CONTINUED ELEPHANT SECURITY AND MONITORING - AERIAL AND GROUND TEAM DEPLOYMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE IN THE TSAVO CONSERVATION AREA, SOUTHERN KENYA

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONTHE TSAVO CONSERVATION AREA (TCA) IS VAST FORTY TWO THOUSAND KILOMETRES SQUARED AND MAKES UP FORTY NINE PERCENT OF KENYAS PROTECTED AREAS.

IT IS HOME TO KENYAS SINGLE LARGEST ELEPHANT POPULATION AT APPROXIMATELY 16000 TODAY INCLUDING THE RARE AND ICONIC SUPER TUSKERS AND A KEY 1 BLACK RHINO POPULATION.THE HABITAT AND BIODIVERSITY OF THE TCA AND THE ELEPHANT POPULATION IN PARTICULAR FACE MANY THREATS INCLUDING ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE AND POACHING HABITAT LOSS AND CONVERSION HUMAN ELEPHANT CONFLICT (HEC) UNREGULATED LIVESTOCK GRAZING MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

TO ADD TO THIS THE COMMUNITIES LIVING ADJACENT TO THE PARKS ARE MARGINALISED AND IN DESPERATE NEED OF MEANINGFUL INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN HELP ADDRESS ISSUES SUCH AS POVERTY WATER SHORTAGE HEALTHCARE HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT UNEMPLOYMENT AND FOOD INSECURITY.THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO SECURE AND MAINTAIN AN INCREASING ELEPHANT POPULATION IN THE TCA THROUGH PROVIDING AERIAL AND GROUND SECURITY AND MONITORING UNITS IN SUPPORT OF THE KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE (KWS) AND WILDLIFE TRAINING AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE (WRTI) WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING KEY MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES THAT BORDER ONTO THE PROTECTED AREA.ACTIVITIESCONTINUED SUPPORT TO THE KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT TCA ELEPHANT POPULATION KENYAS LARGEST S