Amboseli Trust for Elephants

The Amboseli Elephant Research Project is the longest study of wild elephants in the world. We work to understand the lives and ensure the future of 1,500 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem fed by the waters of Kilimanjaro.

Vicki's picture

New IFAW Blog Online. Elephant Research: The Rules of Engagement

Sat, 2011-05-07 13:06 by Vicki
Tolstoy in musth - he's one of the largest bulls in the Park at the moment, drawn in to seek females in oestrus. Born in 1971 he was just a year old when Cynthia started studying the elephants here in Amboseli. Plenty of food means plenty of chance to play for younger elephants.

Hi Everybody,

Greetings from Amboseli. The IFAW blog is now live - click here for the story. Here are some images to accompany the story, which is mainly about how elephants interact with us. I've also included some pictures of them interacting with each other, which is after all what the study is really about!

cmoss's picture

USA Trip and Newsletter

Wed, 2011-05-04 16:38 by cmoss
CMSpeaking_28-4-11 Betsy_DonnaR_28-4-11

I am in the US on a book promotion and fund-raising tour. I arrived on April 22 and will leave on June 3. That's a long trip and I'm already missing Amboseli and the elephants.

I wanted you to know that I will be combining the April and May newsletters. I hope to get this issue out around mid-May.

cmoss's picture

The History of the HA Family

Sat, 2011-04-30 15:19 by cmoss · Forum/category:
Harriet_calf2_10-5-73

Not all the families in Amboseli are big and successful. Some have struggled and failed and have become extinct; the BA, DA, GA, NA, NB, QA and TB families no longer exist because there were no females to continue. Other families hold on by a thread. The HA family seems destined to be tiny. Harvey and I first met the members on October 5, 1973. It was early morning and we found three elephants along the edge of the Enkongo Narok swamp. This small group consisted of a female and two calves. There were no other elephants in the immediate area. The female was large and handsome.

Vicki's picture

What a Difference Eight Years Makes: Part II

Sat, 2011-04-09 08:40 by Vicki
Vernon in 2003 Vernon in 2011 - getting big!

Recently Cynthia posted a story about seeing Paolo after eight years, and how much males can grow in that time. Once males become independent of their families, they often disappear for a while, which causes us problems when they come back all grown up. We know they must belong to Amboseli families because they're so relaxed with our vehicles, but we have to go back to old photographs to work out who they are.

Vicki's picture

New IFAW blog: Rain and Elephants

Fri, 2011-04-01 12:22 by Vicki
muddy boys greeting each other Car or boat? This was the road leading to Ol Tukai after the first real rain.

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know my latest blog is live on the IFAW site - click here to read it. And here are some more photos to accompany the story - many are mud-themed!

cmoss's picture

The History of the GB and GB2 Families

Mon, 2011-03-28 08:20 by cmoss · Forum/category:
Gloria1976 Gladys1976

The GB family managed to confuse me completely the first time I ever saw them in 1975. I had recently set up a permanent camp in the Ol Tukai Orok woodlands in the center of the Park and had begun to observe the elephants on a full-time basis. During the previous three years I had worked part-time in Amboseli, mostly trying to build up a photographic recognition file for the population. By the time I moved to the camp I felt that I knew the families that used the central areas of the Park fairly well.

jamie1990's picture

New Research On Matriarchs

Wed, 2011-03-16 13:38 by jamie1990 · Forum/category:

This research suggests older female elephants make wiser leaders for their families, i believe the elephant in the video clip is the late Echo.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9425000/9425590.stm

Vicki's picture

New IFAW Blog Entry Now Online

Sat, 2011-03-05 13:29 by Vicki
Angelina with her distinctive tusks Anwyn's 2010 calf has nobody to play with in her family at the moment but we hope she will have playmates at the end of the year

I have been spending the last month finding my feet and starting the painstaking process of learning to identify the Amboseli elephants, with a lot of help from Norah, Katito and the rest of the ATE team. It's great fun, and I love feeling I'm starting to make progress, especially with the families I'm studying.

hcroze's picture

ATE Newsletter Archive

Wed, 2011-03-02 06:02 by hcroze · Forum/category:

Here's a list of the ATE Newsletters published so far. In case you want to see one you missed, click on one of the links below.

cmoss's picture

What a Difference Eight Years Makes

Thu, 2011-02-24 10:51 by cmoss
Paolo in January 2003 Paolo Mudsplashing

I was out this morning catching up with the elephants when I came upon a gorgeous big bull. At first I didn't know who it was but then I looked through the ID book and found Paolo. He has grown tremendously and he has developed the most spectacular tusks. Born in November 1979, Paolo will turn 32 this year. He will be one of the most magnificent bulls ever if he is allowed to live until he is 50 or more.

The two photos show the difference in eight years. The one was taken in January 2003 when he was 23; the other was taken today while Paolo was having a good mudsplash.