Photos © Bill Yancey & Peadar Brehony

Elephants (Loxodonta africana) and lions (Panthera leo) are the largest herbivore and carnivore in Africa, are highly threatened and share a flagship role in conservation. Both species play key roles in the ecosystem, are major tourist attractions, and are most often in conflict with farmers and herders. Conserving elephants and lions combats poaching, bolsters tourism, generates income for local communities, and maintains the diversity and integrity of ecosystems.

Pastoralists, eager to secure formal titles to ward off land grabbers, are carving up the areas around and between parks. This wave of subdivision is hastening the loss of wildlife and the isolation of parks. Additionally, the illegal slaughter of wildlife has recently escalated in northern Tanzania and Kenya. Although wildlife protection agencies in both countries have reacted to this threat in protected areas, most of the community lands in this region have little or no protection. BCI changes that by working with communities to strengthen their conservation capacity and by generating jobs and income.

In March 2014, ACC and Wildlife Conservation Society brought together 60 plus representatives of Kenyan and Tanzanian governments, communities, and conservation organizations to plan the way forward for cross-border collaboration.

BCI has hired and trained 30 new Game Scouts to fill gaps in coverage. The Scouts have arrested more than 42 poachers in the last 12 months.

Lions have reappeared in areas where they have not been seen in 10 years.

Elephant poaching cases have dropped from 75 to 32 over the last year thanks to efforts by communities and our partners.

Four new scout bases have been built to protect elephants and other wildlife on Kenyan community land.

BCI is supporting critical borderlands assessments across the Kenya-Tanzania borderland area for wide-ranging elephant and lion meta-populations.