MEP turned 14 on September 13. To honor fourteen years of measurable impact, protecting elephants, supporting communities, and conserving the Mara’s wild spaces, we held an anniversary celebration in the Mara. Joined by almost 100 staff members, stakeholders, and donors, we celebrated our accomplishments from the last year, reflected on the past, and toasted to the future.
Now, more than ever, it’s important to gather and recognize the influence we all have on the future of the natural world and reaffirm our commitment to securing it. Special thanks to all the partners and donors who make all this possible.
Our partners at The Maa Trust reported an injured female elephant in Olare Motorogi Conservancy, acting visibly distressed. Identified by the MEP research team as Individual 830, they raced to the scene to meet Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Vet Dr. Njoroge from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) Mobile Vet Unit for the treatment operation. The SWT helicopter helped in the air while MEP teams were on the ground as she was treated for a spear wound. MEP rangers remain on the ground monitoring her recovery.
One of the more fascinating individual elephants that the MEP research team has identified is Individual 1286. A bull elephant with no tusks. Beyond this anomaly or maybe because of it, this individual is a known crop raider, using Ol Kinyei Conservancy for protection during the day while he raids bordering farms at night. Given this, MEP, alongside the KWS and Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) recently deployed a satellite collar to track his movements 24/7. The MEP research and ranger teams were on the ground to support the operation while the helicopter was in the air with KWS Vet Dr. Njoroge. While asleep for the collaring operation, Individual 1286 was also treated for an arrow wound. Tracking his movements will inform mitigation response and offer insights into how he’s navigating the changing landscape.
A young mother elephant regularly monitored by the MEP research team was collared in Naboisho Conservancy on September 26. Sighted nine times since 2021, Individual 201 has been cause for concern from the team, given her proximity to settlements and the young calf by her side. She and her herd have been observed moving between wildlife designated areas through communities and crop raiding along the way. In fact, during her collaring operation, KWS Vet Dr. Njoroge treated her for a spear wound. Teams on the ground kept her young calf safely with the herd while the helicopter assisted from the air. Tracking her movements will inform mitigation responses and allow KWS, WRTI and MEP to better understand the remaining connectivity in this area.
MEP received a call from Richard’s Camp about a calf wandering on its own in Mara North Conservancy (MNC). Because elephant calves stay close to their mothers, sometimes for up to a decade, we knew something had separated them. So, MEP teamed up with MNC rangers to reunite the 2-year-old female with her mother. After arriving on the scene to closely monitor the baby, MEP researchers deployed their drone to gain an aerial view when looking for the mother and her herd. Luckily, they discovered them close by. The team split into two groups to guide the herd and the calf toward each other, leading to a successful reunion of the mother and calf. The team looked on as the happy reunion took place feeling relieved their efforts were rewarded.
September was a busy month for MEP drone operations, with teams in the Mau, Loita, and Mara regions delivering fast response, critical monitoring, and lifesaving support across communities and elephant habitats. From human-wildlife conflict mitigation to forest surveillance and emergency rescues, drones continued to prove their value as an essential conservation tool in the Greater Mara Ecosystem. The drones were flown a total of 63.7 hours; with 25 human-elephant conflict mitigation instances, 33 total sightings, 46 monitoring exercises, 5 search and rescue operations, and 3 cattle counts.
The countdown to this year’s UltraMARAthon is on with less than 50 days to go. Whether running solo or with a group of friends, the 50 km race through the Maasai Mara will be one to remember. Run with purpose to support MEP and community rangers protecting the Mara’s wildlife and African mission services providing critical services to Maasai communities. Register here.
This year, MEP was invited to participate in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, an annual event that celebrates and supports Africa’s wildlife rangers by enhancing their livelihoods, improving their performance, and advocating for transformative changes in conservation. Over the past three months, rangers Jackson, Erick, Cosmas, and Lenkume, the ‘MEP Bulls’, have participated in challenges, both physical and mental, competing with more than 100 other ranger teams from 24 African nations, all leading up to the finale: Race Day on September 20. The MEP Bulls ran the 21 km (12 miles) race with 22 kg (49 lbs.) of kit alongside other participating ranger teams at Lewa Conservancy. They crossed the finish line in a respectable time of 2 hours 30 minutes placing second. But it’s not about the time, it’s about the camaraderie that a challenge like this creates. It powers the internal drive that these wildlife protectors contain to work in some of the most challenging environments all to defend wildlife and wild spaces.
The MEP coexistence team is setting out to discover solutions to address the challenges that communities and wildlife face as they share resources within the Mara landscape. The coexistence project has now achieved a new milestone; working with 5 communities which represent 120 farmers to grow and sell elephant-friendly crops. They’ve planted 5 acres of rosemary, provided quarterly training for participating farmers and a total of 30,000 seedlings for kitchen gardens all while continuing to develop relationships with consumers to identify a market that will sustain livelihoods. Read more in our latest blog.
The success of the conservation career day in 2024, attracted organizations who wanted to collaborate and learn from the experience and the impact of the MEP conservation career day model. In September, MEP was joined by The Maa Trust, Enonkishu Conservancy and Women in the Wild to hold the 2nd edition of the Conservation Career Day at Emarti Secondary School for 240 students. The main objective was to inspire students to explore conservation and environmental related fields as they prepare to transition to university all of this made possible by Kampur Travel Diaries.
