Given the late hour, any hope of operating on her that evening was not possible, so the Mara Conservancy management arranged to have their Rangers monitor the herd . the director of research and conservation at the Mara Elephant Project in Kenya and lead author of the study, said in a statement. However, proponents of ivory trade claim that for Africans to conserve elephants economic value is needed. African Parks But being a big player also means multiple layers of command, hefty overhead costs and major marketing spend to ensure donations continue. 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. Their facilities include heated barns, spring-fed lakes, pastures, and woodlands. All initiatives and programs are founded in research and data records. 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. But, as in the past, the poachers escaped from prison indicative of the systemic corruption that makes conviction so difficult. Marc has worked in the greater Maasai Mara for 10 years, starting as manager for Olchoro Oiroua Conservancy and then Mara North Conservancy. Their impact and transparency ratings: STAE is still a rather young organization that has not received a rating from either of the charity rating players. Making a better world, one elephant at a time.. Sep 2011 - Present11 years 4 months. Wildlife Conservation Society is credited with doing the most effective work in Africa. By supporting these units, they strengthen wildlife monitoring and welfare and reduce poaching on communal land. The elephant's name was Mara. 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.). The other shock was the dearth of rangers and the inability to pursue poachers across the border into Tanzania. In no time, Big Life had broken up the worst of the poaching gangs operating in the Amboseli region. NGOs such as these eschew flash offices and business class travel, work on frugal budgets, and often perform dangerous undercover investigative work. As a result, most of the illegal killing of elephants, and hence the work MEP does, is concentrated in an unprotected area of 11,500 km2outside these areas. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. These have helped to provide a safe habitat for elephants, protect them from poaching and human conflicts, and grow back their numbers. Sidekick Foundation / Mara Elephant Project 4000 West 106th St Suite 125-238 Carmel, IN 46032 Other Names . However, it emerged that of the $80 million in pledged funds, $78 million comprised the already-funded budgets of over a dozen conservation organisations working in Africa. Ian established this charity based on research and conservation out of the need to foster tolerable relations between elephants and humans in community reserves to curb poaching. 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. 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. Save the Elephants is funded almost entirely by private donations. Although small and unassuming, both PALF and EIAs successes are on the radar screens of global philanthropists. Ways to contribute: You can support by donating to the organization or purchasing an item on their wishlist that will help in their new elephant refuge. The answer is not easy, and the givers themselves are often motivated by personal goals, simply wishing to feel virtuous with an easy click and credit-card swipe entry on a website. You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. It was obvious, but no-one was doing this.. View similar charities Tax Status . Kenya. These fireworks act as elephant alarm systems and keep elephants off crops without hurting them. Without the outstanding support and generosity of our donors, STE would not be able to continue securing a future for the elephants. Chase says the goal is to use the data to marshal conservation efforts across Africa; a continental elephant management strategy would be the ideal outcome. An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. What they do: From providing a home that offers rest, refuge, and a herd for previously captive elephants, the Elephant Sanctuary also provides individualized care to each elephant. Their rangers in the field are seeing firsthand the impacts that a growing human population arehaving on the elephants in the ecosystem, and there needs to be space set aside for both. What theyve achieved: The David Sheldrick Trust has successfully raised over 200 elephant orphans, and through their mobile veterinary units, they have attended to the medical needs of 2,885 elephant cases. MEP operates in the unprotected areas of the Mara ecosystem and therefore collects constant data on areas that experience high human-elephant conflict. Making international headlines, the Initiative pledged $80 million over three years to counteract the elephant crisis with a three-pronged strategy to stop the slaughter, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand. It takes hard work, training and discipline, along with good ground intelligence based on trust with local communities. It is just up to you to select the one that resonates most with you. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. On January 18, KWS and TANAPA seized two pieces of elephant tusks and arrested one suspect based on MEP intel. Their facilities are not open to the public but you can watch live footage of the elephants through the EleCam. (UK) +44 (23) 9387-7464 Based in Fort Bragg, CA. They also give their elephants the space to overcome their complex behavioral issues from their time in captivity. What theyve achieved: Since their inception in 1995, they have provided sanctuary to 28 elephants making them North Americas largest refuge for captive elephants. Established in 1995, the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has provided refuge for elephants retired from entertainment and exhibition. African Parks has been lauded for its poacher-to-protector amnesty programme, which allows poachers to surrender their weapons and apply for work in the park; to date 45 have been trained and deployed in the field as eco-guards or wildlife monitors. Their primary focus is to raise awareness on the issues and proper care needed for elephants globally. In efforts to address this problem, previous studies have mainly focused on the direct impacts of . The aim of Impactful Ninja is to provide you with actionable insights to help make a positive impact on the world & society. 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. We have categorized each charity based on their type of work and status. Vitally, KWS has teamed up with the projects own 32 rangers to furnish daily patrols, track collared elephants, and intercept poachers. 1 . With hundreds of NGOs proclaiming to protect elephants, how do philanthropists decide who to support? MEP feels its vitally important to recognize the central part the rangers play in their conservation operations and the need to ensure funding for ranger welfare is essential to recognizetheir dedicated efforts. Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity: Whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that our intelligent friends will immensely appreciate your support. As much as collaboration is necessary for elephant conservation, these charities also base their efforts and activities on researching one of the most intelligent species out there. According to their 2019 annual report, 71.2% of their expenditure went towards their conservation programs expenses and purchases plus conservation land and easements. Impactful Ninja is reader-supported. Their impact and transparency ratings: Elephant Voices have an 80% score on Charity Navigator with a majority independent board and 90% of their expenditure going towards their programs. As poaching becomes more militarized, many donors have been keen to fund sophisticated weaponry and aerial drones. What do these affiliate links mean for us? What theyve achieved: Through their conservation program (which started in 2011), they have increased the presence of elephants from 120 to 800 in the Mozambique Gorongosa national park. The data collected from MEPs elephant collars is the single best indicator for identifying elephant density hotspots, defining critical habitat and corridors, and illustrating elephant movements to target audiences. What They do: Safe the Asian Elephants works with experts and campaigns to advocate for Asian Elephants underrepresented in the global elephant wildlife conservation efforts. 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. MEP's key activities are to locate and follow elephants' movements through collars, improve the security and their protection, respond to human elephant conflicts, like They also regularly release publications detailing all their research, projects, and their impacts. Please read below to learn more about some of the individual elephants they are studying. To better understand and address the illegal killing of elephants, where the elephant rangeland extends beyond protected areas, MEP has developed an integrated programconsisting of three elements:anti-poaching patrols and rapid response units,elephant collaring, monitoring and researchandhuman-elephant conflict mitigation. What is heartening though is the increasing demand for results, with foundations and government agencies insisting on detailed objectives, strategies and outcomes before parting with funds. Unless local people and their national governments want to conserve wildlife, it will not survive. Are arrests translating to prosecutions or to bribed releases? Her frequent African travels to the Maasai Mara inspired Sidekicks first boots on the ground initiative, Mara Elephant Project, which she founded to protect the regions African elephants. Get important updates on elephant conservation, hear about STE events in your area, and be a part of our community helping to conserve the largest land mammal on earth. We analysed GPS data of 66 free-ranging elephants in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem to quantify their use of agriculture. Ways to contribute: The best way to support this initiative is through donations, and if you are skilled in writing, Elephant Voices encourages you to write opinion pieces for your local newspaper, blog, or school article. All Rights Reserved. You can also partake in any of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trusts upcoming events or increase you and your peers knowledge by engaging in their education programs. Mara Elephant Project (MEP) was established in 2011 with the mission of protecting elephants to conserve the greater Mara ecosystem. Over the last years our world-leading conservation efforts have been possible thanks to the dedication and generosity of loyal supporters. They work to protect elephants in the Greater Mara ecosystem, which are under threat from human-wildlife conflict, poaching and diminishing space to roam. 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. PALF poaching gang with 39 recent elephant kills was arrested, 65% of forest elephants have been lost to poaching since 2002, a pan-African survey of savannah elephants, broken up the worst of the poaching gangs operating in the Amboseli region, Photographer of the Year 2023 Weekly Selection: Week 3, Photographer of the Year 2023 Weekly Selection: Week 2. Over the next three years, hundreds of millions of dollars will pour into elephant conservation, some of it misguided and frittered away, with little concrete outcome. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts. You can be of vital assistance by donating to either our core funds or to any of our projects. What does this mean for me personally? Your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. In Tanzania the UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is shining a light on the Government corruption fuelling its massive poaching industry. What theyve achieved: Besides their extensive training programs in Asia, Elephant Aid International has established a North American Elephant Sanctuary. Wildlife Conservation Society Carol Buckey founded Elephant Aid International in 2006. Their impact and transparency ratings: This elephant sanctuary was rated four stars on Charity Navigator and held a platinum seal of transparency from GuideStar; 89% of their expenditure is allocated to their sanctuary program and its services. 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