Elephant Aware

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For more than 18 years Elephant Aware has been working with Maasai community landowners to secure a future for elephants and other wildlife in the Mara ecosystem. The purpose of this page is to share information and awareness about our project and the work our team does to protect elephants and other wildlife in the Siana Conservation Area in Kenya. All photos and videos posted on this page belong to Elephant Aware under copyright and do not in any way infringe upon the rights of others.

13/10/2026

These bull elephants are different ages and sizes, but they are friends.

Male elephants learn from each other. Older bulls teach younger individuals and help guide them through the challenges and learning curves of adulthood.

Past studies have shown that populations that lack older, experienced males can negatively impact young males, leading to abnormal behaviour and a collapse in important societal structures.

Similarly to the strong connection between female elephants, males, though more casual, also form lifelong bonds and will "hang out" within the same groups, even meeting up in favourite spots at certain times of year.

The world of elephants will never not be fascinating, and witnessing glimpses of the relationships between elephants is always special.



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Learn more about Elephant Aware:

Our mission is to secure a future for elephants, all wildlife, and the habitat on which they depend for the benefit of all within the Mara ecosystem.

How to support our efforts directly:

• Follow and share what we do with your friends!

• You can also support us through a donation.

Thank you!

www.elephantaware.org

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11/10/2026

There is something a bit different about Nenkiok's left ear. Can you spot it?

She is an elephant with a folded ear. If you look closely, you can see that halfway across, her ear lobe folds backwards, making it look as though it is bulging in an odd way.

A few observers in the area have reported seeing an elephant with a swollen ear, but the rangers discovered that it was, in fact, Nenkiok!

Permanently folded ears usually occur because of collapsed or damaged cartillage of the ear, often from injuries, age, or sometimes certain shapes and folds can be influenced within their mother's womb. However, other than making her stand out, it doesn't appear to affect her life in any way.

It is a reminder that elephants come in all shapes and sizes - just as we do.

While folded ears are not unusual, it does make Nenkiok all the more iconic!



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Learn more about Elephant Aware:

Our mission is to secure a future for elephants, all wildlife, and the habitat on which they depend for the benefit of all within the Mara ecosystem.

www.elephantaware.org

Elephant Aware ©

09/10/2026

Five months after being treated for a spear injury earlier this year, this mother elephant and her young calf are both continuing to do well.

The current drought is affecting all species, including elephants, and as a result, a number of calves are a little on the thin side. Mothers are doing their best to find the resources they need and provide enough nutrition for their young ones as we wait for the anticipated rains.

The young calf has a tear on her right ear, which we suspect was from a hyena bite some weeks previously. It is not unusual for elephant calves to be attacked by opportunistic hyenas, often targeting their tails or ears, while the herd is distracted or momentarily separated – most likely at night.

Thankfully, the wound appears to have healed, and though, like other babies, she is feeling the challenges of the dry season, the calf seems to be healthy otherwise. In the last week, the rangers caught up with this elephant family again and have been doing their best to monitor this herd in the months since she was treated.

This is one of many elephant families that the rangers track and help secure every day in this ecosystem.



🐘🐘

Learn more about Elephant Aware:

Our mission is to secure a future for elephants, all wildlife, and the habitat on which they depend for the benefit of all within the Mara ecosystem.

www.elephantaware.org

Elephant Aware ©

Last week the Elephant Aware rangers spotted this young female elephant with a serious injury on her left thigh and imme...
08/10/2026

Last week the Elephant Aware rangers spotted this young female elephant with a serious injury on her left thigh and immediately reported it to the Kenya Wildlife Service/ Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit.

Due to being stretched with other cases of wildlife in need, the rangers were tasked
with monitoring the injured female closely
until help could arrive. Keeping up with her was not easy and involved daily tracking.

The area she and her family chose
to stay in was on the border of the conservancy and community land. The rangers diligently maintained a perimeter of protection to ensure the elephants did not encounter livestock or people. It was obvious that she was in pain and excessive movement was difficult with her injured leg. Sensing her impaired mobility, her herd patiently stayed by her side rather than keep moving over a large distance – as
elephants are programmed to do, especially in times of drought.

On Saturday the vet team responded as quickly as possible and prepared to dart her, but the dense woodland made approaching her both highly challenging and risky for the ground personnel. With aerial support from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the elephants were carefully guided to a more open location where the vet could dart her from the air and commence treatment.

An 18cm puncture wound was discovered on her left flank, likely caused by a spear. The injury was showing early signs of infection, but the timely intervention was critical.

After thoroughly cleaning the wound, applying antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, and coating it with healing green clay, she was ready to be revived. She awoke smoothly and calmly walked off in the direction of her herd.

This operation was only successful
because of amazing teamwork and collaboration, for which we are very grateful.

Thank you to all of the teams involved, including the Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Elephant Aware and Mara Ripoi Conservancy.

This young female elephant, approximately 12-14 years old, had not yet had a calf of her own but she was a devoted allo-mother (elephant babysitter) and this is likely what placed her in the crosshairs of her human attacker, while defending her family.

It is suspected that she was a victim of Human-Wildlife-Conflict, which is exacerbated by increased competition for resources in very dry seasons.

The Elephant Aware rangers are conducting follow-up investigations among nearby communities and supporting landowners with peaceful solutions when sharing space with elephants.

07/10/2026

As rangers, it is important for us to understand wildlife behaviour and especially when it comes to elephants. This helps us protect them better in our work.

After many years of experience and training, rangers like myself are able to read elephant behaviour and share that knowledge as well.

Firstly, it is important that we recognise that every elephant is different. Like people.

They have different appearances, histories, and characters.

We identify individual elephants using a toolbox of techniques such as their ear notches, their vein patterns on their ears, their tusks, their tails, and their bodies.

For example, some elephants have broken tusks, some have only one tusk, and some have no tusks.

Over time, it becomes easier to know who is who.

Some elephants have big holes or notches in their ears, and others have completely smooth ears.

There are elephants that have hair on their tails, and others have no hair.

An old scar, a bump, or even wrinkles also count.

Even the smallest detail can help us know who an elephant is.

We then put the pieces together like a puzzle, and after we get the full picture, the elephant has their own unique identity.

Once an elephant is known, we can better understand their family relationships, their movement patterns, and their individual character.

In the Mara ecosystem, many elephants are registered on a database.

Naming an elephant is powerful, especially when they are named by the communities who they live alongside.

These names all have a meaning and create a connection to an individual elephant.

This knowledge is an important skill to have as a ranger.

It has helped rangers like me to carry out my mission as a guardian of my natural heritage more effectively.

It is also part of our daily conservation education efforts to help my fellow community live safely alongside elephants.

The more we know about elephants, the better we can protect them as a species and, at the same time, support a peaceful coexistence with Maasai landowners in this ecosystem.

02/10/2026

Guiding a mother elephant and her calf safely out of a human settlement is all part of a day's work for the rangers.

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While we are here, we need to talk about the elephant in the room.

But here's the catch - it isn't actually elephants - it's human development.

Fences pose great threats to many wildlife species - and in many areas, elephants are especially impacted.

As the largest land mammal, it should come as no surprise that elephants need space. They are a migratory species, and when these traditional routes are suddenly cut off by human development - such as fences - it lands elephants in trouble.

Elephants often get blamed for invading human areas such as farms and, increasingly, for damage to their own shrinking habitats. While it is true that modern conservation, especially of elephants, is growing more challenging by the day, it is also unfair, in our opinion, for elephants to take the brunt of this criticism.

It is a fact that human development is happening faster than any damage elephants are accused of inflicting.

Historically, the size of an elephant’s natural range was much larger than it is today. The landscape has changed, and human cultures have changed, but elephant biology largely remains the same. Modern conservation can't fit into a scope of the past, but current issues that stem from changes to the landscape, as well as the human population of this day and age, should not be ignored.

Instead of blaming elephants, how about we shift the focus on the biggest threat that is glaring us in the face: where do we draw the line on human development?

How do we balance the advancement of human technology and human needs while safeguarding what is left of our precious biodiversity?

Let's not forget that the two go hand in hand. Humans have no future if our natural world doesn't. Every species has a role, a purpose that gives back to a thriving ecosystem, and elephants are a part of that. We need to examine what our species is doing to fix the problems we created.

On the ground, it isn't that simple. Assigning blame isn't the solution. Supporting communities who share space with elephants, however, is a step in the right direction

20/09/2026

With it being especially dry at the moment, elephants and other species have to carefully strategize their survival tactics.

It is not unusual for elephant families to temporarily split up during droughts in order to alleviate the pressure of finding and maintaining enough resources for every herd member.

Here, Namelok is with a few of her relatives, but the herd is not all together. They will reunite at a later point, but in the meantime, the priority is survival and the wellbeing of the most vulnerable within a herd.

Droughts are hard on everyone, and it is a time when conflict over competition for food and water is even higher. Due to this, our team has to remain diligent at all hours of the day - helping communities and wildlife to coexist peacefully.



🐘🐘

Learn more about Elephant Aware:

Our mission is to secure a future for elephants, all wildlife, and the habitat on which they depend for the benefit of all within the Mara ecosystem.

The right support at the right time can save lives. Help us protect giraffes and other wildlife. Join Elephant Aware today as a monthly donor. All support makes a direct difference and is deeply appreciated.

www.elephantaware.org

Elephant Aware ©

15/09/2026

Newborn elephant calves are usually able to stand and walk a few steps (albeit still wobbly) as little as an hour after birth. Their mothers and other herd member are patient, protectively surrounding the infant from the moment they are born.

By the time they are able to keep up fairly well with their herd, they still stop to have frequent naps and require 24-hour care from their mother and other relatives.

After they have learned to walk, suckle, and function to the full ability of a baby elephant, they still need to master use of their trunk - which takes a lot of practice!

Thankfully, they have plenty of helpers to guide them and teach them how to be an elephant.



🐘🐘

Learn more about Elephant Aware:

Our mission is to secure a future for elephants, all wildlife, and the habitat on which they depend for the benefit of all within the Mara ecosystem.

www.elephantaware.org

Elephant Aware ©

11/09/2026

Some gentle giants of the Mara ecosystem having a peaceful rest...

This striking group of bull elephants chose the perfect spot for a nap under some shady acacia trees.

This cohort of around fifteen individuals comprises entirely of males of different ages, from bulls over 50 years old to young teenagers. Bulls are not loners and form lifelong friends. Young male elephants learn from their elders, similarly to family herds.

Older males, in particular, have a crucial role within elephant society as the primary breeders and as role models for younger generations.

Though completely relaxed, bulls such as this always carry a majestic air around them, leaving observers with complete awe and appreciation.



🐘🐘

Learn more about Elephant Aware:

Our mission is to secure a future for elephants, all wildlife, and the habitat on which they depend for the benefit of all within the Mara ecosystem.

The right support at the right time can save lives. Help us protect giraffes and other wildlife. Join Elephant Aware today as a monthly donor. All support makes a direct difference and is deeply appreciated.

Thank you!

www.elephantaware.org

Elephant Aware ©

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P. O Box 378
Narok
20500

Telephone

+254710650827

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