In 2011, some areas of Africa reported the highest level of poaching ever recorded, and in 2012, 96 elephants were poached for their ivory in the Greater Mara Ecosystem. Researchers estimate that during the height of the most recent poaching crisis, 33,000 elephants were poached annually to supply the illegal ivory trade.

That is one elephant POACHED every 15 minutes.

Since the pandemic, bushmeat poaching has increased in the Mara. Bushmeat can be wildlife like zebra, wildebeest, giraffe or antelope, caught using snares and sold usually commercially. As recently as 2023, MEP recorded the highest level of bushmeat poaching in over a decade.