For several years the KBCT helicopter was utilized in the air by our partner organization, Mara Elephant Project (MEP), which logged hundreds of hours of fly time within the Mara North Conservancy and adjoining areas. The helicopter was principally utilized to protect the savanna elephants, who are threatened by poaching for the illegal ivory trade, climate change, habitat loss and destruction, and an increasing number of human-elephant conflicts. In 2022, Karen Blixen Camp Trust donated the helicopter to Mara Elephant Project so it could have more direct access to use of the helicopter for their expanding range of activities over a larger geographical area.

Established in 2011, Mara Elephant Project envisions the existence of a stable elephant population co-existing peacefully with people across the Greater Mara Ecosystem. They utilize a “boots-on-the-ground” method that includes rangers and applied research. This comprehensive approach has disrupted poaching in the region and combatted human-elephant conflict and habitat loss.

MEP also surveys elephant movements through the use of elephant-friendly GPS collars. The tracking collars enable them to monitor elephant movements (or lack of movement) in near real time. The data collected helps inform their strategy behind ranger deployment for anti-poaching efforts and human-elephant conflict avoidance