During August the teams were faced with another busy month and worked seamlessly alongside the DSWT’s Aerial Surveillance Unit and Dog Unit in patrolling and providing security over the TCA.  One case saw the teams pursue a suspect on foot for over 10kms through Tsavo East National Park and into the bordering community, where they finally were able to detain the suspected poacher for questioning.  

Such like last month the teams collected a huge number of snares, 1336 in total with the Yatta team confiscating nearly 800 from arrested poachers and the Tiva team lifting nearly 300 which had already been set along animal paths in the bush.  In total the teams made 41 arrests this month with the Kenze teams making 13 arrests for logging, charcoal burning and livestock herding, whilst covering for the Chyulu team who were on leave.  The Yatta team made 14 successful arrests including 9 bush-meat poachers and the others arrested for charcoal burning, logging and wood carving.

Human-Wildlife Conflict is an ongoing challenge in the TCA and the Kenze team were working particularly hard this month with support from the Aerial Unit in resolving elephant issues in communities bordering the Kibwezi Forest and the Chyulu Hills.  The Yatta, Burra and Tiva team each uncovered an elephant carcass during August yet the number of carcasses discovered by the ground and air teams in the TCA has significantly dropped in comparison to previous years showing that the DSWT’s multi-faceted approach to safeguarding the Tsavo ecosystem is proving hugely successful.