We receive regular updates from all our project partners. One of the challenges is sharing information. Many of the updates we receive contain sensitive information such as wildlife movements, ranger deployment and internal organisational matters, which if shared, could put the wildlife or the rangers working on the frontline in danger.
We recently received the Internal Report for January, shared only with stakeholders, from our partner in the Masai Mara – Mara Elephant Project.
It detailed an arrest of a suspect found in possession of elephant ivory, the work of the de-snaring and anti-poaching teams, and mobile vet teams. All have been very busy.
The vet teams are treating more and more elephants for spear wounds as a result of human/wildlife conflict, usually as a result of crop raiding.
It is worth repeating that more elephants are being lost in Kenya due to human/wildlife conflict than poaching.
This was the main driver for supporting MEPs Co-Existence Farm Project in 2022. The idea is to trial a whole range of crops to identify which is less attractive to elephants. The study helps local communities diversify what they grow. Traditional crops are grown to feed the community but diversification can provide opportunities, for example, fresh herbs and chillis can be harvested regularly and sold to safari camps/lodges, providing a valuable income stream.
January has seen hippo and elephant raiding at the farm. Coriander has been harvested – 21 kg of it – and carrots. But the major success continues to be chilli – so perhaps ‘the future is chilli red’, rather than orange?
Less succesful crops include cabbage, peppers and tomatoes – replanted for the fourth time – and spinach, all predated by hippos. Cucumber, sweet potatoes and butternut squash have all been destroyed by elephants. The trial is still in its early stages and it’s great to hear that both the kitchen garden and medicinal plants are doing very well.
Reading the monthly report is a stark reminder of the challenges the team face.
I also thought you would like to know that you got a shout-out!
“Mara Elephant Project Trust in Kenya received $11,121 in donations in January. Thank you to Explorers Against Extinction and all of their supporters for raising money to support the Co-Existence Farm.”
Images: MEP
