From: Simon Musila <surnbirds@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Karura Mammals
Date: 24 August 2015 15:40:50 GMT+3
To: Harvey Croze <hcroze@karurafriends.org>
Dear Harvey,
Thank you very much for communication; This is very good information. I am delighted to know about the work of FKF. This is amazing research. I think using the existing cameras it is still useful information. It is amazing the kind of data the camera have reported.
You could share your sightings or postings to a page i manage called Mammals Atlas in Kenya (MAKE); other useful Facebook page called (Mammals of the World); if you capture a species you cannot identify you can send it to us or post it to INATURALIST (site for posting information on biological resources if you want to be assisted to do it)
It looks like Karura Forest is a safe place now and it is possible to do research here. How big is this forest; its size. If its big enough then a good study can be conducted there at undergraduate and Masters level. I think students from universities would assist you to document the information which you may require. As government institution we may not have funding for research to support these students; but i think we can assist in designing the studies, and may be you could assist the student through FKF.
On the suni issue; there two arguments from Mammals of Africa (published by Jonathan Kingdon) in 2013, has the following information. This information means in Kenya we have one species
Genus Nesotragus C. H. Smith, 1827 Suni
185. Nesotragus moschatus Von Dueben, 1846. Suni
Restricted population ranges in E South Africa, Mozambique, SE Zimbabwe, S Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya, in thickets, forests and dense, evergreen woodlands. Widespread in the coastal strip, S-C Kenya (Hoffmann & Kingdon, 2013).
But according to Groves, C.P. & P. Grubb (2011). Ungulate taxonomy. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. There are two species of suni in Kenya or Africa: Highland Suni-Neotragus kirchenpaueri (Pagenstecher, 1885) and lowland suni Neotragus moschatus Von Dueben, 1846. I would think that the suni you are capturing in your camera is the one restricted to highlands. It is not possible for the those in lowland Kenya to come to Karura, if i get your question. This suni in Karura has been isolated from those others in the lowland areas due to urbanization. It may be a species of suni or sub-species of the suni; but time will tell what it is as ungulates biologists come to agree.
Yes please, lets continue talking and find a way in which we can continue this good science which i already happening.
Thank you and keep doing what you are doing; when or if you happen to visit the museum we can have a meeting and discuss more. I will also share your email with other mammalogists who may reply to you directly commenting on your good work of FKF.
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