Protecting Elephants and Their Habitats Across Tanzania

Mara Elephant Project’s mission is to protect elephants and their habitats across the Greater Mara Ecosystem (GME) of which a large portion is in Tanzania. MEP has been informally working in Tanzania for over a decade by providing technical assistance to the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI). Through this, MEP has developed a close relationship with not just government agencies but communities as well. Replicating the MEP Method into ecologically significant landscapes which contribute to the protection of elephants and their habitats is a key objective for the organization, and MEP can do this in Tanzania by incubating the Elephant Conservation Organization (ECO).

ECO aims to work with government entities and communities to improve elephant security in Tanzania. They are doing this by addressing an immediate need with a model that has been widely successful in protecting elephants in Kenya, a mobile wildlife vet unit. Kenya has 14 total mobile wildlife vet units and with twice the land mass Tanzania only has 10. Not only that, but the mobile vet units are oftentimes using dated equipment, vehicles and training for the treatment of wildlife.

Partnering with the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) and Six Rivers Africa, ECO launched two mobile vet units to respond to injured wildlife. By providing the latest equipment, technology and training, these vet units will play a crucial role in safeguarding Tanzania’s wildlife and supporting conservation efforts.

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Explore the Wilderness with Intention, Run with Purpose

Explore the wilderness with intention and run with purpose by participating in the UltraMARAthon. Started in 2020, the UltraMARAthon is a 50 km single-day foot race through the conservancies of the northern Maasai Mara ecosystem in Kenya. The race, run either as an individual or a team, takes participants through the breathtaking landscape giving them a unique sporting experience within one of Africa’s jewels. The proceeds from the event go directly to supporting initiatives in the region that protect both the people and the wildlife that call the Mara home. The 2025 UltraMARAthon is taking place November 15.

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Protecting and Preserving the Mountain Bongo

The Bongo Surveillance Project (BSP) is the only dedicated wild mountain bongo antelope protection organization in the world. Listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, the mountain bongo is only found in Kenya and is on the verge of extinction in the wild due to poaching and habitat loss. BSP aims to secure a future for the last remaining mountain bongo antelope in the wild and engage the community to protect the forests where they live.

Founded in 2003 by Mike Prettejohn, BSP’s eight rangers work closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and county government patrolling two of the four remaining bongo strongholds, the Mau Forest Complex and Aberdare National Park. The rangers focus on de-snaring, habitat protection and monitoring the bongo using their extensive camera trap network and DNA data from dung collection. BSP also engages the next generation of bongo conservationists with a robust school program for children living alongside the forests. They prioritize community involvement to support their efforts to conserve the surrounding forests, minimize wildlife poaching activities and subsequently protect the critically endangered bongo.

Since inception, BSP has captured almost 80,000 wild bongo images on their camera traps and engaged more than 30,000 community members with their school and community development programs. Through these images they’ve confirmed some good news, the population is breeding; however, more needs to be done to secure their future.

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