Elephants on Lewa

Lewa’s history and philosophy is closely liked to the 3000 elephants of the Samburu and Laikipia districts. These herds form a substantial part of the free-ranging elephant population outside national parks in Kenya.

Elephant habits have changed drastically since the mid-sixties when heavy poaching in the north forced them to alter their migration patterns. In the dry season, the few permanent water sources that they used to visit frequently were becoming battle zones between poachers and cattle herders.

So they began to migrate south to avoid these areas on a route which took them from the Samburu-Namunyak area, via Lewa to the Ngare Ndare forest on the edge of Mount Kenya. In 1984 Lewa hosted its first herd of 300 elephant. Each elephant eats up to 300lbs of grass, trees and brush in one day.

Elephants on Lewa

Inevitably the herd of 300 caused problems among the local agricultural community. There were too many bulls who were fond of pulling down trees and reluctant to move back north again during the wet season because of the escalating threat of poachers.

The first Scientific Advisory Committee meeting, set up in response to this problem, resolved that troublesome bulls should be rounded up and relocated as quickly as possible. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) subsequently funded a relocation to Kora National Reserve.

Elephant baby on Lewa

The problem of what to do with the elephants and how to protect them helped to define the LWC’s philosophy of re-stocking the wilder regions of northern Kenya. LWC could no longer be considered as a single entity. If its work was to have any long-term impact on the wildlife of northern Kenya, it needed to embrace a much larger and bolder scheme, pulling together the support of neighbouring communities against poaching and opening up the whole of the migratory corridor between Mt Kenya and the Samburu area.

LWC has been working with the Namunyak and Il Ngwesi communities in the north to develop areas for tourism, and as a result poaching has been reduced. Because tourism brings extra money into the area, local communities now appreciate the value of elephants, and co-operate with the work to protect them.

Elephant herd on Lewa

Between August and September in 1999, local Namunyak people reported no less than seven occasions when baby elephants had fallen into wells built by the pastoralist farmers. This was not because elephant babies suddenly developed a vertigo problem, but because Namunyak people were now concerned for the welfare of the elephants.

Elephants are now choosing to stay in Samburu during the dry season. Research by Iain Douglas-Hamilton shows that this is a direct result of the increased security in the area as their new routes correspond closely with the protected areas of LWC, Namunyak and Il Ngwesi. Where they strayed from these protected areas, or had to pass from one to another, they did so as quickly as possible.

Poaching does continue and the need for vigilance remains constant. At the risk of being accused of anthropomorphism however, it seems that the elephant is more than capable of responding to the overtures of man and seeking his protection when it is given. LWC’s aim is not to let them down.

Elephant on Lewa