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.
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