NAIROBI, Kenya, May 23 — The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has launched a 10-day operation to translocate more than ten bull elephants from Salama Village in Laikipia West, Laikipia County, to a designated KWS-managed protected area.
The exercise aims to reduce escalating human-wildlife conflict while safeguarding both community livelihoods and elephant populations.
KWS said the operation reflects an evolving model of collaborative conservation, bringing together technical teams and local communities working side by side in wildlife management efforts.
“They called, we responded, they joined in hundreds—not as spectators but as part of a team; our Veterinary and Capture Team,” KWS noted, highlighting the level of community involvement witnessed on the first day of the operation.
Salama Village, located near key wildlife movement corridors linked to the nearby Rumuruti Forest (Rumuruti Forest), has for years experienced increasing human-elephant interactions.
As natural habitats shrink and seasonal migration routes intersect with farmland, elephants have increasingly entered cultivated areas, leading to repeated crop-raiding incidents and rising tension between residents and wildlife.
KWS said the decision to initiate the translocation was driven by the need to prevent further escalation of conflict while ensuring the safety of both communities and animals.
“Rather than wait for potential tragedy or retaliatory harm against wildlife, the service opted for a preventive and structured intervention,” the agency said.
“What unfolded on day one of the exercise was not just another wildlife operation. It was something deeper. Something rare. A moment where conservation stopped being ‘their responsibility’ and became ‘our responsibility,’” KWS added.
Heavy rains turned access roads into thick mud, causing recovery vehicles transporting sedated elephants to become stuck.
In response, residents of Salama Village mobilized in large numbers, assisting KWS teams by pushing, pulling, and clearing routes to ensure the vehicles could proceed safely.
KWS said that in those moments, the distinction between conservation officers and community members blurred, as both groups worked toward a shared objective.
Residents, according to the agency, demonstrated strong ownership of conservation efforts, viewing wildlife not as a burden but as a shared natural heritage.
The ongoing operation seeks to relocate more than 10 bull elephants from conflict-prone zones to secure ecosystems where they can thrive.
KWS further noted that the translocation will enhance genetic diversity in recipient elephant populations while easing pressure on surrounding farmlands.
The initiative aligns with the KWS Strategic Plan 2024–2028, which prioritizes community-based conservation, human-wildlife coexistence, and sustainable ecosystem management.
The agency emphasized that the success of the exercise depends on continued collaboration between conservation teams and local communities, describing the Salama operation as a model for future interventions in areas where people and wildlife increasingly share overlapping landscapes.