Elephants increase in Serengeti

ECO-SYSTEM: A total of over 8,045 elephants and 72,410 buffaloes have been counted in the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania - The governments of Tanzania and Kenya have released population estimates from a recent aerial survey carried out in Tanzania and Kenya of the Serengeti Ecosystem. 

The report said at the end of May, 2014 the total count was conducted to provide estimates of current elephant and buffalo population numbers in the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem.

This year’s total count utilised five aircraft, together covering an area of 32,000 km2, the statement said. 

A total of over 8,045 elephants were counted in the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem showing an increasing trend from 1986 to 2014. 

The report further added Buffaloes were counted as well, with an estimate of 72,410 individuals. 

The trans-boundary count was carefully orchestrated as a joint effort between Kenya and Tanzania. 

Historically, there were challenges to count the border region (the Masai-Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania) simultaneously, which in this year’s count has been a major success of the overall initiative. 

This trans-boundary collaboration is advantageous for data interpretation, on-going management decisions, and ultimately for sustainable wildlife conservation.

“The overall objectives of the survey were to determine the number of elephants and buffaloes, document their distribution across the ecosystem, and record their population trends,” the report quotes.

The aerial census was carried out under strict international standards, with highly trained flight and observation crews and utilisation of cameras, voice recorders and GPS to ensure herds were counted correctly.

“Most of the elephants counted on the Tanzanian side of the survey were in protected areas, suggesting that pressure from the periphery is evident,” the report said. 

Poaching and human encroachment on elephant territory are a real concern.

The Tanzanian side of the count was part of the Great Elephant Census, a Paul G. Allen project. 

Paul G. Allen is partnering with Elephants without Borders, Frankfurt Zoological Society and numerous organizations across Africa on this bold undertaking to use largescale research to uncover data and insights that can empower people across Africa as they work to protect elephant populations for the long term.

The Serengeti-Mara Census was facilitated and coordinated by Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). 

Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) provided logistical support, while the entire endeavour was made possible by further collaboration with the Wildlife Division (WD) of Tanzania Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), WWF Kenya and County Government of Narok.

The Great Elephant Census is designed to provide accurate and up-to-date data about the number and distribution of African elephants by using standardized aerial surveys of tens of hundreds of thousands of square miles. 

Dozens of researchers flying in small planes will capture comprehensive observational data of elephants and elephant carcasses. 

The Census is an opportunity to use large-scale research to uncover data and insights that can empower people across Africa as they work to protect elephant populations for the long term. 

Flying over more than 18 countries, the Great Elephant Census is the most comprehensive project of its kind to form an essential baseline for future African elephant conservation efforts. 

Elephant estimates from these surveys will form the basis for conservation management plans for NGOs, wildlife services and governments. Paul G. Allen has provided more than $7 million to fund the continent-wide census.