Mount Elgon Elephant Project (MEEP), Kenya and Uganda

The Mount Elgon Elephant Project (MEEP) safeguards Kenya's unique cave-dwelling African savanna elephant population on the Kenyan side of Mount Elgon in Bungoma and Trans-Nzoia counties. With an estimated 400-500 elephants recovering from historical declines, the project addresses key threats including poaching, illegal logging, charcoal burning, habitat degradation, and human-elephant conflict through community-led initiatives such as daily scout patrols using SMART technology, satellite collaring with EarthRanger for real-time monitoring, beehive fences for crop protection and sustainable livelihoods, and habitat restoration via water canal rehabilitation and tree seedling nurseries. 18 locally recruited scouts have been outfitted, enhancing their safety, operational effectiveness, and ability to deter illegal activities, track elephants, and respond promptly to conflicts, thereby fostering long-term elephant conservation, human-wildlife coexistence, and ecosystem resilience in this fragile transboundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

IEF #AF1057

Project Years: 2026

Project Partners:
Lizbeth Mate, Mount Elgon Foundation, Kenya