Visiting a global sanctuary for elephants in Kenya 2021

Visiting a global sanctuary for elephants in Kenya is part of our programmes RE-GREEN THE PLANET and INAUDIBLE VOICES. Free Spirit members went to Kenya in October 2021 to visit and provide some support to Mara Elephant Project.

Mission : 

Founded in 2011, the Mara Elephant Project (MEP) promotes the peaceful coexistence of the elephants population with the inhabitants of the Mara ecosystem, meaning promoting the cohabitation between humans and  elephants  but also men and other animal species. 

Their mission is thus to prevent poaching but also and especially conflict between humans and elephants which can happen more and more often with human encroachment on the wild fauna territory, having been used to crossing some migration corridors for hundred years.

These conflicts specially happen if elephants cross a village and destroy cultures. For this matter, they equip the elephant with a GPS collar, specifically the second dominant female (and not the matriarch, as her disappearance in order to equipped could disturb the whole group); they can then track it via a software called « EarthRanger ». It’s a software that they bought from an American company and with whom they developed a specific version. To this day, more than 50 elephants are equipped with a collar. 

Thanks to these collars, they can know the position of the different tracked groups, and then intervene if an anomaly happens; it can be a sudden and fast move, or/and towards a village. The presence of many rangers on the field, whether it’s by car or a dedicated helicopter, allows a quick and efficient intervention; they use their cameras and drones to be able to approach and closely observe the elephants, and use these same drones as well as chili powder as a repulsive to chase the elephants away from an inhabited area, without hurting them. Currently, more than 60 rangers regularly patrol and benefit from regular training but also new technology in order to have the best elephant follow-up. 

They also organize sensitization days with children in order to better sensitize the community to the importance of protecting elephants in Mara and in Kenya. The local community also participates by calling Mara Elephant when unusual elephant behaviors happen, warn the rangers. This is thus done along with the collar monitoring, for more efficiency and the population feels committed and empowered.

Results :

Their 10-year experience in using a method combining guards (rangers) and the applied research, while adopting a collaborative approach with local communities, have reduced poaching in the region, conflicts and the loss of habitat. 

Despite this, 2020 ( complicated Covid year) has been the most deadly year in terms of poaching for 10 years, and as Lion Guardians reported to us, the most critical problematics are related to the conflict human/ elephant which keep increasing and will keep increasing ( in 2015, the population in Mara tripled in regards of the nationwide average). Humans are impinging more and more on the wild fauna lands, and this is a real problem for the biggest mammal which is the elephant. 

The collaboration with Seedballs Kenya also works very well, which allows to reforest some areas for the elephant’s natural habitat and to build végétal barriers rather than electric fences.

What’s next ? 

They wish to keep sensitizing communities and protecting elephants, by keeping the applied research on the behavior of the elephant populations, their move, etc. Thus, MEP would like to equip 10 other elephants with collars to prevent conflicts and protect the groups depending on the equipped female. Ideally, it would be great to be able to hire 10 other rangers who would come to reinforce the teams and the human means. 

Developing and using new technologies to track elephants, and continuing to be ahead of poachers would be essential. 

Our impression :

In ten years, the association has had a real major impact on biodiversity protection and on the cohabitation with humans. Even if their results on reducing poaching are impressive, they still have a lot to do but they seem prepared and very organized. 

We found that using the applied  research and cutting-edge technologies was very adapted and relevant in order to carry out and keep carrying out their mission. 

Their approach in considering the environment protection, biodiversity and cohabitation with humans seems crucial and smart to us, and echoes the Free Spirit philosophy. 

We advise to continue and deepen our partnership with MEP, while having a follow-up of their actions on a more regular basis.