BIOGRAPHY
My life is conservation
By Solomon Gitau
I started when I was under ten years with Colobus monkeys. My mother’s land had three groups of Colobus. One was very near to our home because the area had not yet been cleared. The group that came very close had one male that used to come down to collect any remains of food and would dig for potatoes and pick green maise. I thought I would start digging potatoes for them and start giving them to the Colobus. I started to feed them every morning without anybody knowing what I was doing. I continued until we became friends. They were coming closer and took maize from my hand. When people started killing them and selling their skins, all those groups were killed.
Even worse, one day, out of hate, that big male was killed in front of me as I was forced to look on and when I could not help. I cried and cried and swore that when I grew up, I would protect all Colobus and save them from being killed. That was when I started to protect animals.
On my mother’s land there was a spring and there was a lion who was living there. The Colobus always gave me a warning sound when the lion came. I was not afraid, and I still went to the spring to play with water and frogs. I always saw a big dog or a big cat which was walking there. Once I told my brother that I saw a big dog and that it was not dark like a dog. He did not believe me, but it was what I had seen. One day I was playing with water, and the lion came very close to me and drank water. One old man came to bring his only cow to the spring and saw the lion on the other side and me too on the other side. The old man rushed back to tell all the people. My mother called me with a loud voice and when I got home all the neighbours came to my mother to ask about the event. They said there was a simba (lion) living near and everyone was scared. They reported the lion to the chief the following day. The KWS came with a big dog and guns. They came to ask me where I had seen the lion. I showed them but told them not to kill it. One of the KWS askaris (guards) asked “you don’t fear simba?”. I told him “no I don’t fear simba; he had come to drink water and just looked at me”. The KWS told me to go home. I went home but finally it was killed. From then on, everybody started to say that I am not normal.
I started to feed them every morning without anybody knowing what I was doing. I continued until we became friends. They were coming closer and took maize from my hand. When people started killing them and selling their skins, all those groups were killed. Even worse, one day, out of hate, that big male was killed in front of me as I was forced to look on and when I could not help. I cried and cried and swore that when I grew up, I would protect all Colobus and save them from being killed. That was when I started to protect animals.
When my mother died, I moved away from my home because all my half-brothers said that I was not born by their father. I was just going all around carrying the handbag which belonged to my mother. One day I went to sleep at the old house – the white man’s house. Nobody was living there; the Slain’s house. I went to sleep near the window. I started dreaming my mother was calling me and when I awoke, a Colobus monkey was sitting on the window looking at me. When I saw my friend, I followed that female Colobus to the foot of the Aberdares. It was very near me, and I started eating the same berries as her with the rest of her group of Colobus. From that moment, I came to know that animals are our faithful friends.
Solomon carrying his mother’s handbag when he was abandoned
Since that time, I have saved very many animals and have met with many conservationists. I started planting trees everywhere because when there are no trees, there are no animals or birds. First, I met with two ladies, who were very interested in planting trees: Prof Wangari Maathai and Astrid van Karkstein. I had planted very many trees in different areas: Kijabe escarpment, Gilgil, Kipipiri, Ol Kolau, Nakuru, Aberdare Forest, etc. More than 50 thousand trees I have planted, and I became very well-known. I also started teaching about donkeys after I saw how badly donkeys were being treated at Langata KSPCA and at Falia. I taught people on how to treat their domestic animals and am still doing that today. I teach the Communities and other people how to respect dogs. I have also saved very many birds of prey for Sara Higgins at Naivasha and saved Dik Dik for the late Joan Root. I have relocated 500 Colobus monkeys to many areas: Elsamere Lake Naivasha, Molemo, Soysambu and Karura forest.
In the 80’s, I decided to form a group of young people to help me to collect information on where there were snares and traps and to teach them the importance of nature. This group I was teaching worked very well. I taught women’s groups to make recycled plastic hats and bags and how to make hand-made paper, etc. I talked at many places, teaching women’s groups, in Mombasa, Ukunda, Shimoni, Malindi, Gede, Nakuru Anglican and Catholic Churches, Nakuru town, Nairobi, Kisumu Siaya and Greenstead School near Nakuru.
Seminars – I have attended many Seminars:
1 – 26 years ago I met Jane Goodall at Kitasuru with her friend Astrid von Karkstain. I went to Jane’s talk at Muthaiga which was organised by friends.
2 – Louise Leaky when she talked about birds at the National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi
3 – Naivasha when Joan Root talked about birds of prey
4 – A talk on trees at the Arboretum, etc.
Lobby Groups
I joined Prof. Wangari Maathai fighting to save Uhuru Park, Nairobi, and Karura Forest, Nairobi
I joined WSPA and Greenpeace in Mombasa to save whales, etc.
Finally, I was taken to the police station at Ol Kolau to be tortured by the Government in the mortuary at Ol Kolau. After I was released, I did not give up, and I continue to save animals and their habitats. Now everyone can understand the important work I am doing. It is a very long story of my life of conservation.
Thank you,
Solomon