Brief descriptionthe tsavo conservation area (TCA) is vast forty two thousand kilometres squared and makes up forty nine percent of kenyas protected areas

This $1,861,237 federal project grant award, provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service through the African Elephant Conservation Fund (CFDA 15.620), supports a comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy in Kenya's Tsavo Conservation Area. The key products and services to be delivered include:

• Continued security and monitoring support for the Tsavo elephant population, Kenya's largest single herd, through aerial patrols, ground monitoring units, and technical assistance for the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Wildlife Training and Research Institute (WRTI). This aims to reduce elephant poaching and maintain an increasing elephant population.
• Establishment of community-led conservation and development initiatives in the Kamungi and Shirango community conservancies bordering the Tsavo parks. This will focus on reducing human-elephant conflict, preventing habitat loss, and implementing livelihood projects.
• Support for KWS and WRTI to deliver Kenya's National Elephant Action Plan, promoting partner coordination and enabling the agencies to fulfill their mandates.

The grant term is from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2029, with the overall goal of securing and maintaining an increasing elephant population in the Tsavo Conservation Area.

IT is home to kenyas single largest elephant population at approximately 16000 today including the rare and iconic super tuskers and a key 1 black rhino population. The habitat and biodiversity of the TCA and the elephant population in particular face many threats including illegal wildlife trade and poaching habitat loss and conversion human elephant conflict (HEC) unregulated livestock grazing major infrastructure developments and climate change. To add to this the communities living adjacent to the parks are marginalised and in desperate need of meaningful interventions that can help address issues such as poverty water shortage healthcare human wildlife conflict unemployment and food insecurity. The goal of this project is to secure and maintain an increasing elephant population in the TCA through providing aerial and ground security and monitoring units in support of the kenya wildlife service (KWS) and wildlife training and research institute (wrti) while also supporting key marginalised communities that border onto the protected area.activitiescontinued support to the kenya wildlife service to conserve and protect TCA elephant population kenyas largest single herd through enhanced security and monitoring and park management support in line with the national elephant action plan of kenya. E.g. through consistent aerial patrols and deployment of ground monitoring and protection units equipment and technical support.establish strong and effective community led conservation and development initiatives in two key communities bordering onto the tsavo parks. The kamungi and shirango community conservancies bordering onto tsavo west and tsavo east national parks respectively. E.g. reduce human elephant conflict prevent habitat loss and conversion and implement various livelihood projects such as tourism etc.support the kenya wildlife service and wildlife research and training institutes with the delivery of the national elephant action plan for kenya 2023 to 2032 by further aligning activities promoting partner connectivity and supporting both government agencies to fulfil specific commitments.deliverablesno. Of aerial and ground patrols aim of 55 hours per month and 2500KM per monthno. Of super tusker sightings monthly aim of 1 a dayno. Of elephant carcasses located and how many poachedno. Of community scouts employed aim of at least 40NO. Of HEC incidents reported or responded to and mitigation initiatives in placeno. Of illegal wildlife crime recoveries and arrestsexpected outcomesenhanced security for tsavos elephant population resulting in a reduction of poached elephants.enhanced monitoring of elephants and other high value species to inform decision making and species management.reduce threats from human elephant conflict in kamungi and shirango conservancies that border onto the park boundaries.kamungi conservancy receiving direct benefits deriving from wildlife.kenya wildlife service and wildlife research and training institute resourced and supported to successfully carry out their mandate and deliver the national elephant action plan for kenya.beneficiaries of the project include the kamungi and shirango community conservancies with 2500 and 101KM2 on the northern boundary of tsavo west and 2300 members and 270KM2 on the south eastern boundary of tsavo east respectively.as well as the kenya wildlife service and wildlife research and training institutes by strengthening their position to carry out their mandate through the provision of a reliable aerial and ground protection and monitoring platform as well as resolving human wildlife conflict related issues along the tsavo west and tsavo east boundaries. The elephant population of tsavo will be the primary beneficiaries of this project.