Protecting Birds of Prey
An oft-overlooked but critical component of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem are birds of prey, also known as raptors. Eagles, hawks, vultures, owls, and their kin are apex predators with vital ecological roles, yet they are given very little conservation priority and numbers are declining globally at alarming rates.
And while the Mara remains a refuge, its resident birds of prey are also subject to the pressures felt elsewhere around the world, such as habitat loss, poaching, poisoning, and even electrocution from powerlines.
The Mara Raptor Project (MRP), founded by Stratton Hatfield, aims to study raptor populations to better understand trends, distribution, habits, and other life history information to better inform policy-making decisions and conservation efforts.
Considering that the Mara arguably boasts the world’s largest diversity of raptors, there may be no place better for such a project to be based. The Angama Foundation is happy to support the MRP’s efforts to better understand and conserve the Mara’s raptors, by pledging annual commitments through 2022 to help establish a solid and impactful presence in the Mara.
