Some elephant populations, like Amboseli’s, are gradually rebounding following dark decades of ivory poaching, only to find themselves now coming into increasing conflict with expanding human populations who are converting land into farms and development.

Here in the Greater Amboseli ecosystem, conflict is most severe along the fertile slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. Ideally suited for farming, it’s also a key dispersal area for the ecosystem’s elephants. Injuries and casualties were being suffered on both sides.

In response, Big Life constructed over 100km of electric fencing in 2018. This prevented 90% of crop raids in the area it was built, a remarkable successful. Since then, however, a small group of elephants has systematically learned how to break through the fence, creating new problems.

As a result, our Rapid Response rangers have become professional elephant wranglers, repeatedly protecting farmers and chasing elephants from fields. This is dangerous exhausting work.

Thermal drones are the latest and most exciting development in this Space Race, and they are already demonstrating enormous potential. Despite being operational for less than two months, our drone pilots have prevented 14 elephants from entering farms on 10 occasions (a 100% success rate), and helped stop 7 elephants raiding crops on 4 occasions.

Corporal Agostino Mutinda, one of our two drone pilots, is proud of the work he is doing, saying: “The rapid response rangers are so happy with the drones. It often takes them several hours to chase elephants from farms, but with the drone it can be done in 20 minutes. Farmers are also really pleased with the work we are doing and are constantly asking for our help.”

Stay tuned for more updates!

: Joshua Clay

Learn more about Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation