(Tsavo, Kenya – 21 March 2011) –Nine elephants, six male and three female, in Tsavo East and West National Parks have now been collared in three days. Plans were to collar ten elephants but one of the collars failed to pick any signal from the satellite and was termed a flopped collar. The operation has been deemed fully successful after having no injury or mortality to both human and animals.

The nine elephants will be tracked to assist in the mapping out of the migratory corridors in the Parks and the buffer zones within the 43,000 square kilometres ecosystem. Their aim is to effectively equip the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to design intervention measures for human-elephant conflict mitigation as well as mount security operations for the pachyderms.

The collared elephants’ movements are already being monitored and this will continue for close to 20 months, as long as they retain the collars. The project is a partnership between the International Fund for Animal welfare (IFAW) and KWS. In addition to providing an on-site technical team, IFAW supplied the collars, satellite image receivers and software, and fuel for the helicopter, spotter plane and vehicles.

Speaking at the end of the exercise, IFAW Eastern Africa Regional Director, James Isiche lauded the team effort of the two organisations. “Collaring four elephants per day in Tsavo is no mean feat! We covered close to 1,000 kilometres on dirt roads with the team working tirelessly from the wee hours of the morning until late evening.

IFAW hopes that the management interventions by KWS will be rapid and positive in terms of repelling elephants to reduce conflict with communities around Tsavo, and boosting anti-poaching efforts. This is particularly so because of increasing cases of human-elephant conflict in the ecosystem and rising incidences of elephant poaching to fuel the illegal ivory trade,” added Isiche.

Five elephants were collared last year by the same team; two of the elephants have since died whilst the movement of the remaining three continues to be monitored. This brings to a total of 12 elephants currently being monitored. Before last year, the last collaring in Tsavo was done in 1972 using conventional collars that required manual tracking with radio transmitters.

The Tsavo ecosystem is critical for elephant conservation as it is home to the largest population of elephants and covers approximately four per cent of Kenya’s landmass. An aerial census conducted last year established 12,573 elephants, a 2% increase from 11,696 in 2008.

Common challenges facing Tsavo’s management are poaching for ivory, human-elephant conflict, human encroachment and habitat destruction, livestock incursions into the Parks, and the adverse effects of climate change such as severe droughts. 

Since 2005, IFAW has partnered with KWS in Tsavo to enhance management operations in anti-poaching and law enforcement efforts, human-wildlife conflict mitigation and resolution, research, park infrastructural support, community conservation initiatives and education.

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About IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare)

Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebookand Twitter.

Contact:

Elizabeth Wamba (IFAW) – Kenya Tel: +254-722 882124; Email: ewamba@ifaw.org

Editors:Broadcast-quality footage and still images of Tsavo Elephants collaring availableat www.ifawimages.com

(Tsavo, Kenya – 18 March 2011) –In an epic operation starting tomorrow, ten elephants in Tsavo East and West National Parks will be collared using satellite technology. The collared elephants, both male and female, will assist in mapping out the migratory corridors in the Parks and the buffer zones within the 43,000 square kilometres ecosystem. This will effectively equip the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to design intervention measures for human-elephant conflict mitigation as well as mount security operations for the pachyderms.

The collared elephants’ movements will be closely monitored for close to 20 months, as long as they retain the collars. The elephants, which will be collared by research scientists from KWS and the International Fund for Animal welfare (IFAW) in a week-long exercise, are spread out in different sites within the ecosystem. In addition to providing an on-site technical team, IFAW has supplied the collars, satellite image receivers and software, and fuel for the helicopter, spotter plane and vehicles.

Five elephants were collared last year by the same team; two of the elephants have since died whilst the movement of the remaining three continues to be monitored. Before last year, the last collaring in Tsavo was done in 1972 using conventional collars that required manual tracking with radio transmitters.

Commenting on the eve of the exercise, IFAW Eastern Africa Regional Director, James Isiche stressed the need for Kenya to embrace cutting-edge technology in the management of its elephant population. “Cases of conflict, particularly around Tsavo, have risen sharply over the years. By monitoring movements of the collared elephants, we anticipate that incidences of death, injury and damage to crops and property arising from conflict with elephants will be minimised by rapid deployment of rangers to those areas.   

“In addition, given the rising elephant poaching in Kenya, we envisage that by monitoring them, more efficient and effective anti-poaching and law enforcement operations will be conducted by Tsavo’s management,” said Isiche.  

The Tsavo ecosystem is critical for elephant conservation as it is home to the largest population of elephants and covers approximately four per cent of Kenya’s landmass. An aerial census conducted last year established 12,573 elephants, a 2% increase from 11,696 in 2008.

Common challenges facing Tsavo’s management are poaching for ivory, human-elephant conflict, human encroachment and habitat destruction, livestock incursions into the Parks, and the adverse effects of climate change such as severe droughts. 

Since 2005, IFAW has partnered with KWS in Tsavo to enhance management operations in anti-poaching and law enforcement efforts, human-wildlife conflict mitigation and resolution, research, park infrastructural support, community conservation initiatives and education.

(End)

Contact:

Elizabeth Wamba (IFAW) – Kenya Tel: + 254 20 3870540 or +254-722 882124; Email: ewamba@ifaw.org

Editors:Broadcast-quality footage and still images of Tsavo Elephants collaring availableat www.ifawimages.com

About IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare)

Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit Facebookand Twitter.

In the past 20 years, travel in Kenya has not doubled but quadrupled ten times over and the leisure as well as business traveler is always looking for a better deal but most of all efficiency and safety.

You will note that Kenya’s sky as well as other countries in Africa will have the odd Orange dot flying across the cloudless blue skies – the new planes owned and managed by Fly540.com.

Fly540 has turned the page on low cost flying where in Europe as well as north America, the frequent flyer may be tempted to pay the odd extra dollar for efficiency, main commuter airports closer to get to, better take off times but most of all to be associated and aided by kind, professional and courteous staff where some of the world leading low cost airlines are completely lacking and getting worse as they get bigger!

Their Fly540.com staff dressed in bright orange but well toned uniform are professional and ready to help where necessary, at the sales offices, check in desks as well as in the air.

Fly540.com allows a 20kg luggage allowance per passenger unlike some of their competitors that stop at 15kg and make you pay extra for the rest.

From turbo prop airplanes, the company has invested in the latest jet engines for the regular passenger and for business or private traveler, Fly540.com has a fleet of Gulf Stream jets, Learjets, a Falcon and a Challenger.

Being a frequent flyer in East Africa, it is a pleasure to fly with them and I lately noted that they are flying into “The Ridge” situated in Vipingo – an airstrip located in one of the latest unique projects created by a small group of Kenya’s entrepreneurs offering a professional 18 hole Golf course, restaurant as well as the opportunity to purchase and build villas in the middle of a secure sisal estate overlooking the vast beauty of the Indian ocean in the distance.

Fly 540 has taken this route into its timetable and flight plans opening new relaxed travel into the north coast providing super easy access north and south of Kilifi.  I am sure we will see more positive news from this airline in the near future –

Nico Pannevis

Bushdrums.com

INVESTIGATIONS into the cause of the plane crash that led to the death of a KWS pilot last Friday have started. Civil aviation experts from the ministry of Transport visited the scene at Manyani over the weekend and carried away some parts of the plane.The commandant in charge of training at the Manyani Training School Julius Mwandai  said the plane crashed after hitting a goal post at the playground and the pilot died on the spot. He sai...

AFP: Nairobi — Despite increased poaching and a recent severe drought, Kenya has recorded a rise in elephant population in its flagship park, wildlife authorities announced Saturday.

Elephant population in the expansive Tsavo ecosystem in the south of the country rose to 12,572 from 11,696 three years ago according to the preliminary results of a censusus released Saturday.

The figures, which represent an increase of around two percent, is however less than the four percent rise that has been recorded in previous counts.

"This has happened in the backdrop of a very bad drought," said Julius Kipng'etich, the director of the Kenya Wildlife Service. "The new numbers might also reflect the increased demand for ivory and the subsequent rise in poaching."

The Tsavo National Park is Kenya's premier elephant sanctuary, hosting one third of its entire elephant population and covers 46,437 square kilometres of territory, an area bigger than Denmark and more than twice the size of Israel.

The expansive Tsavo is also the pulse on the status of Kenya's endangered elephants.

In 1976, Tsavo was home to some 35,000 elephants. In early 1970s, around 6,000 animals died during a harsh drought, and by 1988 only 5,400 remained in the park in the wake of a serious poaching onslaught.

However, the numbers have gradually grown since the early 1990s owing to tighter conservation and protection.

Conservationist Iain Douglas-Hamilton, the founder of Save the Elephants organisation said the latest figures were "hugely significant not only for Kenya but for Africa."

The wildlife authorities also raised alarm over the surge in illegal ivory trade after southern African countries of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe were allowed a one-off stockpile sale in 2008 to Japan and China.

Kenya has in recent months arrested several people trafficking ivory through its main airport in Nairobi to Asian countries where the tusks are used in traditional medicines and ornaments.

"Whilst this census is integral to the conservation and management of elephants, the real challenge remains in protecting them from threats such as poaching and challenges brought forth by land use changes," said James Isiche of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Article found on Daily Nation: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/1106238/-/111t8wxz/-/index.html