Last month, we received a call from the eagle-eyed guides at Angama Amboseli that a large bull elephant was walking around Kimana Sanctuary with what appeared to be a metal rod through his lower lip, and Big Life rangers responded immediately to assess the situation.

The elephant in question was Per – a 37-year-old emerging tusker who had been pushed away from farms by our Drone Unit on three separate occasions in the weeks leading up to this incident. It appears he must have eventually succeeded, and farmers responded to protect their crops.

The Sheldrick Wildlife-funded KWS vet unit soon arrived and removed the metal rod, revealing it to be a broken end of a spear. Fortunately, the cut was not serious and easily treated, and Per was soon up and walking, without his new piercing.

8 days later, another victim of conflict with nearby farmers was spotted limping through Kimana Sanctuary, this time a female elephant with a spear wound on her left knee. Big Life rangers again contacted the KWS vet who treated her and got her back on her feet quickly.

Per’s mother, Penelope, was a celebrated matriarch of one of Amboseli’s largest elephant families - the PA’s. She died in 2001 at the grand age of 63, not of old age but as a casualty of conflict, speared while raiding crops.

A quarter of a century later and her son almost met the same fate but didn’t. What has changed?

Collaboration and communication. Today, we have eyes and ears almost everywhere and respond to incident reports as they happen. We work with a diverse range of partners across the ecosystem who share the common goal of keeping the peace. This shared commitment to coexistence is saving lives every day.

We are grateful to Amboseli Trust for Elephants for their remarkable long-term research on these elephants, The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and KWS for their dedication to veterinary treatment, and to Angama who continue to set the standard for responsible tourism.

📸: Jay Supeyo / Angama