MEPOctober2017Report

Collaredelephant,Chelsea,inOlkinyei.General:TheMarahashadseveralheavyrainsturningtheareagreenbutunfortunately,thegrassisstillveryshort.MEPisworkingongettingaweatherstationatHQsothatwecanrecordmoreaccurateweatherinformation.ThismonthwehavebeenreactingtoanumberofsecurityincidentsinLoita,MauandtheMara.TheMEPintelligenceteamhadanotablesuccesswhentheyledaKenyaWildlifeService(KWS)rangerunittoarresttwosuspectswith40kgofivoryinMeru.ThishasbeenthesecondarrestinthelastthreemonthsoutsideNarokCounty.WehavebeenassistingourpartnersKWS,NarokCountyGovernment(NCG)andKenyaForestService(KFS)tobringaseriousloggingissuetolightintheMauForest.We’veprovidedintelligencegatheredthroughaerialreconnaissanceandsubmittedareporttotherelevantpeopleineachorganization.

Fundraising:ESCAPEFoundationExecutiveDirectorBrianKearney-GrievegotawrittenpledgefromChristopherParkerfromOakFoundationforcoreoperationalcosts.ThisisfantasticnewsandwewillbepresentingthefullproposalbeforetheendofNovember.We’realsothrilledMargyMcCormickhaspledgedtosupportanelephantcollarandallactivitiestoprotectthiselephantandtheirherdforthenextthreeyears.UnmannedAerialVehicles(UAVs):Onthe23rdofOctober,wereceivedanoobjectionresponselettertotheKCAAapplicationfortheC.E.O.tooperatetwoMavicProUAVs.Thelastfewitemsweneedtocompleteisclearancefromagenciesinourareasofoperationandupdateddatesofoperation.ThismeansthatwearenowabletocontinuewiththeUAVprogramtochivyelephantsoutofconflict.Research:JakeWallfromSavetheElephantsandVulcancametovisitMEPfor12daysthismonthwhichwasveryproductive.Duringthistime,weachievedthebulkofouragendaandagreedonitemstocontinuetoworkon.OneimmediateexcitingdevelopmentisthatMEPandMaraConservancywillhaveitsownDASchapter.ThismeanswewillbeabletopopulatethesystemwithMEPdatadirectlyandgetautomatedreportsfromourefforts.TheC.E.O.requestedthatJakebetheChairmanoftheMEPScienceBoard.PartnershipDevelopment:ChrisDoehringandJakeWallagreedtopartnerwithustosetupDAS.Thiswillhappeninthenextseveralweeks.TreyFreshenedwhomanagesourSpecialProjectsattendedadronetrainingcoursewithBrianKearney-GrieveinVirginiawithExpertDroneswhoMEPplanstopartnerwithtodeveloptheUAVproject.Security:ThesamegangthatwerecentlyreportedhadrobbedMararientaandshotthepolicemaninAitonghitanotherfourtimesinthelastmonth.Thislevelofactivity,andtheinabilitytocatchthem,istotallyunacceptableandMEPwillre-deployourintelligencenetworktohelp.AsoneofthestakeholdersintheMara,MEPtakesthisissueseriously.Belowisatableoutliningtheiractivities.

Dates LocationNoofpeople Notes

31/9/2017

Laila 3

Noclearreportofwhatthethievesstoleinthecenter.ThreepeoplearmedwithAK47RifflehijackamatatufromMulottoLaila.

18/10/2017

Aitong/Oloosokon 3

ThreepeoplearmedwithanAK47riflehijackamotorbikebelongstoKuseyoKisharuandtookamotorbike,twophonesand218,000ksh.MotorbikelaterfoundinOloosokonbush.

25/10/2017 EndoinyioErinka Unknown Motorbikestoleninendoinyioerinka28/10/2017

Aitongcenter 3ThreepeoplearmedwithAK47rifleandapistolrobbedNoorshopandmanagedtotakeKsh240,000.

WesenttherapidresponseunitbackintotheMauForestandtheyhaverecordedalotofhumanactivity,includingillegallogging,insidetheforestandHECwithsurroundingfarmers.Theyfollowedabullherdandafamilygrouplookingforcollaringcandidates.Onthe16thwerespondedtoshotsfiredinLoitawithasmallarmedteamfromKWS.Theyinterviewedmanyherdersintheforestandpatrolledtheareaswheretheshotscamefrom.Fromthe11thtothe17thwejoinedandprovidedaerialsupporttoajointoperationintheNyekweriForesttostopillegalcharcoalburningoperations.Weweresuccessfulwith27suspectsarrested.Incidentssitrep

Deadelephanton:11/10/2017.

AdeadelephantwasfoundinMaraNorthConservancy;thecarcasswasreportedbyMEPHQteam.Thecauseofdeathconsideredashuman-elephantconflict,therawcausewasarrowwound.ElephantknownasCourtneywasoneofMaraElephantProject’smostrecentcollaredelephants.ShewascollaredonOctober29,2016inOlonkolinaftershewasfoundwoundedby11arrows.Shewasinaharrowingattackbyfarmersaftersheandherherdhadbeenactivelycropraiding.TuskswererecoveredandhandedovertotheKWSEwuasoNgirostation.Mikefilenumber20/17.

Ivoryrecoveredandarrest:22/10/17.

TwosuspectsarrestedinMerutownbytheKWSrangersonMEPintel,with40kgivory.SuspecttakentoMerupolicestationandbooked.

IvoryrecoveredinMeruPatrolReport:

AllMEPgroundpatroltracksforOctobergeneratedbyWILD.Rangerspatrolreport Kawai HQ Munyas Enkutoto Olkinyei Mobileteam Totals

Hoursonpatrolpermonth 219:45:00 63:55:00 121:29:01 115:24:00 112:58:00 133:34:00

Distancewalkedpermonth(Foot)

56.8 10.7 84.4 355.9 123.3 69.8 700.9

NO.oftargetpointsvisitedpermonth

3 1 4 3 6 2 19

No.ofelephantssightedpermonth

283 139 87 245 505 84 1343

DaysofWILDdatasubmitted 23 25 16 29 29 16 138

DaysofWILDdataMissing 7 5 14 1 1 14 42

No.ofqualitiesphotossubmitted

3 8 6 5 23 1 46

No.ofincidentpermonth 1 0 4 0 2 2 9

HEC 2 0 0 1 0 0 3

POACHING 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

ANIMALMORTALITY 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

PROPERTYDESTRUCTION

0 2 1 0 0 0 3

ILLEGALHUMANACTIVITIES

0 0 0 0 0 2 2

No.ofpoacherscaughtpermonth

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

No.ofsnaresrecoveredpermonth

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Allissuedequipmentpresent Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0

Conditionofequipment Good Good Good Good Good Good

Distancecoveredbyvehicle 397.5 390.6 210.4 0 177.7 644.8

Distancecoveredbymotorbike 0 _ 6.4 76.9 61.2 _

Vehiclebreakagesduringthemonth

Servicenextmonth,coilspringreplace.

Weldingandfrontmainspringbushesrepair.

_ _ Injectorpumpcalibrationandclutchplate.

_

Motorbikebreakagesduringthemonth

_ _ _ KMDN034Wgoodcondition

Kmdn052WGoodcondition.

_

TheabovetableisconstructedfromdataintheWILDappwhichhasbeenmanuallycompiledbyTrackingManagerWilsonSairowua.WearestillhavingissueswithWILDnotbeingabletoexporttracksandtabulatepatroldata;however,wecanstillbetterraterangerteamsandkeepontopoftheirmovementssowestillfindWILDusefuloperationally.WearelookingatoptionstocollectrangerdatawhichgoesstraitontoDASusingGarminInReachdevicesandthengeneratereportsfromourdata.HEC:ThismonthweonlyexperiencedafewHECincidents.Thesewererelatedtoelephantsinsettlements,cropraidingrecentlyplantedmaizefarms,anddisturbinglivestockherds.DATES SECTOR

NAMECROPS ACTION/OPERATIONDETAILS MEANS

04/10/2017 Munyas Maizefarms Pushelephantsoutofmaizefarm byuseofcar&firecrackers

08/10/2016 Munyas settlement Pushelephantsoutoffarms byuseofcar&firecrackers

08/10/2017 Kaawai maizefarms PushelephantstoNyakweriforest byuseofcar&firecrackers

09/10/2017 Isokon maizefarms Moveelephantsdowntheescarpment byuseofcar&firecrackers

14/10/2017 Munyas maizefarms Moveelephantsoutofmaizefarms byuseofcar&firecrackers

17/10/2017 EndoinyioNarasha

settlement movedbigherdtoOlkinyeiconservancyafterbreakingschoolfence

Byuseofcar

18/10/2017 Ngosuani maizefarms Moveelephantsoutoffences Byuseofcar

21/10/2017EndoinyioNarasha Settlement MoveelephantsawayfromtheSettlement Helicopter

26/10/2017 Lemek Maizefarms Pushelephantsbacktosafeareafromsettlement Byuseofcar27/08/2017 Ngosuani Maizefarms Moveelephantsoutoffences Byuseofcar

Meetings:JakeWallandNicElliotfromtheMaraLionProjectmetatthepredatorhubonthe24thtodiscussascientificcollaboration.TheC.E.O.attendedtheElephantConservationandManagementStrategy(2012-2021)CentralRiftCommitteemeetinginNakuruonthe30thofOctober.Thestrategyreviewwaspresentedandallthepartnershavealottodo.Onthe14thWilsonhostedatrainingcourseatMEPHQforthemanagementofMNC,Olchoro,andNaboishoontheWILDapp.ElephantTracking:KWSgaveuspermissiontocollartwoelephantsintheMauForest.AsmentionedintheincidentssituationreportwelostelephantCourtney.Wehavenotbeenabletomonitoralltheelephantsbyairthismonthbutwedidvisitafewduringotheroperations.Thismonthwearepresentingthe3rdquarterSARFanalysis.OnenotablemovementwasChiriwhohada40%increaseinrangelastquarterwhenshewenttoLoitaandthenbacktoSiana.

Helicopter:ThismonththeKWShasrequestedandfundedpatrolflightsandsupportmissionstotheMauandLoitaareas.Date Justification

10/04/2017 ToNairobiforCoAinspection

10/04/2017 TestflightforCoA

10/09/2017 ReturntoMara

10/10/2017 MauReccewithEkiru

10/11/2017 TriptoNarokReturnforfirearmslicense

10/12/2017 MauReccewithKWS

10/12/2017 LoitaReccewithKWS

10/13/2017 MauReccewithNarokCountyGovernment

10/14/2017 LolgorianjointoperationsupportandcheckHangzhou

10/16/2017 RapidresponsetogunshotsinLoita,FerryKWSrangerstoLoita

10/18/2017 ToNairobiforFirearmsrenewalviaOlolunga

10/19/2017 ReturnMaraViaMosirotocheckSantiyan

10/21/2017 RetrieveLoitaKWSrangersfromSianaandrefuel.

10/21/2017 ChivielephantLimofromOdonyoNarashaCenter

10/22/2017 CheckfarmingstatusinEmartiArea

10/23/2017 MauresponsetogunshotsinOlengurone.MeetupwithMauteam

10/24/2017 LookingforMaraLionprojectcollarwhichdroppedoffinNaikara

10/24/2017 HECnearNgoswanicenterandcheckOlchoda

10/29/2017 DASmeetingwithBrianHeathandmonitoring.Hugo,Fred,Kegol.

10/30/2017FlighttoNakuruforprovincialcommitteemeetingoftheKWSElephantStrategy

10/30/2017 NakurutoMeruviaNanyuki

OneofthelandingzonesintheLoitaForestwheninterviewingherders.