By Born Free | Born Free Foundation
Over the last year, Born Free’s conservation programme has had a massive impact on the conservation of giraffe and elephant in Meru. This holistic conservation programme works within Meru National Park but, importantly, also in the surrounding community lands. With this approach, we can give wildlife the space to thrive whilst creating a landscape of coexistence where wildlife and people can live side-by-side. We are thrilled to highlight the impact our efforts over the last year have had on the conservation of Africa’s Giants.
Elephant and Giraffe Monitoring
To conserve elephants and giraffes in Meru, we first need to understand their populations. This provides vitally important information on trends, movements, demographics, and behaviours. Since the programme was established, the team have strived to document the populations of both elephants and giraffes in Meru.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, the team documented an astonishing 169 individual giraffes, bringing the total number of identified individuals to 392 since the programme began. This represents over a quarter of the estimated giraffe population in the Meru Conservation Area – an area just over 5,000km2 comprising Meru and Kora National Parks, as well as Bisanadi and Mwingi National Reserves.
During the same period, the team identified 88 individual elephants, which included 18 cows (female elephants) and 70 bulls (male elephants). This brought the total number of identified individuals since our programme began to 339, representing almost 35% of the estimated population of elephants in the Meru Conservation Area.
A significant proportion of the elephant and giraffe populations of the Meru Conservation Area are now known to the Born Free team, which will give us incredible insights into their lives. Understanding the demographics of elephant and giraffe population can help to indicate the dynamics, trends and health of Meru’s populations. These insights will be pivotal in informing our conservation efforts going forward. For example, tracking the movement of elephants will help us understand why conflict between elephants and people occurs, where important wildlife corridors are located, and which communities are potentially more at risk of coming into conflict with elephants. Moreover, tracking the movement of giraffes will indicate which areas of the park they use most, and hence where snares pose the greatest threats. Monitoring elephants and giraffes gives our team detailed insights into these populations, allowing them to prioritise their conservation efforts to where they can have the greatest impact.
Desnaring to Protect Giraffes
Snares pose a significant threat to wildlife in Meru National Park. Giraffes are particularly vulnerable due to their elegant, but fragile, long legs. These simple yet but cruel wire traps cause significant pain and prolonged death. Born Free’s Twiga* Team is dedicated to patrolling the park, removing snares and deterring would-be poachers. Between April 2023 and March 2024, the Twiga Team covered over 500km over a cumulative period of almost 400 hours in the field, searching for snares. This incredible effort resulted in over 500 snares being removed and destroyed, each one potentially saving the life of a wild animal.
“Snaring poses a significant threat to the conservation of wildlife. However, through our unwavering commitment, we ensure that poachers are thwarted from snaring animals. This is achieved with the support of Kenya Wildlife Service rangers and our dedicated team of five scouts. My training at the Law Enforcement Academy equipped me with bushcraft skills, which I employ to navigate the wilderness and locate snares. It brings me immense satisfaction to have rescued numerous animals, aligning with my deep-seated passion for conservation” – Jacquiline Ntinyari, Twiga Team
Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation
In the last report, we talked about the construction of beehive fences. Human-elephant conflict arises when elephants forage on farmers’ crops, causing huge economic losses and potentially dangerous situations. Understandably, aggrieved farmers may be inclined to retaliate, causing stress, injury and potentially death to elephants. Beehive fences present one promising strategy to mitigate such conflict situations.
Beehive fences work because of elephants’ natural aversion to bees. They constitute a series of beehives hung on a wire around a field. When an elephant comes looking for food, it will bump into the wire causing the hives to swing, disturbing the bees. The buzzing of bees alone can be enough to cause an elephant to turn back. In this way, people’s livelihoods are protected, and by extension so are the elephants.
In 2023, Born Free constructed an initial ten beehive fences, which was followed up by a further ten, completed in April 2024. Whilst it is still early days, many of the recipients are reporting the beehive fences have had a positive impact in deterring crop foraging elephants.
Not only do the beehives protect crops, but they also provide a supply of honey, supplementing farmers’ incomes. As of March 2024, three of the beehive fences had already provided their first harvest of honey and we expect much more to come.
“Geofrey Munyua, a resident of Mpeketoni village, experienced three elephant incursions on his farm last year. The first two visits resulted in crop destruction. However, during the third visit, the presence of two newly colonized beehives deterred the elephants, preventing damage. Since then, while elephants have approached neighbouring farms, they have not re-entered Munyua’s property. The farmer is relieved and can now sleep peacefully, hoping that the remaining beehives will also become colonized” – Marymagdaline Ekeru, Conservation Ambassador
*Twiga means giraffe in Swahili
Meet Travers
In the vast expanse of Meru National Park, roams a solitary elephant named Travers, named after the President and co-founder of the Born Free Foundation. He is majestic in sight, with thick tusks that speak of his resilience and immense strength. Despite his imposing appearance, Travers is a gentle giant, preferring the solitude of his own company. His presence is a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts, a living testament to the beauty and grace of these magnificent creatures.
By Jennifer Cruse | Project Leader
By Natalie Blachford | Project Leader
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