Seven collaring operations took place in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) in the fourth quarter of 2024. In October, the team successfully re-collared a male elephant named Phoodi in Shimba Hills near Majimboni. While Phoodi resides outside the Mara, MEP remains committed to supporting our government partners in increasing protection for elephants across Kenya. Continuous tracking of his movements not only informs ranger patrols and conflict mitigation efforts but also deepens our understanding of how elephants navigate shrinking habitats. This vital data is helping shape conservation strategies and safeguard key elephant corridors. Also that month, the team collared a new bull elephant named ‘Kevin’ and just a month after his collaring, he entered the Serengeti crossing into Tanzania through the Mara Triangle. He joins other tracked transboundary bull elephants to increase their protection and gain vital insights into behavior, migratory patterns and the challenges they face in an ever-changing landscape.
In November 14, MEP deployed a satellite collar on Edwin, the first elephant recorded in the MEP database, ElephantBook. First sighted in 2021, Edwin is known for his massive tusks and frequent crop-raiding behavior. The collar will provide critical data to help mitigate human-elephant conflict and protect him from poaching threats.
Then, in December, three bull elephants from Rumuruti Forest Reserve were translocated over 460 km (286 miles) to Tsavo West National Park after repeatedly breaking into farms. With support from KWS and WRTI, the operation aimed to reduce conflict and understand whether their crop-raiding behavior was opportunistic or intentional. Now, the relocated bulls join another collared elephant, Tino, in a safer environment with minimal conflict.
Also in December, MEP re-collared elephant Indy, originally fitted with a collar in 2021. Thanks to the Indianapolis Zoological Society, data from her movements have provided valuable insights into high-conflict areas, helping guide ranger patrols and conservation strategies.
There were six total elephant treatments in the fourth quarter and the MEP long-term monitoring (LTM) team assisted the KWS Vet from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) Mobile Vet Unit with four.
In the fourth quarter, the research team was making progress implementing the USAID-funded Conservation of the Maasai Mara Landscape (CMML) project in collaboration with the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA). They expanded the EarthRanger training in the Mara and established best practices for the mobile application use and reporting; however, that’s all now come to a halt given the recent developments with U.S. funding.
In November, MEP’s Data and Reporting Manager Francis Odero attended the Global Data Science & Artificial Intelligence Summit at Strathmore University. Industry leaders discussed groundbreaking applications of AI in predicting and mitigating climate change impacts, tracking carbon emissions, and developing transparent carbon credit systems for sustainable agriculture.
In November, the MEP Coexistence team, in partnership with Women in the Wild launched a new tree nursery to restore essential habitats. The team prepared seedling bags and gathered seedlings from six different tree species in a nearby forest. Once these seedlings mature, they will be distributed to local communities, fostering long-term, sustainable solutions for reforestation and habitat restoration. The team also hosted training sessions for local community groups focusing on sustainable farming practices using non-palatable crops. These sessions provided updates on MEP’s ongoing coexistence programs and their impact, while also laying the groundwork for 2025 initiatives that will continue to support human-wildlife coexistence in the region.
