Elephant conservation project in Kenya

Elephant populations have declined dramatically in recent decades, mainly due to the ivory trade. It is estimated that there are fewer than 400,000 African elephants left in the wild. This is in sad contrast to the approximately 1,300,000 elephants that roamed the savannahs in 1979.

Even today, elephants are still being poached for their tusks - one elephant is killed every 30 minutes. Often, the animals are left behind in distress and would not survive without help. In Kenya, the Action Group for Species Protection (AGA) eV is therefore supporting the rearing of baby elephants in the elephant orphanage in Nairobi. The baby elephants, often found half-starved, need veterinary care and must be cared for for several years before they can be released back into the wild and integrated into a wild elephant herd.

In order to better protect wild elephants and other endangered animals, the AGA also finances a team of rangers in Tsavo East National Park. The team, together with other rangers, fights poaching and thus prevents more baby elephants from losing their mothers.