Moving the jumbos

"We have also radio-collard six matriarchs (old female elephants who lead the family herds) and will be monitoring their movements using the global positioning system (GPS) so that our rangers can drive them away before they reach private farms. We want to be pro-active in our management of the elephants," he says.

The population of elephants in Kenya fell drastically from an estimated 167,000 in 1973 to 16,000 in 1989 as a result of poaching. The KWS, however, has reversed the trend and today, the population stands at 28,000 elephants.

Mr Omondi says the KWS Elephant Programme, based on the Elephant Conservation Plan – Kenya of 1991, lays emphasis on elephant protection, monitoring of illegal trade in ivory and the status and trends of elephant population.

"It also calls for basic and applied research and effective management of elephants in parks and reserves to ensure optimal use of available habitats and the reduction of crop damage outside parks," he says.

Unlike many African countries, Kenya’s elephants are not restricted to fenced national parks and reserves. They range across large areas outside the network of protected areas, making them vulnerable to poaching.

On the other hand, human settlements on the elephants' traditional migratory routes and dispersal areas have restricted elephant movements over the past decade, making human-elephant conflict and habitat destruction by elephants issues of national concern.