A FINAL FAREWELL TO AN OLD FRIEND
A double tragedy occured in the first week of the new year.
A man who was walking home in community land one night in early January after dark sadly ran into a herd of elephants and their calves who in turn killed him soon after. Our sympathy and condolences go out to his family as it is a huge tragedy in this community. It is our understanding that he leaves behind a grief stricken family, his wife and children. This painful loss is mourned by our team and the community.
The second tragedy was the killing of a Mara treasure. A bull elephant named Oloropilé who had lived in this area for fifty years and who, in our many years of knowing him, never had an issue with this community and lived peacefully alongside humans everyday. Oloropilé was mistakenly accused for the killing and lost his life because of it. He was in a private conservancy some distance from our core area of operation.
Oloropilé was 50 years old and a true walking treasure on this planet. He will be greatly missed as there are few bull elephants his age bracket remaining in this ecosystem.
He had a wonderful nature and we had often seen him among livestock and even people, feeding peacefully in the same vicinity.
Our team is very sad after all the time and work they spent trying to protect him over the past decade and knowing him, respecting him and growing to care for him so much as we did for so many years. A wonderful gentle giant who will never be replaced. The entire team at Elephant Aware are completely devastated by the death of magnificent Oloropilé. We have shared stories, videos and countless experiences we have had with Oloropilé over the years and many of you will likely be familiar with his name. Oloropilé will forever be remembered by all of us as the special and majestic bull elephant whom we grew to know and love over many years of being in his awe inspiring presence. Our thoughts are with the family of the man who was killed and our hearts are broken over this combined loss which will be felt for a long time to come. The rangers visited Oloropilé today to pay their last respects and salute him in honour of the memory of two innocent lives. Rest in Peace.
We will not forget you, Oloropilé, magnificent gentle giant.
With continuing heavy rain throughout January, February and March the area was completely transformed into a lush, green paradise after the amount of rain we’ve had in recent weeks. With an abundance of food and water available, many species including elephants don’t have to move over as large a distance in search of resources and are able to spend more time playing, eating and socializing. The rangers were kept busy during this time monitoring the large number of elephants in the area.
Two male giraffes “necking” which is a form of sparring and a test of dominance among giraffes. The intensity varies depending on the situation and these two appeared to be on the friendlier side. This photo was taken on a ranger patrol recently.
Similar to elephants, giraffes are large herbivorous mammals and both are iconic species contributing to the healthy function of their ecosystems. Giraffes can have symbiotic relationships with other species of wildlife as well including elephants, from our experience.
Ranger Lilanka on a routine patrol watching elephants with his unit in mid February. The rangers patrol mostly on foot with vehicle support and this allows them access to important wildlife “hotspots”. Area surveillance, monitoring of elephants and other wildlife as well as constant community networking and partnership is the main priority for our team in our daily operations.
On a patrol in late February we found this young male elephant hanging out with the big boys! Dwarfed by his giant friends, this juvenile elephant still has a great deal of growing to do before he is at their eye level, yet he is welcomed into their presence in an atmosphere of genuine male camaraderie. At approximately 11 years old, he is at the age when males begin to venture further away from their families to shadow adult bull elephants and learn their ways. His herd were not far away and it is likely that he would go back and forth between the two groups until he is ready to become fully independent from his family and pursue a life of adventure as a bull elephant. Emunyani is one of the adult males in this photo and it was heartwarming to see how tolerant and gentle he is towards the much smaller elephant. Right now this little male is miniature next to Emunyani but one day he will be the same size! The world of elephants is not always easy to navigate and having many helping hands (or trunks) along the way will undoubtedly be to this youngster’s benefit.
The 3rd of March marked World Wildlife Day and the rangers had a special message to share: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2973267252731865&id=146762032049082
In early March we found a handsome bull elephant hidden in this thicket and it took a few minutes of careful observation to find out who he was! Sometimes when we are monitoring elephants we find them in the thickest bush you can imagine with only small glimpses here and there and we have to do some guess work to know who the elephant is. After a bit of cross referencing and meticulous study we realized that this handsome bull is Lereyiet!
To see Rangers and Elephants together in the same frame is not unusual as it has become a necessary and effective measure over recent decades for securing this iconic species faced with, at times, overwhelming threats. Except that the Elephant Aware rangers know many of these elephants by name and appearance, through working to protect them everyday. The elephants are familiar with our team and vehicles as well, often choosing to be in proximity of us as they peacefully go about their day, such as in this scene. To the rangers, elephants are not simply a species needing protection nor are they only an economic commodity but individuals each with unique characters and faces. While on a routine patrol in the midst of a herd of elephants it is not long before the rangers quickly announce the names of all the individuals they recognise, as if referring to good friends in the human world. This personal connection between the protector and the one dependant on it is truly special. Because most of the elephants in this area are named by community members, from school children to women to the rangers themselves, a crucial perception of elephants as individuals with human-like traits is expanded to a much wider scale. We were thrilled to see so many newborns in this aggregation as well as bulls in musth, females busy socialising and happy, healthy elephants overall!
In March our team had a busy time of conflict prevention, community collaboration and spending time with some special bull elephants! A group of bulls have been attracted to a particular open glade where copious amounts of lush long grass is thriving due to an underlying natural spring brought to life by immense rain and a river nearby. Soft, juicy grass is a welcome relief when available for many wildlife species including elephants. This small paradise, however, lies in proximity to a nearby settlement where human activity is bustling in tandem with the lives of all manner of wild creatures, from elephants to dik diks, in the adjacent woodland. Community members requested our help when they noticed the elephants were coming a little too close to their homes and the rangers immediately responded. Our ranger team have been working around the clock to maintain calm and patience among the community and we are very thankful for the excellent cooperation displayed. Though the elephants are only in search of a comfortable spot to enjoy the ubiquitous vegetation and are not looking for trouble, it can be quite intimidating to have six ton mammals as neighbours which necessitates the presence of a literal ‘thin green line’ to ensure the safety of community members which in turn protects the elephants. Among the bulls are individual elephants well known to us from years of dedicated monitoring by our team, each with a unique character and varying levels of experience based on their age. The oldest bull who is around 50 is definitely the leader and the younger males appear to worship him! M0024, or Steven as he is called, is actively teaching his younger companions valuable survival lessons and judging from the way the young males, including Kedienye, loyally keep at his flank, it seems that he in turn perhaps benefits from their devoted guardianship. The rangers work alongside community members everyday to promote a peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife which has been continuously showcased this past week.
As always, we are tremendously grateful for the vital cohesion between the community and rangers. Equally the patient compliance of the elephants makes a huge difference. When the bulls meander casually towards any homesteads the rangers are quick to encourage them to move away through gentle persuasion which A, is extremely important to prevent a panicked situation that could become dangerous and B, keeps the elephants calm. Shrinking space means humans and wildlife are living closer together than ever before and species like elephants are forced to adapt to the rapid changes in their world if they are to survive. Coexistence between people and wildlife is possible but it requires patience, tolerance and above all benefits on all sides; for the owners of the land to see a profitable value and for wildlife to live in peace.
The ready assistance of passionate individuals like the Elephant Aware rangers certainly plays a key role in the picture and elephants would not be found in the wild in Africa today if not for these amazing wildlife warriors on the frontline of conservation across the continent. While following the trail of the bull group on a foot patrol the next day, in an area where a vehicle could not cover, the rangers had a touch and go incident when they encountered a buffalo obscured by the tall grass! If you know anything about Cape Buffaloes you know that this would be a pretty harrowing moment for anyone but to everyone’s relief the buffalo chose flight instead of fight and went in the opposite direction and into a large thicket! This again demonstrates not only the challenges of being a ranger but also the unwavering commitment a ranger must have to do their incredible work. Our team will be continuing to work alongside the community and monitoring this area carefully. Elephants have lived in this precious wilderness for many centuries and it is our constant mission to secure their future and that of other species as well as the natural habitat on which they depend for the long term benefit of communities in the Masai Mara ecosystem.
Since the beginning of the year the world has been thrown into a crisis. Millions of people in over 70 countries have been severely impacted by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic both directly and indirectly. The global situation is far from normal. Countless jobs have been lost and livelihoods jeopardized. Scores of establishments and businesses that only recently served as sources of income to so many have been forced to shut down. Kenya, a country which is presently on the lower end of the statistical spectrum for cases of Covid-19, feels the massive reverberations of it and her people carry on to do the best that they can of making ends meet, of putting food on the table for their families in the face of overwhelming uncertainty. Those directly affected by the virus fear for today and those indirectly affected by it fear for tomorrow. There are those who do not have the luxury of staying within their well stocked houses with access to most modern conveniences. There are those who can barely afford food, water or electricity, let alone hygiene. There are those who have no roof over their heads at all. And there are those who must do their jobs because so much hangs in the balance if they don’t. From medical workers, caregivers and even parents to all those in the food industry feeding the world and all the people keeping supermarkets and pharmacies open for the public, electricians and technicians ensuring that the power and internet services are running, the companies making the soaps and sanitizers you need to clean your hands and of course law enforcement and emergency services, to mention a few, are appreciated all the more at this moment. There are those doing thankless jobs as well, who go under the radar in the grand scheme of things, people who are equally dedicated to making the world safer. RANGERS and conservation teams on the frontline of protecting the natural world cannot stop for even an hour, much less a day. For the very same reason that the police must continue in their roles, rangers too must continue because crime, whether it is towards the environment or other people, does not stop. Rangers are the eyes and ears in some of the most remote areas on the planet and without their diligent presence in such places, who knows what sinister activities against wildlife might ensue. Wildlife and wild ecosystems depend on the active daily protection by dedicated men and women in green. Rangers depend on wildlife to survive as well.
Lest we forget, rangers are individual people who need the valuable income derived from their jobs to provide for their families and quite often, rangers are the sole breadwinners at home. Entire communities rely upon the support and security rangers represent in preventing conflict and helping people and wildlife to coexist peacefully. Rangers represent a significant section of African society which benefits from wildlife. The potentially devastating aftermath from such a pandemic is already showing trickling signs with tourism industries almost freezing overnight, debilitating huge numbers of people in this single sector alone. Tourism is a giant income generator and for countries like Kenya, it provides employment and secondary benefits for countless people. Many of those who had planned trips to visit Kenya’s beautiful wild destinations have been forced to cancel or rearrange them. If you did have a holiday planned, we hope that instead of cancelling you will consider postponing your dates so that you can enjoy your trip in the future and help give thousands of Kenyans working in tourism or environment related fields the crucial support that they need.
We do not have all of the answers and there does not appear to be any simple solution but what we can do is continue to try our very best to secure a future for our wild friends and provide vital livelihoods for many in the Mara ecosystem. We hope our friends across the world stay safe in this challenging time. At least there is good news coming out of so much chaos. Thousands are said to have recovered after contracting the Covid-19 and many more thousands are working around the clock to save lives. We are grateful for the many individuals and teams out there who are doing good and who are committed to helping those in need, both humans and animals alike. The world would not be the same without good and compassionate individuals making a difference every single day. Thank you. While taking every precaution and keeping safety in mind at all times, our team is carrying on in our own constant mission to protect elephants, all wildlife and to give support to our neighbouring communities. We could not do our important work to safeguard elephants, giraffes, lions and other species if not for the help of our partners, friends, community and supporters both far and near. Remember to be kind to yourself so that you may be kind to others including animals. Let us all do our part to get through this difficult time together. Please consider supporting the Elephant Aware rangers if you can. We thank all of you for your amazing support that enables our team’s vital work to continue everyday.
