January was expected to be dry as a signal of the start of the dry period. Fortunately, this has not been the case as the month has been rainier and cooler than expected. This is thought to have been contributed to a spill-over of the wet season possibly due to the initial delay of the start of rains at the end of 2021. The ecosystem vegetation is therefore sufficient to support the wild animals in terms of browse and water.
During the month the Unit attended to 4 cases including a young white rhino that became entangled in fencing wire. An elephant that had been speared and two zebra with natural wounds, most likely failed predation attempts. Other activities included examination of ivory pieces and attendance of a meeting to review the proposed translocation and rewilding of African savanna elephants from Howletts wild animal park, United Kingdom to Mwaluganje Conservancy in Kwale County, Kenya.