Tsavo, Kenya
Summary
Tsavo Trust is a field based, action oriented Kenyan registered not-for-profit conservation organisation governed by a Kenyan Board of Directors. Tsavo Trust was established to play a meaningful role in protecting the wildlife and biodiversity of the Tsavo Conservation Area (TCA) – Southern Kenya, by complimenting the Kenya Wildlife Service’s (KWS) activities and to provide significant support to KWS and specific communities in various conservation streams. The Village Experience is playing an integral role in increasing awareness of these much needed programs and connecting the organization to potential donors throughout the United States.
Social Justice Education
The Tsavo Conservation Area is a vast wilderness area with many challenges and in need of increased protection. The TCA spans a massive 42,000 km2 supporting immense biodiversity. It incorporates the country’s largest official Protected Area’s; combining Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Chyulu Hills National Parks making up 22,000 km2 - 49% of Kenya’s National Parks. The remaining 20,000km2 comprises dispersal areas of ranches, conservancies and community lands. Due to its vast size Tsavo is one of Kenya’s most important and largely intact eco systems.
Tsavo is vast and largely roadless; it houses Kenya’s single largest elephant population (estimated at least 15,000) and Black Rhino population (18% of Kenya’s total); is home to the iconic “Tusker” elephants (arguably one of the last viable gene pools of Tuskers left on earth); and to many other “high value” species including Hirola, Grevy’s zebra, Wild Dogs, Cheetah etc.; and above all it provides great potential for wildlife growth given its size – a rarity in today’s world.
However, Tsavo’s threats are immense: ivory and bushmeat poachers; mega infrastructure developments; habitat destruction; drop in revenue resulting from COVID-19 for conservation; constant Human Wildlife Conflict and climate change challenges.
Tsavo Trust recognizes the importance of a holistic approach to biodiversity conservation and works on a unique strategy, in collaboration with KWS and other partners, on direct wildlife conservation projects as well as engaging key local marginalized communities. This is carried out through our four mainstream programs.
Past Accomplishments
Community Conservancy Program
Developing and stewarding self-governing, community-led wildlife conservancies in specific key areas within the TCA, including the fostering of partnerships with other organisations already working in support of wildlife, habitats and communities in the Tsavo ecosystem. Through this, we endeavor to create secure buffers bordering the formal Protected Area whilst generating economic opportunities for marginalized communities in their journey to self-reliance.
Over the last 7 years, two significant community-based conservation initiatives have been established that border onto the formal Protected Areas of Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks. Kamungi Conservancy (with the WaKamba people) bordering onto the northern boundary of Tsavo West and Shirango Community Conservancy (with the Watha and Giriama people) who border onto the southern boundary of Tsavo East. Both conservancies have created a vital conservation buffer to the PA’s and at the same time these marginalised communities have enjoyed many and varying benefits derived from the conservancy model.
Wildlife Conservation Program
Continuing as a reliable and key conservation partner to the KWS through the provision of meaningful aerial and ground support to biodiversity protection with the emphasis on the iconic “Big Tusker” elephants. This relates to not only monitoring and data collection, but also mounting responses to any imminent threats, where KWS take the lead role.
In collaboration with KWS and our conservation partners Tsavo Trust has played its part in reducing elephant and bushmeat poaching by at least 70% in recent years (2013 to Oct20) where joint Tsavo Trust / KWS activities have resulted in 5,407 hours flown covering 636,013 kilomet
Encouraging development of conservation partnerships in Tsavo
Tsavo Trust partners with a number of like-minded conservation
Tsavo Trust recognizes the importance of partnerships in maximizing delivery of conservation actions and strives to work collaboratively to achieve shared objectives with partner organizations, such as Save The Elephants, Zoological Society of London, and IFAW among others in supporting KWS and of growing wildlife populations in and around the Tsavo Conservation Area.
With Tsavo Trust’s established field base, we are well placed to partner with other organizations carrying out effective operations and program implementation. In addition to these conservation efforts, Tsavo Trust also actively encourages and advises high end tourism operators back to the Tsavo’s. In fact, The Village Experience will soon be integrating our programs into their new itineraries for Kenya!
Animal Welfare Program
Developing the Tsavo Sanctuary in partnership with KWS - rescue centre for the care, rehabilitation and release of orphaned, injured and sick small mammals indigenous to the Tsavo Conservation Area.
Current Project Needs
- Aerial and ground monitoring and anti-poaching patrols for the Big Tusker Project.
- Funding to increase water catchment in the Tsavo Conservation Area - both inside the National Park and in community conservancies surrounding the parks.
- Support to the Tsavo West Black Rhino Program including: Purchase of a 4 x 4 Land Cruiser monitoring vehicle; funding towards salaries – in order to increase security rangers on the ground; funding support for the move of rhino from the Sanctuary to the free ranging Intensive Protection Zone in Tsavo West NP.