Building Capacity to Alleviate Human-Elephant Conflict in North Kenya

Darwin Initiative

This project aims to enhance the conservation and management of Kenya’s second largest elephant population (over 5,000 animals) and the ecosystem they inhabit through the implementation of an integrated and sustainable community based approach for alleviating human-elephant conflict (HEC).

The purpose of this project is to alleviate human-elephant conflict and promote tolerance of elephants in Laikipia District, Kenya.

Monitoring a crop raiding incident, Laikipa

The project works to support local partners in the following activities:

• Research on the development of systems to provide early warning of human-elephant conflict using local knowledge, Mobile phone (‘push-to-talk’) technologies and GPS/GSM collars;
• Dissemination of information on elephant conservation and human-elephant conflict management among vulnerable communities and local conservation organisations and land managers;
• Assess the feasibility of establishing economic activities that promote sustainable livelihoods and reduce negative human-elephant conflict;
• Promote the development of a strategy and revenue streams to support long term human-elephant conflict management in Laikipia;
• Support local organisations in the development of the institutional capacity to manage the West Laikipia Elephant Fence

Laikipia District includes a
complex patchwork of different land uses. Photo: Bill Adams

Partners

• Save the Elephants (STE)
• Rivercross Technologies.
• The Centre for Training and Integrated Research in ASAL Development, Nanyuki, Kenya
• The Laikipia Wildlife Forum
• The Kenya Wildlife service (KWS)
• The Mpala research Centre (MRC)
• The Elephant Pepper Development Trust
• The Symbiosis Trust
• The Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Videos

See our videos about the project.

Publications

Various publications and working papers are available for download.