Although rains were largely disappointing in Tsavo, many ecosystems transitioned to a welcome rainy season, which decreased pressures on humans and wildlife alike. As a result, we saw a slight decrease in poaching and human-wildlife conflict (HWC) cases. The Units attended to 51 poaching cases (32%), most of which involved herbivores snared for bushmeat. Three elephants and one rhino were also snared — possibly as accidental victims. Teams also treated 10 elephants for spear injuries, six for arrows, and two for gunshot wounds, which marked a significant decrease from the last quarter.

Cases related to human-wildlife conflict were a theme this month, particularly in the Rift Valley. To help address this escalating challenge, the Rift Valley Vet Unit performed a detailed assessment of how human activities, such as agricultural fencing, fragment the natural range of species such as zebra, gazelle, buffalo and giraffe. Following the assessment, the team translocated over 300 animals from recently urbanised zones into safer, protected areas. The Mara Vet Unit successfully attended to three elephants from the same herd for HWC-related injuries. Following the post-mortem of an elephant possibly killed through HWC, the Mount Kenya Unit is organising a community outreach effort to support coexistence. To mitigate potential HWC, the Mt Kenya translocated 4 elephants, and the Tsavo Vet Unit relocated 1 elephant which were close to local communities.