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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 19h

MEP rangers responded to move elephants out of a tea tree farm. After responding with their drone, they were relieved to see the herd was just passing through, and while it caused some crop damage, they didn’t stick around to eat and most likely wouldn’t come back. A positive sign for coexistence.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 3d

MEP staff took part in a Mental Health Awareness Workshop which provided a safe and interactive space to explore mental wellness, emotional resilience and stress management because protecting wildlife begins with protecting the wellbeing of the people behind the mission!💚🐘

#WorldMentalHealthDay

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 4d

In September, Mara Elephant Project celebrated fourteen years of measurable impact, protecting elephants, supporting communities and conserving the Mara’s wild spaces. Read about this and more in the September Monthly Report.

Celebrating 14 Years in MEP's September Monthly Report - Mara Elephant Project

MEP turned 14 on September 13. To honor fourteen years of measurable impact, protecting elephants, supporting communities, and conserving the Mara’s wild spaces, we held an anniversary celebration in…

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 5d

Mara Elephant Project’s conservation education team took part in a screening for The Elephant Queen, a moving film that sparks important conversations about the role of elephants and why protecting them matters. We added a fun twist at one of the visits by organizing a football match!

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 7d

MEP received a report that elephants were inside a sugarcane farm and a large crowd was gathering nearby. We immediately deployed the helicopter; however, as the crowd grew MEP rangers adjusted their response and deployed their drone for a more targeted approach. Luckily, it worked.

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 8d

MEP, KWS and WRTI recently collared a tuskless bull elephant. Beyond this anomaly or maybe because of it, this individual is a known crop raider. Tracking his movements will inform mitigation response and offer insights into how he’s navigating the changing landscape.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 9d

An injured female elephant was reported to MEP acting visibly distressed. Identified as Individual #830, we raced to the scene to help treat her spear wound with the Kenya Wildlife Service / @sheldricktrust.bsky.social vet team. MEP rangers remain on the ground monitoring her recovery.

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 10d

Continuous training keeps MEP’s rangers and researchers engaged and prepared while operating in the field. In Sept, over a single day, MEP hosted a drone training for all of MEP’s registered pilots and a collaring training to demonstrate best practices for assisting with an elephant collaring ops.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 11d

Meet Alice, a collared elephant living inside the Mau Forest. A MEP drone pilot identified her moving with a herd of 12, alongside her 2-year-old calf. Alice spends most of her time inside the dense forest, making her a key individual for understanding elephant family groups in the Mau.

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 12d

The success of an ongoing MEP elephant habitat preservation project in the Loita Forest.

💪🏾1,600 landowners paid to be the guardians of their land
🌱Preventing the deforestation of 15K+ acres
🐘Supported the restoration of 500+ acres of rangeland

Join us.

buff.ly/Zv2YAxW

#WHD2025 #WorldHabitatDay

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 13d

This mother and her calves were trapped within a maze of fences. MEP rangers deployed their drone to start delicately guiding them out. It took an hour of coordinated efforts with the vehicle on the ground, but eventually they got them to safety.

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 14d

MEP responded to a lost elephant calf. MEP teamed up with MNC rangers to reunite the 2-year-old female with her mother. Spotting the mother from the air, they split into two groups to guide the herd and the calf toward each other, leading to a successful reunion.

#WorldAnimalDay

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 15d

Check out this sweet moment MEP rangers captured on video while monitoring a herd of elephants with their drone in the Mau Forest. It’s a young elephant calf diligently following mom as she navigates the forest. Nothing motivates the wildlife protectors more than seeing the next generation.

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 16d

#TOTThursday: Over the past 3 months, we’ve taken training to the next level, running 3 cohorts and training 90+ rangers from more than 15 conservancies. This advanced phase focused on advanced the skills of previous attendees thanks to support from the Basecamp Explorer Foundation – Kenya.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 18d

Who needs a big screen TV when you have a monitor this big and clear on a drone? The drone can identify movement from a wide angle, which allows MEP rangers to zoom in on the subject, even in dense brush, and capture a crystal-clear image to look for injuries or, in this case a satellite collar.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 18d

Today is the last day to support the Mara Elephant Project rangers participating in the #WildlifeRangerChallenge. We are 80% of the way to our $5,000 goal to provide equipment and training to support these wildlife warriors. Help us reach our goal today!

buff.ly/aI7IYvs

#ForWildlifeRangers

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 19d

To foster communication with local communities MEP works alongside to protect wildlife, we are focused on rolling out Virtual Ranger, an innovative tool designed to make reporting and responding to human-elephant conflict cases easier. In August, MEP conducted trainings for 236 people.

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 20d

The MEP coexistence team is setting out to discover solutions to address the challenges that communities and wildlife face as they share resources within the Mara landscape. Working with 120 farmers to grow and sell elephant-friendly crops.

Learn more, buff.ly/UPv8bNo.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 21d

The MEP/@sheldricktrust.bsky.social rangers deployed their thermal drone to move herd of elephants leaving the forest in the dead of night to cross into bordering community farms. In just 30 minutes they safely guided the herd out of the farms and back into the forest.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 22d

We don’t know what it is about elephants drinking, but we could watch it all day. The Mara Elephant Project mobile ranger team recently monitored this herd enjoying a drink.

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Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 23d

#TOTThursday - This cohorts Training of Trainers (ToT) course marks a milestone, the highest number of female rangers we’ve ever had in one session. Six women representing 4 conservancies in the Mara and two MEP rangers are undertaking courses supported by the Basecamp Explorer Foundation – Kenya.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 24d

In late August, the MEP ‘Foxtrot’ ranger team monitored a bull elephant limping through Mara North Conservancy. After some observation, they determined he needed immediate treatment. The next day, the assisted KWS Vet Dr. Njoroge with the @sheldricktrust.bsky.social vet team during the treatment.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 25d

Last month, Imani Collective launched the new basecamp collection featuring elephant artwork from Kenyan artist Nzilani Simu. The striking elephant design was inspired by her time spent with the Mara Elephant Project, and proceeds from these items support our conservation efforts. buff.ly/ABIttQ4

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 27d

The MEP/@sheldricktrust.bsky.social Mau De-Snaring Unit has been responsible for the destruction of over 50 kilns in the Mau Forest in 2025. Constructed to turn hardwood trees inside the forest into charcoal, deterring these habitat destruction activities is critical to preservation.

Mara Elephant Project @maraelephant.bsky.social · 27d

Rangers Jackson, Erick, Cosmas and Lenkume, the ‘MEP Bulls’, participated in the #WildlifeRangerChallenge competing with 100+ other ranger teams from 24 African nations all leading up to the finale; Race Day this weekend. They placed 2nd!

Show Support - buff.ly/BxgVpY1

#ForWildlifeRangers

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