. Across Kenya, January and February was characterised as fairly dry with a marked decrease in rainfall resulting in the start of vegetation drying out and water pans lowering. However, the ecosystems retained enough browse and water to not have a serious impact on the body condition of the wildlife. The rainy season typically starts in late March/early April but for much of Kenya it began early this year, with heavy thunderstorms and rainfall resulting in flooding. For some areas, such as the Mara this created challenges as roads and infrastructure were affected.

Of the 142 cases attended to, 47 were attributed to poaching, including 20 elephants, 15 of which were arrowed or speared primarily in the Masai Mara or Tsavo Ecosystems. There were also three elephants with bullet wounds (one attributed to human-wildlife conflict and the other possibly poaching victims). There were 28 snaring cases, the majority of which were in the Rift Valley were bushmeat poaching is still rampant – the target animals being herbivores such as zebra and giraffe. However, one of the biggest challenges the Rift Valley area is experiencing is the expanding human settlements. Some prominent corridors have been fenced off, trapping herbivores into areas with limited resources and increasing dangerous interactions. Furthermore, wildlife are trapped along roadsides increasing the likelihood of vehicle collisions and falling in roadside trenches. During this quarter, 1 giraffe and 1 hippo were trapped in trenches, and 1 hippo was hit by a speeding vehicle. A total of 20 animals were relocated to safer, protected areas.