On the Expedition
Help researchers monitor the behavior and range of elephants in the breathtaking Kenyan savannah.
Your team will spend four days in Tsavo East National Park, two days in Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary, 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, 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 the Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary, 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.
Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary is 325 kilometers of privately owned land adjacent to Tsavo East. The sanctuary serves as an elephant dispersal area and contains a number of natural waterholes and water tanks that the teams will use to survey for elephants. Since the sanctuary is not a tourist area, you will have a unique opportunity to observe elephants and other wildlife in a different habitat with relatively few vehicles and humans present.