[The Nation (Nairobi)] The elephants are back. With their numbers rising, an unfailing memory and a dearth of poachers, the animals have put the worst time of their lives in Kenya, the 1980s, behind them.Their population is galloping along at almost four per cent annually, and has almost outgrown the capacity of the protected areas of Maasai Mara and Amboseli national parks.
Following closely the movements of Lady Lorna and an older elephant called Kiramatian, scientists at the African Centre for Conservation have established that elephants are indeed increasingly venturing out of the protected areas.
Between 2006 and 2010 the researchers put electronic collars on the two elephants to help trace the herd movements. This combined with a trained group of security scouts in the South Rift has seen the animals try to reclaim their old rangelands.
Following the elephant poaching years of the 1980s which dramatically cut the country's population from about 167,000 to 16,000, the government established several protected areas.
The population is now recovering with a national heard of about 35,000 animals.
"Now this creates a new problem. Herds have outgrown the resources in the protected areas and are venturing out," says Jim Nyamu, an elephant researcher with the African Conservation Centre.
The main elephant sanctuaries established then, in the South Rift for example, were the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and the Amboseli National Park both running parallel with the Tanzania border.
In between the two protected enclaves, is an estimated distance of 300 kilometres or approximately 12,000 square kilometres falling within Kajiado County and covering Central, Namanga and Magadi divisions.
"This land belong either to individuals or group ranches and once the elephants spill over, there is bound to be competition for water and pasture. Farm raids will be a frequent occurrence," says Nyamu who has also been in charge of the Trans Border Elephant Project.