The year started off very dry after months of severe drought but the area got a lot of rain in early January which helped tremendously to refill water sources and brought much relief to elephants, all wildlife and people as well as community livestock within this part of the ecosystem. In a short few weeks the area was transformed from dry and dusty to green and lush.
With the area being replenished and an abundance of green grass available, we saw the return of a large number of elephants including many familiar faces and many new individuals. Namelok (pictured below) and her herd spent a lot of time within the conservancy, enjoying the Ol Moti swamp which had plenty of food and water for wildlife. Our team also observed and recorded a number of new births that were well timed with the rains.
Lereyiet, a bull who is about 40 years old and well known to our team, appeared closely behind multiple family herds and he was very clearly in musth. He was busy going from herd to herd in search of estrous females but we did get to spend time with him. He is a special bull with a very distinct character and it is always a treat to have him around.
A large number of elephants in the area meant the rangers had to be on their toes and always at the ready to prevent potential Human-Elephant-Conflict. Everyday while on their patrols, each unit of rangers would work closely with herders, who were often young boys, and their herds of cows searching for pasture, to make sure they didn’t get too close to elephants, lions, cheetahs or buffaloes and that everyone could share space peacefully.
Many species in this area benefit from the presence of the rangers including Cape Buffalo (pictured below). Ranger Leposa and Ranger Konene had to stop and change a puncture during their patrol with quite the intimidating audience nearby!
In late March the Elephant Aware community liaison officer found a zebra mare with a snare around her neck and our team quickly informed the Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit. The operation commenced later that day and somehow during that time she had managed to get the snare off of herself but a nasty wound remained that needed tending.
While anaesthetised, her injury was thoroughly cleaned and healing antiseptics and antibiotics were applied by Dr. Limo. Thankfully the whole operation was straightforward and relatively quick. This female zebra was was given a good prognosis and once revived, she rejoined her waiting herd, including her still dependant foal. It is impossible to know where this zebra was caught but due to the severity of her wound it is likely that she had it on her for some time. The Elephant Aware rangers diligently and routinely search for snares during their patrols and it is possible that she came from a different area with it. We were very grateful to the Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit for their brilliant work and great collaboration with our team once again.
After responding to a Human-Elephant-Conflict report from community members on the early morning of the 27th of March, we were deeply saddened to find this sweet female named Nashipai, lifeless, with suspected spear wounds. After the rangers and KWS examined the scene all evidence suggests that she is another victim of human-elephant conflict, possibly a case of her simply being in the wrong place at an unfortunate time. Conflict between people and wild elephants is an issue that is rampant across Kenya and beyond. It is truly a tragic loss and we can only imagine the trauma that her family are going through. We knew Nashipai since 2013 and she was the matriarch of her family. Her youngest calf is a four year old male and it is a small comfort to know that he is surrounded by her older offspring and other relatives. She was estimated to be in her late 40s and she was registered on the Mara database. Nashipai was one of those elephants who our team could instantly recognise even from a distance and she always approached our vehicle when we found her. Even to the unfamiliar eye, one could tell that this elephant had a vivacious and yet gentle personality, hence her name, which gave her so much individuality. Our team, who knew Nashipai well and also loved her for her important role as a matriarch, as a mother and as a member of this ecosystem, and for simply being a wild elephant living as she should in her natural habitat, are deeply heartbroken.
At the beginning of April the area was starting to dry out and the number of water sources available to wildlife were dwindling. This meant that conflict cases were on the rise because competition for pasture and water between wildlife and people had increased enormously. Migratory species such as elephants, giraffes, zebras and others have to move over large distances in order to find the food and water that they need and this is particularly challenging during the drier periods. Their long treks in search of resources can lead them into conflict with humans especially when their home ranges become fragmented. Due to the number of conflict cases the ecosystem had experienced since the start of the year, our team wanted the issue addressed urgently within our area of operation and requested a meeting to be held to discuss solutions to the ongoing Human-Wildlife conflict.
A new ranger outpost, kindly supported by Future for Elephants, was completed in early April bringing our total number of field bases to four. This was a huge milestone for our team and we are tremendously grateful. The new outpost was strategically set up in a place that, though still relatively wild, is also on the fringe of a human settlement and therefore is a conflict hotspot zone. This outpost also borders onto a crucial elephant corridor, making this part of the ecosystem all the more essential to be monitored. Having this additional base will enable the rangers stationed there to access a larger area during their patrols and work closely with a wider community.
On the 12th of April a meeting between community members, the area Chief, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Elephant Aware rangers took place at the new Elephant Aware ranger base which had just been completed. Our team had not worked alongside the community in this particular sub location as much in the past as with others and so this was a great opportunity to establish a new relationship. The pressing matter of conflict was the main focus of the meeting and Chief Gilisho spoke at length, placing emphasis on the importance of collaboration. Sargeant Punyua of KWS also spoke to the community and requested for anyone who needed assistance on any wildlife matter to immediately contact both KWS and the Elephant Aware rangers instead of taking matters into their own hands. In conclusion the community members present responded positively and the outcome was hopeful.
At the end of the month our team received a report of an injured elephant from a homestead owner in community land and the rangers responded quickly to the location. They found this female with three badly infected wounds seeping pus and covered in flies on her right shoulder and left elbow region. The vet team were informed right away but due to the time of day it was not logistically possible to raise a rescue operation until the next day at which point she had disappeared. The rangers searched tirelessly for her and finally she was spotted briefly in the late afternoon as she trailed behind a large herd of elephants. The rangers watched her as she slipped into a nearby hill and with a sudden influx of more than a hundred elephants in the vicinity she was easily able to evade us as the aggregation were on the move. Despite our team’s best efforts we weren’t able to find her after that. Tragically, two weeks later she was discovered dead a long way from where the rangers last saw her and we believe that human disturbance in the area where she was may have caused her to move so far away, which we believe exacerbated her condition. The rangers and our entire team were gutted and terribly saddened that this young female couldn’t be saved, despite our best efforts. Thankfully her calf is old enough to no longer depend on milk and was seen some time after the incident with other elephants, possibly relatives.
This female giraffe was found dead with a fresh spear wound on her stomach and another one near her spine. The culprits had vanished, likely in anticipation of the rangers approaching. It is suspected that she was killed for her meat which would then be sold on the illegal bushmeat market. The rangers pursued any information or witnesses of perpetrators from the nearest community but it seems that the killers were not from nearby and met up with transportation to quickly leave the area however the rangers are still seeking information. If you look closely you can see other giraffes in the background looking on as the rangers examined the carcass. After moving away a little to allow them some space, we observed quietly as the other giraffes approached her one by one in a deeply poignant and heartbreaking scene.
On the morning of May 7th, Ranger Lilanka recieved a report from a community member about two zebras being trapped in a pit latrine next to someone’s homestead. The rangers responded rapidly to this call and arrived to find the zebras in the deep hole. The story relayed to the rangers is that a herd of zebras were in the area the previous night and were chased by lions. Two zebras fell into the unused and uncovered latrine while a third zebra was caught by the lions and the rest of the herd ran a short distance away. Sadly one of the females did not survive the fall and the second mare was in desperate need of rescuing. The situation looked very challenging but our team worked through the day in an effort save the remaining zebra. The hardest part was finding a way to get the zebra out of the 15 foot pit without injuring her. Finally in the afternoon, after a huge team effort, Will and the rangers, with assistance from KWS, got her out using a vehicle, soft, flat tow ropes and a great deal of man-power. The relieved zebra, exhausted from her ordeal, galloped off to rejoin her herd waiting nearby.
Later in the month there were some heavy downpours which helped to replenish the region and promote regrowth. A large number of elephants returned to this area and we got to catch up with many known individuals and record exciting events such as new births, the presence of musth males as well as add new faces to the database. The rangers were thrilled to see Naisiai and her young calf continuing to do well and also to meet up with Nashipai’s herd again.
At around 7am on the 29th of May the rangers stationed at the new outpost responded to an incident reported to them by the community where a herd of elephants got into someone’s fenced land but they were in a panic due to a lot human commotion from closeby and were not able to find a way out again. Eventually the herd got out but a mother and her young calf became separated from the others amid the chaos and were still stuck inside the fence. Once the rangers arrived on the scene they quickly got to work calming down the people present and encouraged the community members to give the elephants space to leave peacefully, which they did shortly afterwards. Mother and baby quickly reunited with their family and all of the elephants returned to the safety of nearby woodland.
Will and the rangers found Kedienye, a bull elephant in his 20s who is well known to our team, on the 27th of May with a very noticeable limp. He was also staying in the same spot in the shade for quite sometime, instantly letting us know that something was wrong. Because Kedienye is familiar with our team and our vehicles, he felt comfortable enough to lie down for a nap as the rangers watched. When he got up he propped his injured foot forward, as if to show us that he needed help. Through binoculars we coud see something small protruding from a wound just above his toes and from experience we knew that it could be an arrow. The KWS/Sheldrick Trust Mara Mobile Vet Unit were called right away and after looking at the photos our team had sent, the vet determined that Kedienye needed immediate intervention.
Extracting the arrow head was not an easy task as it was deeply embedded and Dr. Ephantus had to wrangle with a pair of pliers until it was finally loose enough to pull out.
Once removed, the team went to work flushing out the wound before antibiotics and anti inflammatories were administered. Lastly Kedienye was given the revival drug and he woke up and moved away. We could all sense the relief he was feeling already after suffering from such a painful injury. These kind of operations require a united effort and both teams had to work together to achieve this positive outcome. We are very thankful for the vital role that the Mara Vet Team have and that they respond so quickly to such incidents in an effort to save wild lives. Kedienye should make a full recovery and we are all tremendously grateful.
While on a routine patrol on the 9th of June, Ranger Njapit and Ranger Leposa found a male giraffe who, when approached, did not move away at all. Being a completely wild giraffe this was not normal behaviour and the rangers quickly discovered the problem. They could see that he had a wound just above his right shoulder that was covered in flies which was severely limiting his mobility. His front right leg was propped forward and it was obvious that he was trying not to put any weight on his injured side.
He also appeared to be quite malnourished with his hip and shoulder bones jutting out sharply. The vet was contacted and our team were advised to monitor the giraffe to see if his condition worsened further and to try and get a video of him moving in order to assess his gait. The next morning the rangers found this giraffe in almost the exact same location and an update was sent. Soon after it was decided that treatment was very necessary and the vet team arrived in the afternoon. Our team led them to where the giraffe had been standing for most of the day, in the shade of a lovely Boscia tree.
Felix, of the Mara Vet Unit, was easily able to drive up to the giraffe in his debilitated state and Dr. Ephantus darted him shortly after. Often when giraffes are darted they can take off in a gallop but because of his severe injury he could not physically achieve this and he moved only 20-30 metres away before the teams moved in with ropes to help him as he succumbed to the anaesthesia. Upon examination, the puncture wound was discovered to be very deep and very infected, suspected to have been inflicted by a spear. Dr. Ephantus and intern vet Mike Bett went to work draining the wound and flushing it out while everyone else helped with other necessary tasks such as keeping the giraffe calm and monitoring his vitals. Once fully revived there were a few moments of worry when the giraffe struggled to get up but with many helping hands he was able to get back on his feet eventually. The operation was a success and the vet gave this giraffe a 50/50 recovery prognosis due to weakened state and serious infection.
The rangers kept monitoring him in shifts to ensure he was not bothered by anyone and in the hopes of seeing him begin to recover. He was seen eating a little and at one point he was even joined by a herd of other giraffes. Unfortunately two days later as they were watching him in the early afternoon, he suddenly collapsed. Our team immediately rushed to the scene and despite trying everything to help him get up, he was not able to even lift his head. We are not sure why this happened but it is most likely that septicemia had set in and combined with his extensive malnourishment, had depleted his remaining strength. The rangers stayed by his side until he passed away peacefully by the late evening. This is not at all the outcome we had hoped for and we were all extremely devastated by the loss of this gentle and beautiful giraffe. This case was a sad reminder of the terrible plight that giraffes are facing in many areas today and showcases the urgency for their continuous and increased protection everyday, which is very much a priority of our team.
Between April and June we were kept very busy with a number of wildlife incidents. The rangers helped prevent several Human-Elephant conflict cases through rapid response and close collaboration with communiy members within the Siana Conservation Area. Ongoing pressures such as increasing human development, with particular reference to fencing, as well the area being on the verge of a severe drought made circumstances even more challenging. The rangers and our entire team really do act as a “thin green line” helping maintain a peaceful coexistence between both people and wildlife and a large part of our mission is to expand our work in order to cover a wider area. Because of generous help from our donors and friends from around the world, our project has been able to grow recently and we are very thankful for all of your support which enables our efforts to continue everyday.
By the time July had arrived the area was still very dry and limited water sources became heavily depended upon by all wildlife and community livestock. The rangers were constantly preventing conflict during their patrols and helping community members to safely coexist with elephants and other wildlife.
In July we found Eseseri and her family on a number of different days. We recorded all the members of her herd present which was a delight. Eseseri is a matriarch in her 50s whom we have known for many years. Despite it being very dry, they were able to find water and have a peaceful drink.
At around noon on the 20th of July it was particularly hot and dusty, which is no surprise given how dry the region was at the time. We watched first hand as elephant matriarch Naisoso and her family competed with several herds of sheep for access to a small waterhole, one of the few remaining in the area. Conflict between wildlife and people seeking pasture and water for their livestock had risen sharply, as is always the case during very dry spells. Every single day the rangers were actively preventing collisions between herders and elephants over water. No one was looking for trouble, least of all the elephants, however the dire circumstances of the drought were forcing the need to share space. At one point our project vehicle was wedged between Naisoso and some sheep to form a safety barrier between the two. Ranger Kitumi and Ranger Koshal leapt out to help usher the sheep a safe distance away so that Naisoso could have her drink and a splash! Thankfully the sheep and herders in the vicinity cooperated and a potential disaster was averted because of quick action from our team. Droughts are always a challenging time for many in different parts of Kenya and at the end of the day a little patience goes a long way. Our team do the best we can to maintain peace between elephants, all wildlife and communities in this part of the ecosystem every single day.
While on a routine morning patrol on the 22nd, Will and the rangers came across two bulls we know well who are both named and registered on the Mara ElephantVoices Database. Kedienye (left), who had been treated some months previously, seemed completely healed which we were very happy to find. In his company was Olarriponi, an older bull with an equally iconic appearance. Olarriponi had not been seen in a while so it was wonderful to catch up! We noted a few changes to his features since our last observation, such as an ‘Outstanding Notch or Tear’ on his right ear which likely happened as a result of being ripped by a sharp branch or possibly another elephant’s tusk. While we imagine that these notches are very painful initially, they do tend to heal naturally and become part of an individual elephant’s identity.
During the same patrol the Elephant Aware rangers and Will came across this female elephant with a very large swelling across her abdomen and knew something was wrong. They wanted to observe her to see if they could determine if she had a wound. She later disappeared but our team kept up the search and found her again yesterday morning. She was with her young calf and her family and since we last saw her, her mobility had deteriorated and her swelling had increased in size. No injury was visible but we immediately informed the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust / Kenya Wildlife Service Mara Mobile Vet Unit anyway and plans for an intervention were underway. The vet team arrived quickly and luckily she and her herd had not moved very far. Once the dart gun had been readied, the vet team vehicle, driven by Felix, slowly made their way towards the herd she was in. At first she could not be seen among the other elephants but she was soon spotted.
Once she was darted all the elephants hurried away in surprise however they slowed down after a short distance and after several minutes she succumbed to the anaesthesia. When she fell over her family rushed to her side in a flurry of panicked trumpets and rumbles and the vet vehicle had to carefully move them away so that Dr. Njoroge could get to work. While the vet and his intern Mike were assessing the wound, veterinary student Muthoni was busy checking on the elephant’s vitals and ensuring her airways were unblocked. It was discovered that this female had a severe inflammation which was caused by an escalating infection spreading from her vulva all the way up her sternum. The swelling had to be lanced to allow the serous fluid and blood to drain and was thoroughly cleaned. Anti inflammatories and antibiotics were administered which would greatly aid in her healing process. It is unclear what caused the infection but a foreign object such as a sharp stump or perhaps a fence are suspected. Dr. Njoroge gave her a good prognosis and our team will be monitoring her as best as possible. Afterwards she got up with relative ease and went to rejoin her family who were anxiously waiting not far away. Thank you to the entire vet team, including Felix, Dr. Njoroge, Sylvester, Muthoni, Mike, Douglas and Anthony for a brilliant effort. Well done to both teams for amazing concerted dedication.
On World Ranger Day we highlighted Ranger Konene and Ranger Siranka, who have both worked as rangers at Elephant Aware for over 10 years. Since they began their careers in conservation, both rangers have come a long way and have gained a vast amount of knowledge and skills that enable them to be effective in their roles as wildlife guardians. Both Konene and Siranka are invaluable members of our team and we say an enormous thank you to them and to all of the Elephant Aware rangers for the exemplary dedication they have always shown to protecting wildlife and wild habitats and helping their fellow communities everyday as part of an effort to secure a future for all biodiversity within the Mara ecosystem.
Most of the Mara region continued to be dry throughout the month of August and competition for water and other resources continued. Despite the drought, we did record a number of giraffe sightings and many large herds. During one patrol the rangers counted over 70 giraffes in one herd! This part of the ecosystem has always been favoured by big herds of giraffes that are not as commonly seen elsewhere and just as with elephants, the rangers monitor them to ensure that they are not targeted or disturbed by people.
Later in August we got to spend time with Meure, a familiar bull with quite the character! Meure broke both of his tusks earlier in the year, during a fight with another bull while in musth we suspect. Though Meure is usually quite relaxed (even in musth) he did have a few grumpy moments and the occasional mock charge during this encounter. We have known Meure for years and are pretty used to his disposition. When male elephants are in musth they are prone to mood swings due to their enormous testosterone spike and also sometimes because of the painful swelling around their temporal glands. Our team always male sure to be respectful in the presence of elephants, or any wildlife, and ensure that they have the space they need to feel comfortable.
