Tsavo Trust

Last updated

Tsavo Trust
FounderRichard Moller (CEO)
Stuart Herd
Location
Coordinates 02°41′24″S38°41′24″E / 2.69000°S 38.69000°E / -2.69000; 38.69000
Area served
Tsavo ecosystem (16,000 square miles (41,000 km2))
ServicesConservation
Key people
Nzioki Wa Makau (Chairman of the Board)
Richard Moller (CEO)
Stuart Herd
Munira Bashir
Pat Awori
Conrad Thorpe
Website tsavotrust.org

The Tsavo Trust is a non-profit wildlife conservation organisation, which covers Tsavo East National Park, Tsavo West National Park, and Chyulu Hills National Park in Kenya. The trust was founded by Nzioki Wa Makau (Chairman of the Board) and Richard Moller who is chief executive officer and an experienced bush pilot. The stated aim of the trust is the protection of wildlife, especially African elephants, and the reduction of the ivory trade. [1] [2] In June 2014, the Tsavo Trust came into the international spotlight when it announced the death of Kenya's iconic and most well-known elephant, Satao, killed by an ivory poacher with a poisoned arrow. [3] [4] [5] [6]

The Tsavo ecosystem consists of 16,000 square miles (41,000 km2) or arid and semi arid land in southern Kenya. The national parks within this region are managed by Kenya Wildlife Service. Around the parks, but within the Tsavo ecosystem, are a number of small towns, villages, ranches, and farms. Contained in this system is the largest population of African elephants in Kenya, numbering 14,964 as of 2021. [7]

There are a number of critical issues in the Tsavo ecosystem which include: a high rate of poverty among the people in the region, poor access to education and healthcare, degradation of habitat, ethnic conflict over resources, loss of wildlife, and lack of financial and technical resources to deal with these issues. In this context, the stated mission of the Tsavo Trust is to (1) to safeguard biodiversity and empower communities in the greater Tsavo ecosystem. Tsavo Trust does this by being a crucial partner to the Kenya Wildlife Service,providing support for aerial and ground biodiversity monitoring, anti-poaching and security operations, and attracting funding to the TCA. Tsavo Trust is also pioneering the establishment of community conservancies in the Tsavo ecosystem (outside of the Taita-Taveta Ranches [8] ), providing much needed community development benefits and increasing the habitat available for wildlife.

Related Research Articles

Tsavo East National Park is a national park in Kenya with an area of 13,747 km2 (5,308 sq mi). It was established in April 1948 and covers a semi-arid area previously known as the Taru Desert. Together with the Tsavo West National Park, it forms an area of about 22,000 square kilometers. The Tsavo River flows west to east through the national park, which is located in the Taita-Taveta County of the former Coast Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in Kenya</span>

Environmental issues in Kenya include deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, water shortage and degraded water quality, flooding, poaching, and domestic and industrial pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taita–Taveta County</span> County in Kenya

Taita–Taveta County is a county in Kenya. Located approximately 200 km northwest of Mombasa, and 360 km southeast of Nairobi, it is a port and major gateway to the United Republic of Tanzania through Taveta. The county headquarters are located in Mwatate. It is one of the six counties in the Coastal region of Kenya. Major towns include Voi, Taveta, Mwatate, and Wundanyi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenya Wildlife Service</span>

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is a state corporation under the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife established by an act of Parliament; Wildlife Conservation and Management Act CAP 376, of 1989, now repealed and replaced by the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013. At independence, the Government of Kenya committed itself to conserving wildlife for posterity with all the means at its disposal, including the places animals lived, forests and water catchment areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Kenya</span>

The wildlife of Kenya refers to its fauna. The diversity of Kenya's wildlife has garnered international fame, especially for its populations of large mammals. Mammal species include lion, cheetah hippopotamus, African buffalo, wildebeest (Connochaetes), African bush elephant, zebra (Equus), giraffe (Giraffa), and rhinoceros. Kenya has a very diverse population of birds, including flamingo and common ostrich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary</span>

LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary is a community-led wildlife conservation initiative in Kenya. It is located near Mwatate in Taita-Taveta County in the former Coast Province, approximately 220km from Mombasa. It covers an area of 48,000 acres. The sanctuary is formed by the Lualenyi, Mramba Communal Grazing Area, and Oza Community land, hence the acronym "LUMO".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Kenya

Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is a privately owned wildlife sanctuary and national park in Kenya established in 1972 by Hilton international. It is located in Taita-Taveta County approximately 220 kilometers from Mombasa and 360 km south of Nairobi. The sanctuary covers an area of 28,000 acres (110 km2), and is adjacent to Tsavo West National Park and the LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary. It hosts cape buffalo, African bush elephant, leopard, lion, cheetah, Masai giraffe, zebra, hartebeest, impala, waterbuck, Thomson's gazelle, lesser kudu, dik-dik, Hyena, and other smaller animals, including a diversity of birdlife

Tsavo West National Park is located in Taita-Taveta County of Kenya. The park covers an area of 9,065 square kilometres. The A109 road Nairobi-Mombasa and a railway divides it from the adjoining Tsavo East National Park. Together with adjoining ranches and protected areas, they comprise the Tsavo Conservation Area. Tsavo West is a more popular destination due to its magnificent scenery and the Mzima Springs, the rich and varied wildlife, a good road system, a rhino reserve, rock climbing potential and guided walks along the Tsavo River. The park is operated by Kenya Wildlife Service.

Lualenyi Ranch is a private group ranch in Kenya. The ranch is located in Taita-Taveta County next to the Tsavo West National Park and Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. The ranch covers approximately 106,000 acres (430 km2). It has been leased from the government for 99 years. Lualenyi Ranch is part of the LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary with Oza and Mramba ranches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chyulu Hills</span> Mountain range in Kenya

The Chyulu Hills is a mountain range in Makueni County in southeastern Kenya. It forms a 100-kilometre-long volcanic field in an elongated northeast–southwest direction. Its highest peak is 2,188 metres high.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elephant hunting in Kenya</span>

Elephant hunting, which used to be an accepted activity in Kenya, was banned in 1973, as was the ivory trade. Kenya pioneered the destruction of ivory as a way to combat this black market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Elephant Foundation</span>

The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Formed by individuals and institutions, IEF is dedicated to the conservation of African and Asian elephants worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Jipe</span> Lake in Kilimajaro Region, Tanzania and Kenya.

Lake Jipe is an inter-territorial lake straddling the borders of Kenya and Tanzania. On the Kenyan side, it is located south of the village of Nghonji while on the Tanzanian side, it is situated within Mwanga District, in Kilimanjaro Region. The lake is fed mainly by the Lumi River, which descends from Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as streams from the North Pare Mountains, being on the leeward side. The lake's outlet forms the Ruvu River. Kenya's unfenced Tsavo West National Park protects part of the lake's northern shore, while on the Tanzania side Mkomazi Game Reserve is nearby. The lake is known for its endemic fish, as well as water birds, mammals, wetland plants and lake-edge swamps, which can extend 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Jipe's shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldrick Wildlife Trust</span> Kenyan wildlife conservation charity

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) operates an orphan elephant rescue and wildlife rehabilitation program in Kenya. It was founded in 1977 by Dame Daphne Sheldrick to honor her late husband, David Sheldrick. Since 2001, it has been run by their daughter, Angela Sheldrick.

Taita-Taveta District was a district of Kenya, located in the Coast Province of that country. It lies approximately 200 km northwest of Mombasa and 360 km southeast of Nairobi city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satao (elephant)</span> Large African elephant in Kenya

Satao was one of Kenya's largest African elephants. He was known as a tusker because his tusks were so long that they almost touched the ground. The Tsavo Trust announced that Satao was killed by poachers using a poisoned arrow on 30 May 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Elephant Day</span> Annual event on August 12 dedicated to the preservation and protection of the worlds elephants

World Elephant Day is an international annual event on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world's elephants. Conceived in 2011 by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark of Canazwest Pictures, and Sivaporn Dardarananda, Secretary-General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand, it was officially founded, supported and launched by Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on August 12, 2012. Since that time, Patricia Sims continues to lead, support and direct World Elephant Day, which is now recognized and celebrated by over 100 wildlife organizations and many individuals in countries across the globe.

The Tsavo Conservation Area is a complex of protected and other wildlife areas in southern Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania. It is composed of Tsavo East National Park, Tsavo West National Park, Chyulu Hills National Park, South Kitui National Reserve, ranches in Galana, Taita, Kulalu and Amboseli and adjacent private and communal lands. Bordering Mkomazi National Park in Tanzania, the Tsavo Conservation Area comprises an area of around 42,000 km2, of which over 25,000 km2 is protected. The protected portion in Kenya represent almost half of the country's protected areas.

Isilo was one of South Africa’s largest African elephants and the largest living tusker in the southern hemisphere before his death. He was known as a tusker, a male elephant with tusks weighing over 100 pounds.

The Big Life Foundation is a non-profit conservation organization created to preserve the wildlife and habitats of the Amboseli-Tsavo-Kilimanjaro ecosystem of East Africa through community-based and collaborative strategies.

References

  1. ↑ Muumbi, Susan (29 November 2013). "Keeping the African elephant alive". The EastAfrican . Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  2. ↑ Plesant, Maranda (31 December 2013). "Ian Saunders, COO Tsavo Trust". Origin . Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  3. ↑ Peralta, Eyder (14 June 2014). "One of Kenya's Legendary 'Tuskers' Is Killed By Poachers". NPR . Archived from the original on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  4. ↑ Kahumbu, Paula (2014). "Kenya's biggest elephant killed by poachers". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  5. ↑ Flood, Zoe (14 June 2014). "Poachers kill one of the world's largest elephants in Kenya". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 15 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "Kenya's iconic elephant Satao is dead in Tsavo". Kenya Television Network . 15 June 2014. Archived from the original on 15 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "National Wildlife Census 2021 Report" (PDF). Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife. WRTI and KWS. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association". TTWCA. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
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