Aerial elephant count in the Shimba Hills ecosystem, Kenya

Conducted by helicopter in the Shimba Hills ecosystem in August 1997 a one day wet season count observed 464 elephant, and served to verify the estimated 412 obtained through dung counts. 150 of the animals were in Mwaluganje Forest, giving a density of 6 elephant per sq km in this area. The population in the Forest has probably been increasing since the 1950's. Shimba Hills National Reserve itself is enclosed by an electric fence. A wildlife corridor, namely the Mwaluganje Community Conservation Area, joins the Reserve and the Forest but there is no additional habitat/range for this isolated population which is literally surrounded by human habitation and agricultural land. Vegetation damage by elephants in the Shimba Hills ecosystem has reached critical levels in localized areas, and the area's biodiversity may suffer if management action is not taken soon. The author discusses the growth of the population and the differing opinions of researchers who have undertaken previous surveys. He conclusions are in line with a recent consultant's report (Kamanga, 1997) who suggested 200 animals should be removed, and that a density of 0.5 elephants per sq km is probably good for the Shimba ecosystem. Translocation is suggested as an option to consider followed up by a population control immunocontraception programme

Aerial census of the Gash-Setit elephant population of Eritrea and Ethiopia

During a total aerial count in southwestern Eritrea and northern Ethiopia between 31 October to 16 November 1996, 8 elephant were observed. Two animals were near Haicota along the Gaxh River and six were along the Tekezze River on the Ethiopian side of the border. The two groups are considered to be one population although there was a good distance between them. These Gash-Setit region animals are thought to be the only remaining elephants in Eritrea. This is significantly lower than expected,and because the survey was done at the end of the wet season when the animals are dispersed it is recommended a dry season count be done in order to determine the status more clearly. No elephants were seen near the Sheraro settlements which have reported crop damage and it is assumed the two bulls observed near Haicota may be responsible. Two old carcasses were seen

Two successful elephant translocations in Kenya

In the 7 years since the Kenya Wildlife Service made a decision to translocate rather than kill problem elephant the success rate of the transfer excercises has improved. Two excercises undertaken in 2000 were completed with no elephant deaths: in March 10 elephant (7 from Sweetwaters S and 3 from Lewa Conservancy) were moved from private game sanctuaries in Laikipia to Meru; and, in October 3 elephant were transferred to from Shimba Hills to Tsavo East NP. The 3 bulls moved in October were fitted with radio collars and subsequent monitoring has shown that thus far they have remained within 50 km of their release sit

Resolving human-elephant conflict in Luwero District, Uganda, through elephant translocation

Since the early 1970s migration routes between Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls NPs have been increasingly cut off by settlement and agricultural land, and elephant living in the area have become isolated subpopulations. Capture and translocation were chosen as the management option to deal with four adult elephants (2 bulls, 2 cows) involved in crop raiding, property damage, and competition for water in the Luwero area. The animals were anaesthised darted from a helicopter, and were loaded onto trucks and transported Murchison Falls NP. Article describes procedures used in locating, anaesthetizing, loading, transporting , and safely releasing the animals. One of which was radio collared while the other three were paint marked for further monitoring. The work was undertaking by the Kenya Wildlife Service Translocation Team in conjunction with staff for the Uganda Wildlife Authorit

Translocation of elephants: the Kenyan experience

Reviews the initial large scale translocation programme in which 26 elephant from Mwea National Park in central Kenya, an area completely surrounded by agricultural land, were to be moved to Tsavo East National Park in the southeastern portion of the country. Sixteen elephant were successfully translocated in five operations between September 1995 and June 1996. During the third operation 5 other animals died, 3 in recumbent state after being darted and 2, which were revived after darting, two days later. Death was related to a change in diet was caused a physiological condition brought on by an abnormally high potassium level in the body leading to heart failure. Details of the programme which removed a total of 21 elephants from the Mwea population are discuss

Elephants as actors in the political ecology of human–elephant conflict

This paper examines the agency of African elephants as important actors in the political ecology of human-elephant conflict, and in shaping the politics of land in post-colonial Kenya. The paper is based on field research in Laikipia, northern Kenya. It considers the role of elephants, with their size, sagacity, hunger, mobility and complex interactions with people, as powerful actors in shared landscapes, and therefore in the politics surrounding their own conservation. The paper uses spatial data and interviews to explore elephant behaviour and movements through the landscape and their interactions with people, and explore the way in which those interactions affect the separation of ‘animal spaces’ set aside for conservation and the ‘beastly places’ of smallholder farming and crop-raiding, and the conflict and transgressions involved when elephants cross from one to the other. The elephant is a lively actor in the inter-species power play of Laikipia, and the politics of conservation and of land. A mutually respectful multispecies politics in northern Kenya demands a clear understanding and acceptance of the needs of elephants