IMPROVED SECURITY AND CONSERVATION OF ELEPHANTS IN TSAVO, KENYA

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF KENYA S SINGLE LARGEST ELEPHANT POPULATION, DISTRIBUTED ACROSS SEVERAL PROTECTED AREAS NEAR THE BORDER WITH TANZANIA.

KNOWN AS THE TSAVO CONSERVATION AREA, THE LANDSCAPE SUPPORTED AROUND 40,000 ELEPHANTS IN THE 1960S BEFORE POACHING AND OTHER PRESSURES REDUCED THE POPULATION TO AROUND 6,400 ANIMALS IN 1988.

NOW ESTIMATED BETWEEN 12,000 AND 14,000 INDIVIDUALS, THE TSAVO POPULATION IS KNOWN FOR CONTAINING A SMALL NUMBER OF SUPER TUSKERS, ICONIC ELEPHANTS THAT CARRY EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE IVORY AND ARE INCREASINGLY RARE ACROSS THE CONTINENT.

THE PROJECT PLACES PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON MONITORING THESE INDIVIDUALS TO DETER TARGETED POACHING AND TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEED TO SECURE HABITAT AND CONNECTIVITY IN THE BROADER ECOSYSTEM.

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES INCLUDE (1) AERIAL MONITORING AND RECONNAISSANCE TO IDENTIFY POACHING CAMPS AND TO TRACK INDIVIDUAL ELEPHANTS WITH LARGE IVORY (2) SUPPORT FOR FIELD BASED ANTI POACHING OPERATIONS, INCLUDING PROTECTION UNITS, RANGER INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, AND RANGER TRAINING AND (3) SUPPORT FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES ADJACENT TO THE PROTECTED AREAS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY WILDLIFE CONSERVANCIES, HUMAN ELEPHANT CONFLICT MITIGATION STRATEGIES, AND TOURISM PARTNERSHIPS.