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.
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.
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.
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 must have exacerbated her condition. The rangers and our entire team were gutted and terribly saddened that this young female couldn’t be saved. Thankfully her calf is old enough to no longer depend on milk and was seen 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.
