the International Conservation Partnerships for Zoos Victoria.
Ph: +61 (0)423 393 836
Over the past 6 weeks we’ve gathered information via our online survey from guests of Raw Wildlife Encounters (RWE), enquiring about what they enjoyed most about their adventure holiday with us. Their detailed responses have blown us away and will serve to inform the direction of RWE’s exciting future travel adventures.
In full appreciation of the respondents’ time, here’s a snapshot of the results for everyone to read…
The top three age categories are:
Only 23.3% of the tours taken by this age category were customised to meet travel needs and were family-based holidays.
The 5 day Orangutan and Elephant Escapade was the most popular tour.
76.7% of these guests participated in a ‘Signature Encounter’; a tour where experienced staff deliver the travel encounter on a stress-free adventure organised and led by our Australian wildlife hosts. The most popular Signature Experience was to North Sumatra on the Elephant Odyssey Adventure.
44% of guests within this age category customised their tours.
The majority had experienced prior travel to Asia and sought further, family-based adventures.
The most popular tour durations were 4-6 days.
A number chose Raw Wildlife Encounters based on referral by previous RWE guests.
56% participated in a ‘Signature Encounter’. Our North Sumatran Experience was the most popular.
Guests in this age group were looking for unique and ethically sound tours where private wildlife encounters were essential.
Once again, our 5 day Orangutan & Elephant Escapade was the most popular tour, being affordable, private, and exclusive to our guests.
53.8% of guests booked Signature Encounters with our North Sumatran experience being the most popular. Guests in this age category felt that professional tour operators and wildlife guides were important for the first-time traveller in a country that is not ‘touristy’. These guests showed keen interest in the local community programs we support with our conservation partners, and returned home with a greater understanding and motivation to participate further.
What our guests enjoyed most about their adventure – in their own words
‘The passion about the animals, the extremely personalised service provided and the access fully guided tour that took one into a special place of the world that is not commercialised. The fact that animal conservation is before tourism.’ – Female 32yrs, Elephant Odyssey Adventure, North Sumatra.
‘Observing local village life in Sumatra and learning about wildlife conservation programs’ – Female 60 yrs, Elephant Odyssey Adventure, North Sumatra.
‘With a lot of help I had a wonderful, challenging, once in a lifetime experience with friends, and met much supportive, kind, funny new friends’ - Female 59 yrs, Elephant Odyssey Adventure, North Sumatra.
‘The personal care given by Fleur - and her obvious devotion to what she is doing.’ - Female 80 yrs, Man of the Jungle Adventure, Malaysia.
‘The organization of the whole trip. Everything was planned beautifully’ - Female 49 yrs, 3 Day Orangutan Escapade Adventure, North Sumatra.
Spring has returned to Melbourne!
Birds and their babies chirp outside my bedroom window each morning (acting as my natural alarm clock), nesting magpies swoop my work colleagues as they cycle past parklands, and broods of ducklings waddle behind their mum down to the river where I take my dogs for a walk every evening.
More importantly, Spring means Christmas is just around the corner – time to begin planning your next adventure with Raw Wildlife Encounters!
I attempt to plot where I am going next and what I want to do, the list stretches ever longer, I grow indecisive - seems a common problem amongst most people I talk to - budget plays a factor, time constraints, safety concerns, and worries about who is going to look after pets when I go away…
These personal planning dilemmas inspired Raw to develop new ways to alleviate your travel worries. We want to provide you with easy solutions. So not only do we still offer amazing, culturally rich, and diverse travel programs, we can now facilitate any of your travel requirements throughout the entire world.
We offer flights, travel insurance, accommodation and travel packages tailored to your needs. Pet sitting services are also available.
Flights can be arranged by Sjouke Vaartjes, our travel flight representative. Sjouke is the latest member to join the Raw team and we are delighted to have her on board!
Your time is important. Let us take the pressure off your next holiday by organising it all for you.
We’ll help you keep that clear conscience! Rest assured when your booking is made by our ethically-responsible Eco Travel Agency that money is directed back to key travel locations for you to enjoy for years to come.
So book your next holiday with us! Contact Sjouke via email: sjv@rawildlife.com.au
I am always thrilled to received feedback from Raw Supporters on ANY topics we write about. Our latest milestone was achieved this month by launching the new Raw website – www.rawildlife.com.au. This is feedback I received about the website from one of our Raw Supporters, Liz:
‘Just spent a very pleasant hour or so looking through your new website. Now I want to go on a tour! The conservation emphasis does come through. You already support so many projects which is amazing, seeing your company is still quite young. I really love that you are doing so much to educate and help the local people, which in turn helps the forests and wildlife. The site is very easy to navigate and it is written in a friendly tone.’
Thank-you, Liz. Happy reading, everyone.
I look forward to discussing your Christmas holiday plans and seeing you on our next Raw adventure.
Jessica McKelson
Director, Raw Wildlife Encounters
Ramble Away!
Do your travel stories fail to receive the attention they deserve from friends, family and work colleagues? Do you get caught up in the moment, waxing lyrical about your trip, and forget your audience may not understand because they haven’t visited the same location or witnessed the same travel experience? Does your monologue get interrupted midway by questions that disrupt the passion of your account?
To feed your need to tell everyone everything, Raw has developed this Blog for you to share your story with fellow Raw supporters. We love to hear your latest travel interactions – all the perks, experiences, emotion, drama and thoughts you had during your time away.
Visit - http://www.rawildlife.com.au/_blog/Blog and post your travel story. It’s a great way to get it off your chest and share it with those who fully appreciate the life-changing experience that is a Raw Wildlife Encounter.
Travel Vouchers
Tempted by all those amazing activities on offer at your next Raw holiday destination? Are budget constraints proving a downer on planning your desired itinerary? What if there was a way to alleviate the $tress – maybe with a little help from your friends? Introducing Raw Travel Vouchers, the easy way to purchase merchandise, make travel payments, or secure a spot on that long-desired destination.
Why not contribute to the present your family and friends really want. Wouldn’t one be a welcome surprise for those looking to escape over Christmas? Add it to your Wishlist now!
Vouchers can be purchased at http://www.rawildlife.com.au/catalog-1.
Planning a Wedding? How about opening a Raw Wedding Travel Registry? Contact info@rawildlife.com.au if you would like more information on this product.
Pets & Holidays! What to do?
Don’t fret. We have everything covered for your Raw getaway…
Raw Wildlife Encounters has partnered with Pro Instinct to provide you with pet sitting, walking and minding services.
Ease your mind and enjoy your holiday knowing your loved ones are being cared for at home by the best in the industry.
‘At Pro Instinct, our expertise is in utilising state -of -the -art training and behavioural management techniques to improve the quality of life and welfare of animals, integrate them into the lives of the individuals and families with which they reside.’
Contact proinstinct@bigpond.com to give your pet a holiday!
On the remote and magnificent island of Kadavu, Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort – boasts secluded splendor whilst also satisfying your spirit of adventure.
Bordered by the Great Astrolabe Reef, Matava is a small and intimate getaway. Traditional thatched Fijian bures set in the rainforest, nestled amidst lush tropical surroundings, can accommodate up to 22 guests and offer privacy, comfort and superb ocean views.
Matava Fiji offers the perfect environment to scuba dive, snorkel, surf, fish, and kayak, with opportunity to trek, visit villages, bird watch or simply relax and unwind.
Matava is a genuine eco-hideaway designed to cause minimal impact to the environment and promote conservation awareness to the local community and visitors.
Raw Wildlife Encounters can assist you in booking your Fijian holiday at Matava.
For further information on a package to Matava, including flights and travel insurance contact: Sjouke Vaartjes sjv@rawildlife.com.au
As part of our continuing support for the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), Raw aims to raise $80,000 for the programme’s appeal to purchase land and establish permanent accommodation for orangutans deemed ineligible for release back to the wild. The vision includes incorporation of a Visitor Centre to spread the conservation message. Life stories of the resident orangutans will serve as concrete examples of issues facing the wild population including habitat loss, orangutan/human conflict, disease, and the pet trade.
In June 2011, Raw introduced you to the work of SOCP in Sumatra. At the orangutan quarantine facility near Medan, North Sumatra, Director Ian Singleton and his dedicated team focus on the confiscation of illegal pet orangutans, quarantine, and reintroduction to the wild. To date, 218 orangutans have been received at the quarantine centre, 141 have been transferred to Jambi for reintroduction, 6 to the new Jantho Reintroduction Center (Aceh), and more than 130 have been released back into the wild.
While the vast majority of orangutans received at SOCP quarantine centre are fit and healthy and can be transferred to reintroduction centres, on occasion SOCP receive orangutans with serious medical concerns or disabilities (including injuries) that prevent them from being returned to the wild.
In July 2011, Director of Raw Wildlife Encounters, Jess McKelson, paid a special visit to the quarantine centre and vowed to offer financial support to the facility. Observing the long-term residents proved a memorable experience during her meeting with Ian Singleton. Forty year old female Gober lost her sight to cataracts and was rescued in 2008 by SOCP after blindness forced her to raid crops, risking almost certain death from villagers. Male Leuser was shot by villagers with an air rifle and found near death with 62 air rifle wounds including three pellets lodged in his eyes. The pair were introduced and a decision to temporarily lift the breeding ban at the centre resulted in the birth of healthy twins to Gober in January 2011. Despite her handicap, Gober has proved an excellent mother.
In 2007, welcome funding from the Australian Orangutan Project enabled the construction of four purpose-built cages to improve the lives of long-term orangutans. However, orangutans can live a relatively long time (up to 50+ years in the wild) so a more permanent housing solution is required to maximise the welfare these residents. Currently, in addition to Gober and Leuser there are three orangutans that fall into this category. Tila is an eleven year old female, confiscated in 2003, and found to be infected with human Hepatitis B virus. Sadly, Tila must be housed alone due to her contagious condition. Dek Nong is a young female who suffers mystery bouts of a creeping paralysis in her arms and legs. Seumayan is a nine year old male who has lost the use of his left arm below the shoulder. Tests have been inconclusive as to the cause.
SOCP can now direct their efforts to finding suitable land while Raw directs its efforts to raising the funds to get the venture started.
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participant in the Travel Compensation Fund. You as a consumer
are protected by Law under these two provisions.
Copyright 2012 - Raw Wildlife Encounters
