Mara Elephant Project in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is pleased to announce that jointly we’ve had three recent successful operations that netted the seizure of 89 kg of ivory and four suspects arrested.
The first joint operation took place on June 19 in Naivasha when 41 kg (12 pieces) of ivory were seized, along with two illegal leopard skins. One suspect was arrested for transporting the illegal goods. MEP’s head of intelligence connected our informant, who alerted us to this ivory, to the KWS so that the suspect could be brought to justice.
The second operation took place on July 12, when again the KWS Lologorian team along with the help of MEP intelligence arrested one suspected in Kilgoris with 11 kg of ivory.
Finally, the third operation took place on July 15, when the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust/MEP Mau Team in collaboration with MEP intelligence and KWS seized 37 kg of ivory and arrested three suspects near Narok town.
These three MEP successes prove just how vital partnerships with government, the Kenya Wildlife Service and Narok County Government, and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, are to fulfilling our mission of protecting elephants to conserve the greater Mara ecosystem.
