The African Conservation Fund

One of the largest herds of elephants remaining in East Africa is thought to move widely between northern Tanzania and southern Kenya. Most of the land they use is pastoral Maasailand - outside and between the national parks. It is a huge area, and a critical population - how can it be protected?

First, with good scientific data about their movements, and second - not with expensive new parks or exclusive rules for communities - but through strategic partnerships with communities.

This two-year-old project, "Conserving a Free-Ranging Elephant Population Across the Kenya-Tanzania Border," has a five-part strategy for not only gathering sound and critical scientific data but using that data to move from science to conservation.

The project is funded in large part by the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation through the African Conservation Fund, and is implemented on the ground by our partner in Nairobi, the African Conservation Centre. A grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service supported the purchase of the GPS-equipped collars; African Conservation Centre is working closely with Kenya Wildlife Service, Save the Elephants, and many trans-border communities. For related article, click here.

Implementation:

• Expand surveys of elephant dispersal and movement. The surveys involve detailed ground and aerial studies to determine with some precision elephant movements either side and across the rift valley between Tsavo and Mara-Serengeti. GPS-equipped collars are used to track target elephant herds moving across the region; community members assist with gathering ground data from dung piles left by passing elephants (shown at right; Julius Muriuki records elephant dung in the community of Olkiramatian).
• Create a detailed GIS map of the actual and potential land use across the southern Rift Valley and the actual and potential elephant pathways.
  
• Increase capacity-building for the game scout network – recruit more game scouts in new conservation areas and train in existing ones.
• Work with key communities identified from the elephant surveys and landuse/conservation planning maps, and strengthen emerging community groups SOROLA (Southern Rift Landowners Association), Amboseli Taskforce and Maasai  Mara Management Association.
• And finally, forge links across the Tanzania boundary to connect Kenya and Tanzanian parks and elephant programs.

Outcomes:

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• Throughout the study it has been recorded that elephant numbers are increasing across the southern Rift Valley east to Amboseli. In particular, it is clear that the creation of the conservation areas has gone a long way in making both Shompole and Olkiramatian a permanent home for elephants.
  
• The expanded community game scout activities have greatly  increased security the region. Twenty joint security patrols were undertaken with Kenya Wildlife Service in Amboseli; 14 poachers were arrested and 20 snares recovered.  In addition 48 people poaching the valuable African Saddlewood were arrested.  Three other communities - Kuku near Amboseli, and two in the south Rift Valley and Lake Magadi area - are building on and expanding their game scout activities, which are enhancing ecotourist opportunities.
  
• The South Rift Association of Landowners Trust continues to grow (shown at a meeting, above); its purpose is to spearhead the opening up of the Southern Tourism Circuit and also lobby with communities to leave areas for conservation in the face of ongoing subdivision.  The membership of SORALO is drawn from about 15 group ranches that span the South Rift and covers areas between Namanga, Magadi and Loita. Its success is drawing new members nearly monthly, and soon the scope will completely connect community conservation efforts from Maasai Mara to Amboseli.
  
  

Next Steps:

• Work with communitites to mitigate cases of crop damage due to the increasing numbers and wide-ranging elephant populations.
• Work with a full-length documentary film team as part of overall community-conservation messaging.