EANHS 
Bulletin 
Volume 29 Number 3 December 1999 
APPRECIATION 
Michael Mayeku Werikhe. 1956-1999 
Michael Wcrikhe's lilc was short. bui he lived n 
10 ihe lull He was a herpetologist, a crusader for 
conservation, a fundraiser for wildlife, a global 
award winner, and a worker, husband and father 
He had become a goodwill ambassador tor Kenya 
ami a role model for countless young environmen- 
talists. “The rhino will live or die because of 
us," Werikhe used to say to audiences across the 
world. And today, in part because of his efforts, 
the black rhinoceros lives and is increasing in 
Kenya 
As a small boy in Mombasa, Michael devel- 
oped his passion for nature, roaming the shores 
and mangrove forests, bringing wild pets home, 
teaching others not to fear them Attending pri 
mary school in Nairobi, he spent his tree time at 
the National Museum's Snake Park, soon becom- 
ing an accomplished herpetologist. His plans to 
make a career in wildlife management were shat- 
tered by his experiences: counting tusks and rhino 
horns from poached animals in the old Ivory Room, 
or catching snakes for a collector who had no re- 
gard for their conservation Disheartened, he 
joined the Associated Vehicle Assemblers t A VA) 
factory, where his passion still burned, anil he 
gave talks about snakes to Idlow workers 
Hunting for sport and clearing land for agri- 
culiurc and settlement had put pressure on the 
black rhinoceros in Kenya since the last turn ot 
the century. In the 1980s the rhino was in steep 
decline, poached for ns horn which was smuggled 
oui lo make dagger handles in Yemen or medi- 
cines in East Asia. Michael Werikhe wanted to 
do something 10 save the endangered rhino, and 
he thought of ,i way He dec Ided to spend his an 
nual leave, over the 1982-83 holiday season, walk 
ing Irom Mombasa lo Nairobi to raise awareness 
about the black rhino and funds tor its conserva- 
tion The lonely figure, stooped under an umbrella 
propped up on his backpack, burned itsell onto the 
records of conservation 
Werikhe believed deeply in his cause, and 
convinced others to believe in him Crucial ini- 
tial support came from Nchemiah Rotich of the 
East African Wild Life Society (now Director of 
INSIDE 
Appreciation 
1 
Michael Mayeku Werikhe. 1956-1999 
Fleru Ng 'weno 
l 
Articles 
4 
Ecological monitoring its importance lor the 
conservation of biological div ersity in the 
Eastern Arc forests William />. Newmark 
4 
A national biodiversity databank lor Uganda. 
Jake Reynolds. Herbert Tushnbe A Panto Kasoma 
6 
Kakamcga Forest an integrated conservation 
project UnieRogo, Wither Lwande, Scon 
Miller. Hans Herren A Andrew Chapya 
9 
Marsabn Forest a key resource in need of 
protection by all stakeholders. H. M. Wand 
13 
Earthwatch Fellowships 
15 
Impact ol tropical forest fragmentation upon 
bird populations in ihe Usambara Mountains. 
Tanzania, 23 August to 7 September. 1999 
Jean Gathiaga 
15 
Short Communications 
18 
The taxonomic tangle ol a Kenyan Sansevieria 
Len Newton 
18 
Society Notices 
19 
