February 2023 witnessed a surge in illicit activities within various Parks, with poaching emerging as a significant concern.
Helicopter patrols uncovered and dismantled multiple poachers’ hideouts, including four recently established ones.
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At Galana Ranch, ground teams stumbled upon tracks of a heavily laden motorbike suspected of transporting bushmeat. Despite extensive helicopter searches, no suspects were apprehended.
Additionally, aerial teams responded to two other poaching incidents, one involving eight individuals attempting to load sacks of bushmeat onto a truck on the Mombasa Highway. The poachers escaped into the bush, evading capture.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) collaborated, deploying a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft for support.
Regrettably, the poachers eluded capture in all instances. Another operation involved a K9 Unit dispatched to Ithumba to track fresh footprints discovered by ground teams.
During February, several elephant carcasses were discovered, and two were confirmed as poaching victims. KWS and SWT cooperated on a comprehensive operation, resulting in the arrest of a poacher found in possession of ivory.
Aerial patrols at Galana Wildlife Conservancy revealed an old elephant carcass, likely a drought casualty, still with intact ivory.
Another carcass, with both tusks intact, was found near a recent poachers’ hideout containing 13 poisoned arrows, suggesting poaching activity.
Aside from the increased discovery of illegally hunted animal remains, the Aerial Unit handled numerous veterinary emergencies.
Two incidents at Rukinga Ranch involved animals ensnared, including an elephant with a snare around its foot and a Grevy’s Zebra with a snare around its head, severing both ears. Despite severe injuries, both animals are expected to recover fully.
In Tsavo East’s Northern Area, two elephants with fresh arrow wounds were discovered, along with other carcasses.
Both injured elephants were successfully treated after being located through helicopter patrols. Poisoned arrows were retrieved, indicating poaching activities.
A helicopter was pivotal in treating an elephant at Kimana Sanctuary with a severe spear wound on its ankle.
Despite a gunshot wound on her leg, a female elephant north of Lake Jipe received treatment but succumbed to infection, highlighting the challenges elephants face in recovering from such injuries.
During February, two elephant calves were rescued in separate incidents. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) airlifted a calf trapped in a sandy well in Shompole, while another calf was rescued in Turkwel following a Human-Elephant Conflict.
Efforts to mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) included redirecting elephants from community land back to protected habitats. Notably, a herd of 28 elephants was successfully guided away from farms near Sagalla Hill.
Despite the drought, livestock management efforts were underway, with reduced presence in Tsavo East and controlled numbers in Tsavo West. However, there was an uptick in livestock in the Chyulu Hills, prompting KWS intervention.
Various activities were observed, including logging in Tsavo East’s northern region and widespread charcoal burning on Kulalu and Galana Ranches.
Aerial patrols uncovered a new logging site, prompting ground investigations that led to the seizure of abandoned belongings.
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