On the Expedition
Help researchers monitor the behaviour and range of elephants in the breathtaking Kenyan savannah.
Your team will spend three days in Tsavo East National Park, three days in Tsavo West National Park, and one day along the boundaries, conducting elephant surveys from a vehicle. When elephants are spotted, you'll work with your team to record GPS coordinates, group size, composition, behavior, and the state of the vegetation. You'll also identify other nearby wildlife and the GPS coordinates and status of waterholes throughout the study sites. Any sightings of endangered and rare wildlife species will be recorded as well. Through informal lectures, you'll learn about wildlife conservation issues in the region. A recreational day in the middle of the expedition is yours for relaxing back at the lodge, watching the local Taita dancers, helping input data, or exploring the colorful markets of Voi town.
Meals and Accommodations
You will stay at the fabulous Voi Wildlife Lodge, a spacious and airy tourist lodge located just outside Tsavo East, with a view of the beautiful Sagala and Taita Hills from the swimming pool and bar. Wildlife may visit the two waterholes near the lodge, so be sure to have your binoculars handy. Comfortable double rooms include electricity, a private toilet, and hot showers, and laundry service is available. The lodge provides hearty Western and Asian fare—lots of fruits and vegetables—to keep your energy up for elephant-searching.
About the Research Area
Volunteers will work within Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park, both of which are located in the southeastern region of Kenya, three degrees south of the equator. The study area within Tsavo East contains 4,000 square kilometers and is located south of the permanent Galana River, with a mix of open grassland, riverine vegetation and thick bush.
Tsavo West National Park has numerous hills, valleys, volcanic craters and numerous springs. Tsavo River, a permanent river, originating from the spectacular Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is our southern boundary. We will survey this river as it is an important resource for elephants and other wildlife especially during the dry season. Roaring Rocks, Poacher’s Lookout and Chaimu Crater are landmarks we will use to survey for elephants. In addition, we will look for elephants at Mzima Springs, where pools are fed from the Chyulu Hills through the lava flows to Tsavo.