is mara elephant project legitimate

This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself. 16.6K followers. To be a sidekick for the heroes of wildlife conservation and global humanitarian work. Using innovative technology such as Google Earth, STE analysts are given near real-time information on the location and movement of the collared elephants. The best charities for protecting elephants include Elephant Voices, Save the Elephants, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and the International Elephant Foundation. Needless to say I won't be contributing to their Mara Elephant Project. Botswana-based scientist Dr Mike Chase is the expert on these movements his PhD study on the spatial ecology of north Botswanas elephants helped define the borders of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), which spans these five countries. Wildlife Conservation Society Uses innovative techniques and technologies to eliminate the illegal killing of elephants in collaboration with . Your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Established in 2011, Mara Elephant Project (MEP) envisions the existence of a stable elephant population co-existing peacefully with people across the Greater Mara Ecosystem (GME). But being a big player also means multiple layers of command, hefty overhead costs and major marketing spend to ensure donations continue. What does this mean for me personally? Although Kenya outlawed the hunting of elephants in 1973 and CITES established a total ban on the sale of ivory in 1989, human-elephant conflict (HEC) and poaching increased. "We found 62% of those 29.2 million square kilometers is . Integrating and visualizing tracked wildlife, vehicles, ranger teams and the stream of event data they generate in real-time gives us operational insight never before possible. Says Dr John Hanks, former CEO of WWF SA and Peace Parks Foundation: Campaigns to eliminate consumptive use of wildlife are well-meaning, but they ignore the realities of poverty in Africa, human-wildlife conflict and the underfunding of protected areas. NGOs like African Parks, which take on the management of protected areas in partnership with governments, are increasingly attracting donor funds because they are accountable for their actions. Check how you can help each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. The Elephant Sanctuary has earned a 97% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it. Key to the effectiveness, morale and retention of rangers is on-going training and development. The project was founded by Save the Elephants with Richard Roberts and Susan Fehsenfeld in 2011. Ways to contribute: You can save an elephant today by donating to the charity, by getting involved by spreading the word, or even by applying for one of their internship opportunities. EWB Safe passage across political boundaries is key to the future of elephants. Stated Mission . In September 2013 a high-profile announcement was made in New York about a bold Clinton Global Initiative, bringing together NGOs, governments and concerned citizens to stop the slaughter of Africas elephants. More about the author. Hopefully, the information within this article will make the selection process a bit easier for you when supporting charities dedicated to protecting elephants. Mara is on the cutting edge of crypto. If you dont have the local community on your side, youre screwed. Why do we add these product links? The successful tracking abilities of STE is particularly impressive considering the 6000km2 area included in the Mara Elephant Project. Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. These charities ensure their efforts also cater to the behavioral needs of these brilliant beings. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide. Funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allan, the Great Elephant Census involves 50 scientists as well as African governments and NGOs, totting up 600,000 km of aerial transects. MEP is ready for the next 10 years. The impact was all in the packaging. Making a better world, one elephant at a time.. African Parks is known for its no-nonsense approach and donors like the fact that almost all incoming funds go towards their efforts on the ground while proceeds from an endowment fund cover most of the overheads. The project, despite still being in early stages, has dramatically reduced the number of elephants killed each month in the area. Click Here to Make a Donation to Save the Elephants. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please check the box Keep my donation anonymous in the Donation Options section. A major achievement was the arrest of a regional ivory kingpin who was sentenced to five years in jail, almost unheard of in Congos dysfunctional judicial system. Wild Aid Below are our favorite charities for protecting elephants: (At the end of this article, well also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.). Dr Ian Douglas-Hamilton exemplifies the genre of zoologists who have migrated from the field to the global advocacy platform. WCS swung its publicity machine into gear, spotlighting the case to ensure that it will be harder in the future for officials to turn a blind eye or take part in corruption. In 2014, EWB took on its most challenging project yet - a pan-African survey of savannah elephants spanning 18 countries and covering 80% of their rangeland. Even in one of the worlds best-known national parks, elephants are in peril. Chases NGO, Elephants Without Borders, has highlighted the return of elephants from Botswana into Angola since the end of its civil war where elephant numbers in southern Angola have grown from 36 in 2001 to more than 8,000 today. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. JANE EDGE is a former environmental journalist who cut her teeth reporting on the elephant and rhino poaching crisis in the 1980s. She was around 50 years old, and had spent the last two and a half decades of her life in a dusty zoo enclosure in the Palermo neighborhood of central Buenos Aires. First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you. "The Elephant Sanctuary's exceptional 4-star rating sets it apart from its peers and demonstrates its trustworthiness to the public," according to Michael Thatcher, President & CEO of Charity Navigator. All over Africa, small NGOs are busting their guts trying to expose the corruption inherent in wildlife poaching and trafficking. The research arm of the project, which STE spearheads, is working to determine elephant corridors and movement patterns, particularly those that cross borders into the Serengeti. You never know who your writings may touch and move to action. Protects elephants in the greater Mara ecosystem as a keystone species for conservation. Registered Office Granta Lodge, 71 Graham Road, Worcs, WR14 2JS. What theyve achieved: World Wide Fund supports four community ranger units through their African Elephant Project. There was no funding from the Clinton Foundation; indeed a significant portion was European Union funding that had long been committed to protected areas in Africa. You can also check their annual field reports and newsletters detailing all their work. Their impact and transparency ratings: The charity has a platinum seal of transparency from GuideStar and directs 88% of its finance to its programs and the services they provide. Human-elephant conflict is an often intractable problem that threatens the contribution of conservation interventions to human wellbeing and securing livelihoods in Africa and Asia. They also give their elephants the space to overcome their complex behavioral issues from their time in captivity. Key Takeaways. Data-driven maps and analysis help researchers understand and assess growing risks to elephants. Environmental Investigation Agency At least 232 elephants have been killed in the year to the end of September, adding . linktr.ee/maraelephantproject. Founded by English photographer, Nick Brandt, in partnership with Kenyan Richard Bonham, it is the first outfit to achieve coordinated cross-border operations between Kenya and Tanzania. In 2014, EWB took on its most challenging project yet a pan-African survey of savannah elephants spanning 18 countries and covering 80% of their rangeland. What they do: With their main operations in Kenya, the Trust has a range of programs that aim to decrease poaching, safeguard the environment, increase community awareness and outreach plus provide veterinary services to wildlife in need. In 2018, MEP increased the area of operation to include the Mau Forest and Loita Hills. They put devices on the elephants to track them through the Maasai . We rely entirely on funds, grants and donations from around the world, so thank you for helping us to secure a future for these fascinating creatures. Generally, organisations working closest to the ground use donor funds the most sparingly. The Mara elephant population numbers heldrelatively steady until 2010, when 3,162 were counted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Save the Elephants continues its support and looks forward to celebrating future successes with MEP. The Mara Elephant Project. Within five months of Big Lifes inception, it established 12 anti-poaching outposts, bought nine anti-poaching patrol vehicles, recruited platoon commanders and a training instructor to oversee 85 rangers, acquired a microlight for aerial monitoring, brought in tracker dogs and established an informer network on both sides of the border. This site is powered by renewable energy and all hosting-related CO2 emissions are offset by three times as many renewable energy certificates. Tanzania vehemently denies the allegations, but the Government is under the spotlight and struggling to avoid international censure. We will continue the monitoring of 13 elephants collared in connection with the Mara Elephant Tracking and Conservation Program Grant, as well as collaring 2 additional elephants. Run time: 1h 44m. To join them you can donate in a number of ways: Elephants are fast disappearing from the wild. Please click on this logo for more information. Today Hwange supports over 22,000 elephants, thanks in part to this small NGO comprising a handful of committed people. Today, the drastic expansion of the human footprint in the region is causing devastating loss of habitat, which means MEP must expand its mission and goals to save the Maras wildlife and wild spaces. Global NGOs dominate Africas conservation space with big budgets and high profile marketing campaigns. "This is a war of space, with people carving out a living in this area", says Marc Goss, CEO of the Mara Elephant Project. 246. Their research noticed the unique way elephants communicate with each other and the need to customize elephant care according to elephant behavior. Through this non-profit, elephants that once lived in captivity now get the opportunity to interact with a herd and live out the rest of their lives in a protected natural habitat that spans 2,700 acres. What do these affiliate links mean for you? The WildAid media campaign makes waves with popular Asian celebrities conveying its powerful message: When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too. The death count related to poaching has declined to just four elephants in 2018. Clearly what was needed was teams of rangers on both sides of the border working in close communication, he says. The Mara Elephant Project aims to get everyone involved in elephant conservation. Mara Elephant Project (MEP) was established in 2011 with the mission of protecting elephants to conserve the greater Mara ecosystem. Donors also need to understand the relevance of data if poaching arrests increase, have anti-poaching efforts become more effective or has poaching pressure increased? Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. Changing land use in the Maasai Mara increasingly puts elephants in conflict with local farmers. It takes hard work, training and discipline, along with good ground intelligence based on trust with local communities. "This in turn should help improve elephant crop-raiding mitigation strategies by wildlife . The $300 Parrot AR drone is being used to defend elephants in Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve Photograph: PR. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. Such is the confusing world of wildlife conservation where initiatives to save iconic species compete in a game of recognition and power, often completely missing the conservation goal. As previous manager of Nedbanks green affinity programme in partnership with WWF SA, and previous marketing and philanthropy director for African Parks, Author Jane Edge is well informed but she does not work for or receive fees from these or any organisation that could benefit from the publication of this article. Affiliate Disclosure MEPs goals includefocusing on the protection of elephants and the conservation of the Mara ecosystem by increasing their research efforts all while investing in the education of localcommunities who live alongside wildlife and the future generation of Kenyans who will inherit this complicated mission. Although impressive in scale, the $8 million project has excluded forest elephants which are notoriously difficult to count, giving an incomplete picture of the African elephant story. We have categorized each charity based on their type of work and status. In September 2014, there was a breakthrough when a major poaching gang with 39 recent elephant kills was arrested. Since its inception, the organization has been hands-on teaching elephant trainers compassionate elephant care; they currently operate in North America and Asia. Naftali and his small team follow every step of the judicial process, lobbying the media, politicians and civil society and attending court cases to ensure due process is followed. Today, the technology includes ESRI software, which clarifies GPS information. The other shock was the dearth of rangers and the inability to pursue poachers across the border into Tanzania. Networking & debating APP subscribers only, TRUSTED CONSERVATION PROJECTS However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money. Says Brandt: You have to have your leader on the ground to see, direct and co-ordinate operations first-hand, to marshall resources and to have an open door and ear to the local community. Mara Elephant Project focuses on the wildlife, communities and habitat of the Maasai Mara. What theyve achieved: Elephant human conflict is still a significant issue in many African societies, and rogue elephants can destroy farms and end up severely injured when farm owners try to protect their crops. The contribution of conservation interventions to human wellbeing and securing livelihoods in Africa and Asia four... Is key to the fullest extent allowed by law Accountability & amp ; Finance beacon sidekick. In 2018 square kilometers is a breakthrough when a major poaching gang with 39 recent elephant kills was.. With the mission of protecting elephants to track them through the Maasai of such programs is whether! % for the Accountability & amp ; Finance beacon generally, organisations working closest to the end of September adding! Have categorized each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims future of elephants each. 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