Mara Elephant Project

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Mara Elephant Project

Protecting elephants and their habitats across the Greater Mara Ecosystem

06/04/2026

Living alongside elephants isn't always easy.

For Michael Nabala, elephant crop raids are a real and recurring challenge, one that affects his livelihood, food source, and how he feels about elephants. That's why equipping farmers like Michael with tools that give them direct access to a solution is key to promoting coexistence.

Last week, Mara Elephant Project trained Michael and his neighbors from the Lemek community on how to use VirtualRanger, a platform that enables real-time reporting of human-wildlife conflict incidents directly through WhatsApp. Now, when an elephant enters his farm, Michael can report it instantly giving our rangers the information they need to respond.

Supported by How Many Elephants, MEP is implementing VirtualRanger as a community reporting tool, because protecting elephants starts with supporting people like Michael who live with them.

Every report helps drive a faster response and builds a clearer picture of where and how conflict is happening across the Mara landscape, so we can work toward solutions that work for both communities and elephants.

06/03/2026

Did you know some elephants know a secret about fences?

Captured by Mara Elephant Project's ‘Bravo’ ranger team using their drone, the video shows just how adaptive they are. Collared elephant Polaris approached an electric fence and probed it with his tusks.

He’s learned that his trunk is far too sensitive to risk an electric charge, but his tusks provide the tool he needs to determine if the fence is electrified. As you can see, one touch was enough before Polaris and his buddies turned around.

Despite their instincts, MEP rangers still needed to respond because they know that even if Polaris registers an electric fence in his way, he will continue to test it, looking for weak points where he can pass.

Using their drone, rangers guided Polaris and the other bulls around the fences and back to safety.

06/02/2026

One step from an elephant can cause catastrophic damage for a family. While building a fence feels like the best way to protect your property; for elephants it’s a minor deterrent between destinations; a single stride can destroy one in seconds.

That’s why Mara Elephant Project stands ready to respond before elephants approach a home. In this instance, MEP rangers deployed their drone equipped with thermal imaging to guide these bulls away from the fence and back to the conservation area.

For the communities living alongside wildlife, these interventions can mean the difference between devastating loss and a peaceful night at home. And for the elephants, it’s the difference between safety and harm while moving through shared landscapes.

06/01/2026

This Madaraka Day, we celebrate the freedom, resilience, and natural heritage that make Kenya unique!

From the vast landscapes of the Mara to the wildlife that roams freely across them, these spaces are part of our shared identity and responsibility as Kenyans.

Every day, Mara Elephant Project’s teams work alongside communities, partners, and fellow conservationists to help protect elephants, support community coexistence, and safeguard the future of our ecosystems for generations to come.

As we mark this year’s Madaraka Day, we are reminded that true independence also means protecting what belongs to all of us.

Happy Madaraka Day from all of us at Mara Elephant Project.

Photo credit: Kim Norris Photography

05/31/2026

The mountain bongo is on the brink of extinction.

Fewer than 100 individuals remain in the wild, and this extraordinary antelope exists naturally nowhere else on Earth but Kenya.

The mountain bongo is part of Kenya’s natural heritage: elusive, resilient, and deeply tied to the country’s forests, landscapes, and identity. And just as this species belongs to Kenya, so does the movement fighting to save it.

From community leaders and educators to rangers and conservationists, Kenyans are leading the effort to protect the mountain bongo’s future. Through local voices, education programs, and community involvement, the protection of the mountain bongo is being shaped by the very communities who share its homeland, fostering a powerful sense of pride, stewardship, and connection to Kenya’s natural heritage.

Mara Elephant Project is proud to incubate and support the work of the Mountain Bongo Project as they work to ensure that one of Kenya’s most unique species does not disappear forever.

This , we celebrate not only the mountain bongo itself, but the people standing beside it.

The Mountain Bongo Project aims to raise $5,000 by the end of today to support this vital conservation effort. Join us in helping them reach their goal and ensure the mountain bongo continues to belong to Kenya’s forests for generations to come.

Learn more or donate today: https://buff.ly/cnajpNN

05/30/2026

Today’s highlights the training of additional wildlife heroes to save a species from extinction in the wild.

With fewer than 100 mountain bongo antelope remaining in the wild, the urgency to save this critically endangered species has never been greater. Mountain Bongo Project (MBP) is dedicated to protecting the last remaining wild mountain bongos and Mara Elephant Project is proud to support and incubate MBP as they work to safeguard the future of the species.

Recently, a new cohort of MBP rangers joined MEP for basic training at our Mara headquarters. Learning practical and transferable skills like land navigation, communication and first aid, these three new rangers will now be equipped to play a vital role on their team dedicated to protecting the forest where bongos roam.

To celebrate on May 31, you can support these bongo heroes by raising $5,000 for MBP as they work to save this critically endangered species from extinction in the wild.

https://buff.ly/cnajpNN

05/29/2026

This month’s is a special one. Artist Pete Blackwell joined Mara Elephant Project in the field to spend time observing the iconic Fred and learning more about one of the Mara’s most recognizable elephants. Born and raised in Kenya, Pete has a deep passion for painting wildlife and a special affinity for Fred, making this encounter all the more meaningful.

While researchers may focus on behavior and identification, and rangers on movement and protection, Pete brings an artist’s perspective, observing the details, expressions, and personality traits that inspire his work and shape how he connects with elephants like Fred. As always with Fred, there is never a shortage of stories, behaviors, and lessons to uncover.

Follow along over the next few months to watch a collaboration between Pete, MEP and Fred unfold.

05/28/2026

Thank you for supporting Mara Elephant Project in 2025. As you’re about to read, your generosity positively impacted the wildlife and communities that call the Maasai Mara home.

Thank you for protecting elephants, connecting open spaces and promoting coexistence.

🇰🇪https://buff.ly/88aFWgl
🇺🇸 https://buff.ly/3J8uTve

05/27/2026

AirKenya has always believed that the wild places they fly to are worth protecting, and their partnership with Mara Elephant Project puts that belief into action.

As our Official Safari Airline Partner, Airkenya Express brings more than flights to the Mara. Their CSR strategy is built around human-wildlife conflict mitigation, conservation, and community development, making them a natural ally in the work we do every day on the ground.

And this is what that work looks like. This mother and calf, captured during a MEP ranger patrol, are a reminder of why it all matters. Every calf born here is a sign that the Mara's most important ecosystem engineer is thriving, and a thriving elephant population means a healthier, more balanced landscape for everything that shares it.

Mara Elephant Project's teams are on the ground daily, reducing human-elephant conflict, supporting community coexistence, and safeguarding the landscapes these elephants depend on.

Together, we're working to ensure moments like this one are never the last of their kind.

05/26/2026

People consider buffalos to be one of the most dangerous animals to encounter in Africa. So when Mara Elephant Project received a call from a community member reporting that a buffalo had entered his fenced settlement area, rangers rapidly responded.

Buffalo can be stubborn animals, often requiring patience and persistence to move. Deploying a drone to safely assess and manage the situation from above, rangers persistently pursued the buffalo to move out of the enclosure without escalating the situation. Shortly after the video ends, the team was able to successfully guide the buffalo safely out of the settlement area.

Without drones, mitigating an incident like this would be incredibly dangerous for our teams. But with this tool, rangers were able to safely manage the situation and help prevent a potentially deadly encounter.

Address

4000 W. 106TH Street SUITE 125/238
Carmel, IN
46032

Telephone

+254707280033

Website

http://maraelephantproject.org/donate/

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