Good news came through yesterday from Edwin a female about 5 years old with a snare on her leg was darted and her snare removed yesterday. This will save her from the same fate as the young ele who’s amputated leg has manged to heal. Her wound was cleaned and she was spotted again today looking content at the waterhole with her heard. Great news. It is a traumatic experience as the mothers must be darted too but when it is sucessful it is so worthwhile. I hope that in the period that Dr Nyamwea has remaining at Mountain Lodge he will be able to help at least one more of the elephants.

It was a strange weekend, I took my dogs along for the breast cancer walk on Saturday morning and the cameras were very interested in them so my friends and I ended up on TV. I am getting used to these little apperances every now and then but not usually for my dogs, who were very popular. I tied pink socks on their collars so they could get into the spirit of things: after all they have six breasts each. Follwing a huge brunch and a couple of hours work it was time to go and watch the rugby but on the way there my freind Sam told me there was an urgent appeal for our blood type and so we went and gave blood instead of watching England beat Australia.. That’s the 3rd pint I’ve drained this year so far. I am amazed that there are such low stocks, especially of O+ which should be one of the easiest to keep stocks of, would be good if the hospitals could make urgent appeals to replenish them instead of people rallying around when people need transfusions yesterday. A lovely dinner party in the evening, a walk on Sunday morning with freinds, two more hours work and a barbeque in the afternoon completed my weekend. This is the first weekend i have spent in Nairobi for nearly two months so it was very social.

I am finally able to give field co-ordinator Humphrey the Suzuki I have been driving around for the past 4 years. I once had to catch matatus to get around and about in the Mount Kenya area and then I raised enough money to buy the Suzuki over a period of time on an interest free basis thanks to CMC Motors Group, now Humphrey will be able to take over the Suzuki as I received a donation from the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife which has enabled me to put a deposit down on a new Ford Ranger for the Trust. It is now being modified so that it is suitable for the safaris it will go on with me for the Trust. It is an exciting time! Humphrey has had to cope with the rough terrain and usually muddy conditions on the Mountain on a motorbike for the past six years. The suzuki will imporove things for him immensely. I will need to rasie the funding to pay for the balance of the Ranger, once again CMC have given us an interest free deal which is a great help.

Last night I had a dinner meeting with my 10 to 4 committe who help me to organise the mountain bike race by the same name. I can’t belive we have to begin the organisation for that all over again but we have some very exciting prospects for the 2008 event with lots of overseas teams threatening to take part. There are lots of demands on me at the moment with so much going on but its all great stuff and I’m feeling really motivated.

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