The new primate, known as the highland mangabey (Lophocebus kipunji), was identified by two independent research teams working in separate locations in southern Tanzania.
The teams describe the species—a medium-size, long-tailed tree dweller—in tomorrow’s issue of the academic journal Science.

Fewer than a thousand highland mangabeys exist, researchers estimate. They say they expect that a formal census of the primate’s population will land the species on the World Conservation Union’s “critically endangered” list.

Except for their furry off-white bellies and tails, highland mangabeys are covered in thick brown fur. The thick coats are an adaptation to the primate’s mountain habitat, where temperatures can drop below freezing, researchers say. The species lives at elevations up to 8,000 feet (2,438 meters).

The monkeys have black eyelids, faces, hands, and feet. Researchers have yet to directly measure a highland mangabey. But scientists say the primates are about 3 feet (90 centimeters) tall and sport tails of similar length.

Tim Davenport, a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) biologist based in Mbeya, Tanzania, led a team that discovered the monkeys. The team found the mangabeys on the flanks of Tanzania’s 9,700-foot (2,961-meter) Rungwe volcano and in the adjoining Kitulo National Park.

“A number of things distinguish it [as a distinct species],” he said. “But the key one above all is the call.”

As adults, the monkeys emit a loud, low-pitched “honk-bark,” which is significantly different from calls made by any other primate, Davenport said.

In addition, the monkey’s fur color and upright crest of hair on its head help distinguish it as a unique species, said Trevor Jones, a research biologist at Udzungwa Mountains National Park in Mang’ula, Tanzania.

“As soon as I saw its fur color and upright crest—which is very striking, probably the first thing you notice when you get a good look at it—I knew it was different and probably new,” he said.

Together with field assistant Richard Laizzer—and completely independently of Davenport’s group—Jones found a highland mangabey population in the Ndundulu Forest Reserve in the Udzungwa Mountains.

The monkey species is definitely new to science, said Colin Groves, a biological anthropologist at the Australian National University in Canberra and an expert in the often contentious field of primate classification.

“The only question is whether it is correctly referred to the genus Lophocebus,” Groves wrote in an e-mail to National Geographic News. “This, however, was the best option that the authors had until they could come up with some more complete material, especially a voucher [mounted and preserved] specimen.”

There are two genera of mangabey, the genus Cerocebus and the genus Lophocebus. (Genus is the classification just above species.)

Cerocebus mangabeys are most closely related to the large baboons called mandrills, have pink or white eyelids that contrast with their black face color, and spend at least some of their time on the ground. Lophocebus are most closely related to other baboons, have black eyelids that are the same color as their faces, and spend most of their time in trees.

Jones, Davenport, and colleagues place the highland mangabey with the genus Lophocebus primarily because of the species’ noncontrasting black eyelids and tree-dwelling nature.

Given the likely critically endangered status of the highland mangabey, the researchers have not captured an individual for detailed scientific analysis, nor do they plan to.

Stunning Find

Researchers say they are stunned by their find. Tanzania is considered one of the most biologically well-known African countries. Davenport, the WCS biologist, said discovering a medium-size monkey new to science there demonstrates how little humans actually know.

“If two or three years ago someone discovered a new species of monkey in an African country, Tanzania would be near the bottom of the list for guessing which country it’s most likely to be in,” he said.

Jones, the Udzungwa Mountains National Park-based research biologist, added: “In a way, finding a monkey in Tanzania, to me, makes it more likely that other species might turn up, for example in the Congo Basin. And it really highlights the fact that there is still so much to learn in the 21st century.”

Groves, the Australian biological anthropologist, said he too was “extremely surprised” to learn about the discovery.

Monkey Sleuthing

Together with WCS colleagues Noah Mpunga, Sophy Machaga, and Daniela De Luca, Davenport first observed the highland mangabey in the southern highlands of southwest Tanzania in May 2003.

He said scientists and conservationists have largely ignored the region, believing that it contained little of interest in terms of large animals. The WCS researchers were there, in part, to test that notion.

While interviewing members of a local tribe, the Wanyakyusa, in January 2003, the researchers learned of a shy monkey known as the kipunji.

Real and mythical forest animals populate the tribe’s oral traditions. That’s why it took the researchers several months to validate the rumors of a new monkey species previously unknown to Western science.

The team confirmed the species’s existence only after the May 2003 sighting and a subsequent sighting in December of that year, according to their account in Science.

Davenport said he is uncertain how long the Wanyakyusa have known about the highland mangabey, “but they certainly had a name for it—kipunji.” In recognition of the Wanyakyusa’s likely generations-long knowledge of the species, kipunji is the second half of the species’s scientific name.

Meanwhile, Jones first observed the highland mangabey last July, while serving as the field director on a project to study the critically endangered Sanje mangabey in the Udzungwa Mountains.

That study was led by Carolyn Ehardt, an anthropologist at the University of Georgia in Athens. It was Ehardt, together with Thomas Butynski of Conservation International in Nairobi, Kenya, who subsequently confirmed that the species was new to science.

At the time of discovery, Jones was following up on reports from ornithologists of a population of Sanje mangabeys in the region. What he found turned out to be something entirely different.

“As soon as I laid eyes on it, I was gobsmacked,” Jones said. “I was a little off balance and grabbed onto my assistant to stop me from falling over. Then I put my binoculars back on the animal and stared in disbelief.”

Researchers say the highland mangabey eluded recognition by the outside world until now for a host of factors. These include the monkey’s low number, restricted range, shyness, and remote location.

“They’re [forest] canopy animals,” Jones said. “And the canopy is very tall, up to 50 meters [164 feet]. They hear you coming and can disappear before you get a good look at them.”

Call for Conservation

The researchers estimate that the highland mangabey population in both the Udzungwa Mountains and southern highlands of Tanzania total no more than a thousand individuals.

While small, the Udzungwa Mountains National Park population is protected by its isolation. It is “about a day and a half walk from the village at the end of the road, and it takes a long time to get to the end of the road,” Jones said.

He will return to the Ndundulu Forest Reserve later this year to continue research on the Udzungwa population, including a detailed assessment of potential long-term threats to the species.

The outlook for the southern highland populations is much more serious, according to Davenport, who says highland mangabeys there are at immediate risk. The area’s forest is severely fragmented due to logging and other forms of resource extraction, he said, and the species is hunted for the meat.

“I know every conservationist says that, but the point is this is true,” he said. “We are optimistic, or at least hope, that this sort of discovery will help people realize this is an important area.”

The 2010 Tourism performance has surpassed the 2007 record by 4.5 percent the later being the best recorded year in terms of tourist arrivals and earnings. “This performance is impressive and is optimistic to achieving Kenya’s vision target of 2million international tourists by 2012,” the Minister for Tourism Hon. Najib Balala said today while releasing the results to the Press at Utalii House.
The sector has earned Kshs 73.68 billion in terms of revenue earnings within the same period. This is the highest tourist revenue ever recorded and it represents an impressive growth of revenue by 18 percent compared to the 2009 revenues.

The Minister said, he was impressed by the performance of the sector that has shown great resilience in spite of the local and global challenges. He accrued the impressive performance to aggressive marketing in the new markets and efficient utilization of the resources available.

He said Kenya Tourist Board has continued to reposition the destination since 2009 as a high value for high spending tourists and this is paying dividends. Hon. Balala said India, Russia, China and Middle East has shown great improvement though little resources were put into marketing in the regions.

United Kingdom was leading in terms of arrivals with 174,051 followed by United States 107,842 while Italy and Germany took third and fourth positions at 87,694 and 63,011. France took the fifth position with 50,039 visitors. Uganda topped the African market with 33,900 followed by South Africa 33,076 and Tanzania with 30,264. From Asian markets, India led with 47,611 arrivals followed by China 28,480 and UAE 14,874.

Hon. Balala lamented the decline of cruise tourism which recorded only 508 arrivals as compared to 12,096 received in 2009. He blamed insecurity along the Indian Ocean for this decline.

He said that the event provides Kenya with a glorious opportunity for a wide international publicity of our tourism experience, sites and facilities. Hon. Balala praised the organizers and promoters of the expedition for choosing to explore Africa for the first time.
He said the region has a lot to offer ranging from beautiful sceneries, hospitable people, wildlife and many leisure facilities. He praised the decision of the organizers to visit the region again next year making Kenya their base for the Great Lakes region expedition.
Harley Davidson is an international luxury adventure motorbikes rally on a 14 day rally that will cover 3120 kilometres from Dar es Salaam through Arusha, Nairobi, Mombasa and back to Dar es salaam. They entered Kenya on Sunday 20th February, 2011 where they were received with fan fare by local enthusiasts and entertained by cultural dance groups organised by Ministry of Tourism and Kenya Tourist Board.

This famous Rally takes place annually in various countries. It involves owners of the prestigious Harley – Davidson Motorbikes of different nationalities, also one of the most expensive brands in the world. The group comprises of 71 riders from different nationalities with an international filming crew as well as support back up team. This event is not a competition but a Luxury Leisure Sports Tourism activity conducted on a stringent time schedule.

The international media crews will specifically perform coverage of the entire Safari Rally and shooting of episodes for documentaries, features for international TV Channels such as Liberty TV and Magazine production.

Interestingly, as the negative coverage persisted it was the place for warring factions to take a retreat to iron out their differences. The most famous being the Sudanese peace talks and recently, the impasse on the then proposed new constitution.

The town has over the past six months recorded an increase in the number of holiday makers from across the country billing it as an alternative to traditional sand and beach retreat at the Kenyan Coast.

During the December holidays it is estimated that about 30,000 domestic tourists came calling. More numbers are expected during Easter holidays as marketing of the town begins in earnest.

“We have incorporated Lake Naivasha into our aggressive domestic tourism campaign and it is paying off well. We intend to intensify this marketing programme in the days to come,” says Mr Muriithi Ndegwa, managing director of Kenya Tourist Board.

The board hopes to achieve a 50 per cent business margin from within Kenya and across the East African Community by 2012.

Local tourism is styled along school holidays that fall in April, August and December. It is during these months that most Kenyans take a break to tour different places.

The coastal towns of Mombasa and Malindi which have for long been a favourite for locals – with the former dominating the plans – are slowly taking a back seat.

Other areas like Masai Mara, Samburu and Amboseli are too a favourite but appeal more to those with higher levels of disposable income.

“Mombasa should watch out for Lake Naivasha. We have put in place measures to make this town a destination of choice for Kenyans. We are working closely with local players to improve on our offerings to tourist,” said Mr John Mututho, area MP.

Among planned developments to boost the status of the town is the creation of sand beaches around lake Naivasha. The project includes scooping mud from the 18 beaches around the lake and replacing it with sand.

Geographically, Naivasha is best described as a market town but has since outgrown the description. Located near Lake Naivasha, the town has Hell’s Gate National Park, Longonot National Park and Mount Longonot among other attractions.

Birdlife and hippopotamus behaviour, as well as other wild animals are some of the attractions that tourists can count on while visiting the area.

In the last seven years, Naivasha has witnessed increased setting up of hotels and lodges sprucing up its standing on the country’s tourism map.

“We have few but quality hotels, which are spacious and private with healthy competition. Unlike in Mombasa which is congested with hotels, in some cases only a fence separating one hotel from the other,” says Mr Alfred Kaire, a marketing manager at Sopa Lodges which operates a resort in Naivasha.

While the town is fast becoming a hit with domestic tourists, insecurity still remains deep in its history. Media reports have in the past painted the town ghostly due to the levels of crime.

Mr Mututho says that this situation must be contained. To achieve this, there is a collective effort between investors and government agencies in the area.

“We instituted a community policing programme and the number of incidents especially rape have gone down. We are committed to improve the security situation to attract more investors and tourists,” says Mr Mututho.

The team will cover 100 km (62 miles) in five days

Celebrities including Lorraine Kelly and Dermot OLeary are to trek across the Kaisut Desert, in north Kenya, for Comic Relief.

The pair, along with Strictly Come Dancing winner Kara Tointon, singer Olly Murs and others, will begin their journey later this month.

The team will cover 100 km (62 miles) in five days.

Meanwhile, former model Katie Price and actor Joe Swash are the latest names to join Let’s Dance for Comic Relief.

Comedian Marcus Brigstocke will also join such previously announced participants as Noel Fielding and Lulu on the show, which sees stars tackle famous dance routines.

Calories and camels

A BBC One documentary about Comic Relief’s Kenya trek will be shown in the run-up to this year’s Red Nose Day on 18 March.

Members of the team will burn an estimated 8,000 calories each day as they lead a caravan of camels carrying their camping gear and other equipment.

A Comic Relief spokeswoman said money raised would help to prevent thousands of people in Africa from going blind or contracting eye conditions.

Comedienne Ronni Ancona, actress Nadia Sawalha and Radio 4 presenter Peter White will also take part, as will Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills and singer Craig David.

Source BBC

Kenya Airways rivals say the reduction of fares is part of a wider plot by the national carrier to unjustly employ a method industry insiders refer to as ‘dumping capacity,’ to wad off competitors.

This, the smaller airlines argue, would hurt them because they can’t employ economies of scale to lower their prices.

Dumping capacity involves increasing flights in designated routes even where there is no corresponding increase in demand.

In the past three months, Kenya Airways has increased flights to places like Mombasa from eight to between 10-12 flights a day and reduced fares.

Currently, it costs Sh6,200 for a return flight to Mombasa. Just two years ago, the same route cost about Sh15,000.

KQ’s rivals for the route — Jetlink, Fly540, Air Kenya and East Africa Safari Air Express — which until that point were the only game in town, have since been struggling to keep up with the altered commercial terrain.

All KQ’s rivals, including those that ply regional routes like Jetlink and Fly540 get major plunks of their revenue from domestic routes and any serious assault on this platform could render them ineffective.

For example, in the last financial year, Jetlink raked in Sh3.2 billion. Sixty per cent (Sh1.92 billion) of this revenue was from domestic routes.

Those opposed to the national airliner’s move to increase capacity and reduce fares on local routes say the move is not meant to benefit customers, but instead an aggressive manoeuvre to skim off local passenger traffic and kill off rivals that are too small to mount any meaningful competition.

“KQ’s increased flights and lowering of fares would be justified if domestic airlines had a passenger load factor of more than 90 per cent, but the truth is that no airline, including KQ is doing more than 75 per cent currently,” says an industry source who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The passenger load factor (PLF) of an airline, which is sometimes referred to as the load factor, is a measure of how much of an airline’s passenger carrying capacity is used.

The projections show declining passenger numbers, especially after the festive season when the load factor shot up to about 95 per cent in some local airlines. But the current figures paint a grimmer picture, showing that in the best of times, KQ and its competitors fly with about one quarter of the plane empty on domestic routes.

Generate revenue

Although KQ’s business model of lowering prices and increasing capacity could be meant to attract more customers to their stable and generate more revenue from additional traffic, smaller players say this may not the national carrier’s ultimate aim.

“We are not afraid of competition. In fact competition is healthy and we welcome it,” says Captain Elly Aluvale, Managing Director Jetlink.

But he poses: “Why fly half the plane empty if the motive is to make money. The real motive could be to make competition unhealthy for all those who don’t have capacity so that they close shop.”

Another managing director of a rival company who did not want to be named says KQ has employed this method before to kill off competition, only to hike fares once its competitors have stopped operating in those routes.

To strengthen his case, he cites the example of Regional Air, which was forced out of the Mombasa route about a decade ago and East African Safari Air Express, which pulled out of the same route after KQ lowered fares three years ago.

“African Safari Airways also used to fly a DC9-plane with a capacity of 110 to Mombasa some time back, but was forced to pull out of the route after KQ did the same. These are not coincidences,” says the MD.

But KQ, whose model seems to be targeted at making it more competitive and capturing growth opportunities, has disputed these assertions, saying whatever it is doing is in the best interest of its business and that it is only adding capacity to routes with strong revenue potential.

“We have no intention of getting anyone out of business. Our intention is to give Kenyans an opportunity to see their own country in the low season and also create more convenience options while pursuing business and leisure travel,” says the airlines Communications Manager Chris Karanja.

Local passengers have enjoyed the benefits of having up to five domestic airlines competing on the main trunk routes, which include Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret in recent years. The additional capacity in domestic air services has been a factor in the continued growth in domestic air travel.

Financial impact

While increased capacity and lower fares could have negative financial impact on companies that can not lower their fares, some industry insiders believe the new spat between KQ and its rivals will trigger demand for air travel and spur growth in the domestic market, which will provide other airlines with a strong business case for expansion.

Recent changes to domestic flight patterns and frequencies have provided thousands of additional seats across the domestic network of airlines, but declining demand means that only those who can leverage, taking advantage of huge fleets and economies of scale like KQ, have the advantage because they can reduce their fares and absorb attendant operational overheads.

Jetlink says it would step up its game in order to pick up a bigger share of the local market. The company says it will add two 50-seater capacity-Canadian Regional Jets (CRJ) to its fleet in readiness for the unfolding scramble for passenger numbers.

Aluvale is confident that with the additional jets, the expected strong growth of the regional and domestic travel market would ensure future customer demand continued to be met.

“The additional jets will help us increase aircraft utilisation and also provide a more attractive schedule for the business market, including better integration of our regional and domestic schedules,” says Aluvale.

While some industry insiders have expressed reservations about the local airline industry, there are also indications that customers will benefit in a big way.

There are reports that some local airlines are already thinking of taking it to the next level by introducing better menus and snacks to passengers in bid to grab more customers.

Each airline provides in-flight food and drink in accordance with ‘industry rules’ and different air routes. Ordinarily, local flights only provide snacks.

According to last year’s financial results for the period ending March, KQ posted a net profit of Sh2.035 billion — a 147 per cent improvement over the previous year’s results.

Perhaps as an indicator of just how important numbers are to the industry, the airline cited passenger traffic as the biggest driver of revenues as it had extended its footprint to new destinations.
Despite the difficult economic climate, the capacity measured in terms of available seat kilometre increased by 6.7 per cent, largely as a result of new destinations. It grew its passenger numbers by 65,000.

This is according to an alert notice issued by the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government.

It comes in the wake of an outbreak of yellow fever reported in northern Uganda recently which has claimed at least 53 lives.

A notice issued by the Zanzibar principal secretary in the ministry of Health, Dr Mohammed Jiddaw, described yellow fever as a very serious disease with high cases of fatality.

“However, it is preventable with a single dose injectable vaccine, which confers a ten-year immunity against the disease,” he said.

In a letter dated January 26, 2011, sent to the commissioner general, Commission of Tourism, the government told all local and international tour operators and airlines that a valid certificate has to be shown at points of entry.

“I hereby request you to inform the Zanzibar Association of Tourist Investors (ZATO), Zanzibar Association of Tour Operators (ZATO), international tour operators and all airlines that a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate has to be shown at airports, seaports and other points of entry,” reads the letter.

The Ugandan ministry of Health recently announced that there are several laboratory-confirmed yellow fever cases as part of the ongoing disease outbreak in northern Uganda.

The outbreak started in early November and to date has only affected northern districts of Uganda.

Following the outbreak in 12 districts of northern Uganda the disease has so far claimed 53 lives and left 226 others infected.

Uganda is in the process of mass immunisation of its people against the deadly disease. Once immunized, a person is immune to the disease and it can be re-done after 10years.

All visitors to Africa are required to take the vaccine and acquire yellow book / certificate. This is recommended by the World Health Organisation and all travel medicine authorities for all travelers entering Africa who are above the age of one year.

Building the perfect scuba diving trip begins with your level of experience. If you are a beginner it is essential that you first receive comprehensive scuba instruction so that you can become certified for diving. While you can complete this training before you leave home, you also have the opportunity to participate in instruction during your vacation. However, keep in mind that instruction and certification can be a lengthy process, and if you are looking to dive right away during your scuba diving trip, you will be required to wait.

If you’ve already received your certification – or are an experienced scuba diver – planning a scuba diving trip is only limited by your imagination. Plan your trip around a particular location that you’ve always wanted to explore and reserve accordingly. There are places worldwide that are conducive to scuba diving year round and easily accommodate a longer scuba diving trip. Most of these locations offer such amenities as scuba professionals who will guide you through particular dives, equipment rental when needed, and a variety of accommodations and leisure activities.

The style of your scuba diving trip really comes down to your personal preferences including length of time you are visiting, amount of instruction – if any – you need, traveling companions that may need special scuba accommodations, other amenities you require, and price. The Internet can quickly and efficiently give you comparisons and reviews so that you can best determine the trip that’s right for you.

Planning a scuba diving trip can be the realization of a scuba enthusiast’s dream. What you make of it is completely up to you and the reward will be memories you will have for a lifetime

After 40 years, Richard Madden returns to the Amboseli and is inspired by an improved balance between man and animal.

One hundred and fifty golfers compete in the annual Kenya Open Golf Championship. The tournament, played at the Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, makes up part of the PGA European Challenge Tour.