The Tsavo Elephant Research www.tsavoelephants.org is the longest research project on elephant behavior in the Tsavo Conservation Area. The aims of the research are to protect the elephants and their habitat by collecting empirical data to assist in the formulation of management strategies. The research project started in 1989 by identifying individual bulls and families to monitor trends in socio-behavioral ecology. Research based in Tsavo East National Park (1989 to present) include impact of poaching on age and sex ratio, mortality, reproductive patterns, social dynamics, and distribution. Studies on bull social dynamics collect data on bull areas, resources, occupancy, bull group size, group composition, associations, bonds and core areas. Research on family group dynamics include family size, composition, offspring sex ratio, calving interval, family seasonal spatial distribution, core areas, bond groups and clans.
This long-term non-interference research has studied elephant behavioral-ecology at the individual and population level in four regions of the Tsavo Conservation Area: Tsavo East National Park, Tsavo West National Park, Taita Ranch and Rukinga Sanctuary.
Tsavo East National Park
The current elephant research study area is south of the Galana River in Tsavo East National Park (4,200 km2). Results from the 2017 total count aerial survey indicated that about half (6,072) of all the elephants counted (12,866) in the Tsavo Conservation Area were counted south of the Galana River. The study area is a semi-arid environment with a historical average rainfall of 390 to 450 mm per year. The habitat is a mosaic of tree-bush, riverine woodland, bush-grass and open grassland. Three rivers are in the study area. Permanent Galana River and two seasonal rivers, Mbololo and Voi Rivers with intermittent surface water. Elephant dug-wells are scattered along both river beds during the dry season. Numerous seasonal natural soil-based waterholes and many provisional water points are dispersed throughout the study site. The water pipeline from Mzima Spring (Tsavo West) to Mombasa bisects the western region of Tsavo East, with numerous leaks creating small and large pools. In addition, there are several areas with electrical fences: park headquarters, vegetation enclosures, eastern park boundary and western park boundary, both sides of the recently build Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) with a few, underpasses for elephants and other wildlife to move across park boundaries.
Tsavo West National Park
This research project created an individual recognized log of recognized elephants to monitor: resources related to elephant habitat use, distribution, group size and composition. And, monitored the boundary crossings of known elephants between Tsavo East and West National Park. The research was conducted in the northern area of Tsavo West. A hilly area comprised of several Volcanic habitat, open grassland, thick tree-bush and the Tsavo River.
Taita Ranch and Rukinga Sanctuary
This research project, in the southern region of TCA, investigated the status of elephant population by creating a photographic identification log of recognized individuals on privately owned land to monitor: total number of bulls and families in this region seasonally, available resources related to habitat use, distribution, group size and composition. Further to monitor the boundary crossing of known elephants between Tsavo East National Park and privately owned land. The landscape consists of tree-bush, open grassland and bush-grass.