The wonderful Bill Woodley

 

THE WONDERFUL BILL WOODLEY

RIP 1929-1995

I WAS still in my teens when I first met Bill Woodley in Tsavo East. I had come to the park for a couple of days rest from work. I took an instant liking to him and he became my own very special game specialist he would also give me a heads-up on any stories in the Tsavo area. We met every time he came to Nairobi. He was a can-do kind of guy and nothing was too much or too difficult for Woodley.

THIS can-do attitude came in handy one afternoon in September 1970 near Mount Kenya. For three days Gert Judamaier and his friend Oswald Olz had been holding to dear life on a ledge on Mount Kenya. We would learn in the following days that Gurd had broken his leg. There we were on the third day and no one had any idea whether the two were alive or not. Around two or three I was chatting with Bill and I told him about Gurd’s almost impossible situation. I told him that no one knew whether the two men were still alive or dead. “No problem,” Bill said. “Why don’t fly close to the ledge and see for ourselves? Bill was Warden at the Mount Kenya National Park.

Within a few minutes, we were up and airborne. As we neared the ledge, the weather which had been threatening rain made the atmosphere very misty and reduced the visibility. Never mind, he said, and minutes later we were closing in on the ledge. I must have been biting on my fingernails or something …and just as we got closer to the ledge we could both of them waving a white cloth at us. I tried to shout back but I don’t think they heard me. Still, I had got my story and my headline for the Daily Nation the next day: “He’s alive!” I took some photographs and the Nation used one on the front page and instead of black and white there was a blue tinge on the photo, the first time they had ever done that. It added to the drama of the situation.

Ten days later Judamaier’s father flew into Nairobi with a rescue team and with the help of the Mount Kenya rescue outfit, Kurt and Koni were brought down from the ledge.

There was one more tragedy: On the eighth day after Judmaier’s fall, a young American pilot Jim Hasting and his bride, who were on honeymoon at Naromoro River Lodge, volunteered to help if a helicopter was made available. If I remember correctly, Hastings worked for an advertising outfit in the then Government Road. I was there on the mountain when his helicopter crashed. Whatever courage any of us had that day disappeared with Hasting’s death.

 September 5th, 1970: Oswald Ölz and Gert Judmaier, two young Austrian climbers, have just left the summit of Mount Kenya (at 5,199 m, the second highest mountain in Africa) and begin their climb back down the North Face. Suddenly, a rock breaks loose from the cliff face and sends Judmaier plummeting downwards. With his leg severely injured, there is no chance of getting him down the mountain to medical attention any time soon. What starts now, is the first intercontinental rescue mission organized from Innsbruck. After seven days, Gert Judmaier can finally be recovered from the cliff wall and flown to the University Hospital in Innsbruck. More than 40 years later, Prof. Oswald Ölz and Prof. Gert Judmaier are once again on their way to Mount Kenya, this time to celebrate the success of the 1970 rescue mission.

 

 

 

 

Bill Woodley, one of Kenya’s most renowned game wardens, played a significant role in the country’s conservation efforts. Let’s delve into his fascinating story:

1. Early Pioneering Days:
• Over 60 years ago, Bill Woodley, along with fellow pioneer wardens Peter Jenkins and David Sheldrick, embarked on a challenging mission. They transformed the arid, inhospitable semi-desert wasteland of Tsavo into the iconic Tsavo National Park we know today.
• Tsavo was once a dense thicket, home to thousands of black rhinos, unfriendly elephants, and man-eating lions. The buffalo were extremely dangerous, and the area teemed with poisonous snakes, scorpions, and other hazards.
• Armed with only pangas (machetes) and shovels, they carved out the first tracks, walking on foot for two years in punishing temperatures. Their work was grueling, but they laid the foundation for Tsavo’s conservation legacy.
2. Military Cross and Mau Mau Infiltration:
• In the 1950s, Bill Woodley received Britain’s second-highest military honour, the Military Cross, for his daring undercover work. Despite being white, he infiltrated nighttime meetings of the Mau Mau movement.
• His courage and dedication made a significant impact during a critical time in Kenya’s history.
3. Elephant Conservation:
• In the 1980s and '90s, Woodley played a leading role in the fight against elephant poaching. His commitment to protecting these majestic animals left a lasting legacy.
• His work extended beyond the park boundaries, advocating for elephants and their survival.
4. Family Connection:
• Bill Woodley married Daphne Marjorie Jenkins, the sister of his colleague at a boarding school. Their shared passion for wildlife and conservation bound them together.

Bill Woodley’s contributions to Kenya’s conservation efforts continue to inspire generations of wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists. His legacy lives on in the protected landscapes he helped create and the animals he worked tirelessly to safeguard.