In the third quarter, Mara Elephant Project increased our capacity to deploy drones for conservation activities. In July, a total of eight MEP rangers and researchers completed advanced drone operation training and earned their certification; joining our elite team of 24 licensed drone pilots. This training comes at the perfect time. MEP recently acquired six new drones thanks to support from Expert Drones Africa and Aerosmart UAV equipped with advanced thermal imaging, ideal for nighttime operations when human-elephant conflict often escalates.
MEP alongside our partners conducted six collaring operations across Kenya. In July, MEP partnered with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Northern Mobile Veterinary Unit, Ewaso Lions, Grevy’s Zebra Trust, and Save the Elephants in a successful translocation effort in Marsabit County. Thanks to reports from local communities, two bull elephants involved in repeated human-elephant conflict incidents around Karare, Marsabit Central, were safely identified. MEP dispatched its helicopter to assist with darting the bulls, ensuring a safe and efficient capture for their upcoming journey. One of the bulls was fitted with a satellite collar before both were moved to Meru National Park, a safer and more suitable habitat away from human settlements. The collar will now deliver vital movement data to KWS, the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) and MEP aiding in the protection of the bulls and guiding future conservation efforts.
Also in July, KWS, WRTI and MEP collared a bull elephant in the Kilonito area of Kajiado County, in the southeastern Rift Valley. This is the first elephant collaring in this region, and it’s a critical step in understanding elephant movement between Magadi, Amboseli National Park, and cross-border landscapes in Tanzania. Although no elephants had been collared here before, satellite data from other MEP collared elephants showed signs of movement through this area. Local communities in Kilonito have raised concerns about increasing cases of human-elephant conflict, with elephants damaging fences and crops. This particular bull was part of a group of four bachelor bulls frequently seen near farms. With support from the local administration, Kwenia Vulture Sanctuary Trust, the Kenya Birds of Prey Trust and KWS Vet Dr. Njoroge, MEP utilized our helicopter to safely deploy the collar. Tracking data from this bull will help inform conflict mitigation strategies and keep both people and elephants safe, while also strengthening landscape-level conservation across the Southern Rift Valley.
In September, a young mother elephant regularly monitored by the MEP research team was collared in Naboisho Conservancy. Sighted nine times since 2021, Individual 201 has been closely monitored by the research 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. We also successfully re-collared Matali and Lolotoo in the third quarter.
On September 9, MEP took that next step and alongside the community, conservation and government partners and a key MEP donor, we officially opened the MEP Loita Ranger Station. This ‘sub-headquarters’ will significantly enhance logistical operations by offering comfortable and practical living quarters for the rangers. It will also establish a permanent presence for MEP near the forest, which is crucial for maintaining proximity to key operational areas to continue our protection efforts. As Narok County Government Representative Dennis Sonkoi rightly said, “Now, it is our responsibility as the community to take the challenge and ensure no more trees are cut and no more forest land is hived off for farming or habitation.” The Loita sub-headquarters wouldn’t have been possible without support from the Band Foundation. As we celebrate this important milestone, we’re also reminded that there is still a lot of work to be done to preserve this precious forest.
Last, but not least, MEP turned 14 on September 12. 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. As I mentioned during the celebration, I am very proud of MEP’s accomplishments over the past 14 years, but I am also aware of the work we still have ahead of us. 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.
