Protect, Conserve, Inspire REPORT April May 2016 Ivory burning site in Nairobi National Park. Weather and Rainfall: The rains have continued throughout this period but we do not expect more rain in June or July General We are very happy to announce that in the last 2-month period we have not lost a single elephant in the Mara ecosystem! This information comes from inter-agencies. There are very few poachers on the street in the Mara, areas are being combed for poachers, and the stiff penalties and community support have all made a difference to stop the poaching. Some areas we still do not have accurate information from and we are keen to expand into these areas. Recently we have been mitigating a number of human elephant conflict situations and we have noticed that each family group has baby elephants. In the Ol Kinyei MEP SIT REP April and May 2016 1
Conservancy Mega herds of elephants have been resident and one herd has 100 plus elephants in it. We believe that the very lush environment at the moment that can support such a concentration of elephants has something to do with this; but also that elephants have gathered for safety reasons. This was seen in Tsavo at the end of the first poaching crisis. On April 30 106 tons of ivory was set ablaze in Nairobi National Park. This ivory represented around 6,700 dead elephants and 450 dead rhinos with a street value estimated at $150 million. Mara Elephant Project was proud to witness such a historic event made possible by our partners Kenya Wildlife Service, Save the Elephants, CITES, Stop Ivory and the Government of Kenya. You really had a sense that everyone there was like-minded and there for the same reason; to acknowledge that Kenya made a bold choice that was the right choice to burn the ivory. Suzanne Fehsenfeld, MEP founder. Partnership Development From the 23rd to the 28th MEP rangers conducted asset training for 21 Pardamat and Olkineyi rangers. They had just finished their 3-month Manyani training with KWS. The training was a success and WWF and MMWCA who have sponsored them can be proud of the group of young men who will protect their conservancies. The communities will also have improved security and medic services. The training focused on using specific assets, which the rangers will be both exposed to when working alongside MEP but also while on regular deployment. Please request the full training report for further reading. Medic Training at MEP HQ We submitted plans to WWF for monitoring their collars, and to STE to deploy and monitor their proposed collaring project in Loita Hills with Africa Conservation Center (ACC). MEP SIT REP April and May 2016 2
Fundraising: With the support of the Iris O Brien foundation MEP hired a consultant who completed our fundraising strategy and it has been adopted. We have also interviewed for the fundraising specialist and out of 101 applicants we found a promising candidate Mrs. Victoria Fanthorpe. The CEO wrote a case for support for the Helicopter to raise 70,000USD for 2016. So far 500 USD has come in to ESCAPE Foundation for the helicopter. We applied to the Wildcat foundation for 1,400,000USD for a 2-year program and expansion. Security: The gang we reported in the last report have been picked off and now we are following 2 remaining members. They have not been able to stay in any one place for more than a few days and we will catch up with them. We have been following a firearms report recently and hope to conclude this operation soon. Recently the Transmara rangers have been engaging in a number of bush-meat operations and arrested 2 poachers who killed an Aardvark on the 29 rd of May. Incidents sitrep Ivory recovered and arrest 2/4/16 Skin recover and arrest: 23/5/16 Bush meat recover and arrest: 5/2/16 1 suspect (John Kiwape) arrested at Emorijoi with 6kg ivory and handed over to KWS Wuaso Ngiro station for further investigation. 3 suspects (Moses Okeo Ouma, Zungu Wilis and Peter Oloaloa) arrested along Narok Bomet road with 4 python skin, the three suspects were taken to Sotik police station and booked with OB number: 16/23/05/2016 Court location: Sotik 2 suspects (George Wambura and Alfayo Machanga) arrested in Lolgorian with 100 kgs bush meat, the two suspects were taken to Lolgorian police station and booked with OB number: 15/30/05/2016 Court location: Kilgoris HEC HEC continues to be an issue and we thought it had peaked when the farms were about to be harvested but it continues in community areas farms and bomas. We have had to use the helicopter on a number of occasions to push elephants out of the farms. MEP SIT REP April and May 2016 3
Pushing a large herd out Ewaso Ngiro near Narok DATES SECTOR NAME GPS LOCATION CROPS ACTION 10/4/16 olmotonyi 01 12.497'' Chasing the elephant out of the 35 12.220'' 14/4/2015 Partakila 01 16.900'' 34 57.137'' 18/4/2016 Partakila 01 11.518'' 34 51.548'' 5/5/16 Munyas 01 03.611'' Chasing the elephant out of the Chasing elephants from out of the Chase elephants out of Munyas area 35 15.2958'' 6/5/16 Transmara 01 11.144'' 34 50.626'' Settlement Searching for lucy and push her out of Tunai farm with heli 6/5/16 Wuaso Ngiro 01 10.036'' 35 45.875'' Settlement Push elephants out of Wuaso Ngiro with heli 12/5/16 olemoncho 01 11.348'' Seaching Search for suspect and push elephant from 35 17.170'' suspect that area with heli 01 11.144'' Settlements Chased elephants out of olmotonyi area 14/5/2016 Olmotonyi 34 50.626'' 18/5/2016 Aitong 01 11.069'' to Nyakweri forest with heli 35 15.338'' 20/5/2016 Lemek 01 11.069'' to aitong hills with heli Maize 35 15.338'' 29/5/2016 Mararianda 01 12.507'' 35 03.278'' Chased elephant out of Aitong centre chasing the elephant out of the Settlements Chase Elephants and lion out of Mararienda with heli Staff: We are very excited about working with Victoria Fanthrop in the near future. Elephant Tracking: MEP SIT REP April and May 2016 4
Hugo Fred Mytene Bobo Ivy Caroline Kegol Lucy Naibosho Chelsea Limo Shorty Hugo spent the duration of the reporting period inside the MNC near the Musiara area. Then on the 14 th of April he moved into MMNR before coming back to MNC on 18 th of April. Currently he is in the MNC Fred spent the duration of the reporting period in the Mara Triangle and Mara North. Then on the 22 nd April he moved to Ololoolo escarpment breaking Transmara geofence, Currently he is in MNC next to Serian Camp Mytene spent the duration of the reporting period in the Serengeti near Klein s Camp, He cross to Kenya border on 24 th of may and went back to Serengeti on 30 th of may. He is currently in Serengeti. Bobo has continued to live in the borderlands of Ol Choro Conservancy and settlement areas in the Morijoi area. He has been using this area as a stage to crop raid at night. We have deployed rangers to this area several times. We have also erect chili fences in the area. After the erection of chili fence in the area Bobo moved to MNC. Bobo collar lost signal on the 27 th of may to now. Ivy has spend the last two months between MNC, Lemek and Ol Choro. She has visited the MEP property several times. Caroline has spend the last two months between Pardamat, Olkinyei and Naibosho conservancy. She has been breaking oldoinyio Erinka geofence several times. Caroline has been visited by Oldoinyio Erinka team several times and was last seen with a baby. Kegol has been a resident of MNC and Oloisukut conservancy for the last two months and occasionally broke into the geofence around Mararienta Lucy is one of our very elusive elephants. On the 14 th of May she came out of the Nyekweri forest and we managed to photograph her and her large herd around olmotonyi Transmara area, Lucy and the herd wanted to cross to the southern side of Nyekweri forest but through settlement area, We manage to push them back to Nyekweri to control conflict in the area. Naibosho has spent the last two months between MMNR, and Naibosho conservancy. Currently she is in Naibosho Chelsea continues to stick to watercourses in the Olkinyei area. Limo has also spent the reporting period in the Olkinyei and Siana area. Shorty is still in the Mugumo area of the Serengeti Tanzania. MEP SIT REP April and May 2016 5
Focus for April and May: Receive new uniforms: Done Hold AGM: Done Host Drone Demo with KWS: Not Done Attend Ivory Burn with founder: Done Assist to Launch website: Done Implement WILD 3.0 in all stations: Done Circulate Annual Report: Not Done Harmonize MIKE data with KWS: Not done Focus for June and July Develop relationship with the Fundraising Specialist and write letter of offer Re Collar Ivy and Bobo Host Drone Demo Circulate Annual Report Harmonize MIKE data Write final report for USAID MEP SIT REP April and May 2016 6