Mara Elephant Project
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Protecting elephants and their habitats across the Greater Mara Ecosystem
06/28/2026
A bird's-eye view can make all the difference.
Across the Mara, drones help rangers monitor wildlife, support patrol operations, respond to human-elephant conflict incidents, and detect threats to critical habitat that may otherwise go unnoticed from the ground.
For female rangers, drone pilot training provides an opportunity to develop specialized skills that strengthen conservation efforts while expanding their role in protecting wildlife and the landscapes they depend on.
This World Female Ranger Week, Mara Elephant Project is highlighting the importance of investing in training that equips women with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to lead conservation efforts from above.
It costs $1,700 to train one ranger as a drone pilot.
Will you help us equip more female rangers with these critical skills?
Donate - https://bit.ly/mara-elephant-project
Holly Budge
How Many Elephants
What does a day in the life of a female ranger look like?
For Purity Masuntu, no two days are ever the same. From early morning briefings and forest patrols to monitoring elephants and responding to conservation challenges in the field, her work helps protect both wildlife and the landscapes they depend on.
Since joining Mara Elephant Project in 2021, Purity has continued to expand her skills, becoming one of MEP's first female ranger drone pilots. Her journey reflects the importance of investing in training and creating opportunities for women to grow as conservation leaders.
This World Female Ranger Week, we're celebrating the women on the frontlines of conservation and the training that helps make their work possible.
Meet Purity and follow along as she shares life as a female ranger.
Holly Budge
How Many Elephants
Integrating diverse approaches to conservation challenges leads to impactful ranger work.
Thirty percent of Mara Elephant Project’s total ranger teams are comprised of both male and female rangers.
The reason for this holistic approach is simple; our ranger teams reflect the communities we serve in the Mara.
As Deputy CEO Meshack Gaga explains, one person’s weakness is another person’s strength and when combined it creates a cohesive ranger team.
World Female Ranger Week was created to recognize the role women play in conservation. Their ability to build trust, foster understanding, and champion conservation solutions makes them an invaluable part of the team.
Your generosity contributes to their training and advancement.
Donate here: https://bit.ly/mara-elephant-project
Holly Budge
How Many Elephants
06/21/2026
This Father’s Day, we’re celebrating an elephant who is a symbol of consistency in an ever-changing landscape.
Individual #73 is estimated to be between 30 and 35 years old. This bull elephant is instantly recognizable by the large tear in his right ear, a feature that has made him easy for our research team to identify across years of sightings.
Since he was first recorded in 2021 by the Mara Elephant Project research team, he’s been monitored 14 times in the same area. These repeated sightings reveal something important: consistency. His stable movement patterns provide valuable insights into how elephants use the landscape and our repeated encounters help us piece together his story to better understand how to support him.
Like many fathers, Individual #73 reminds us of the value of a steady presence. Year after year, his familiar movements and enduring presence continue to shape the story of the landscape around him.
Happy Father’s Day from all of us at Mara Elephant Project.
What happened at this electric fence left rangers stunned.
When Mara Elephant Project rangers received reports of a bull elephant inside a fenced settlement, they quickly deployed a drone to help guide him out. But there was a challenge: the fence was electric, posing a risk to the elephant if he attempted to cross it.
Using the drone, rangers carefully encouraged the elephant toward the settlement's main gate, hoping that the elephant might understand.
What happened next surprised everyone.
Rather than trying to step over the fence or use his tusks to break through it, the elephant stopped at the gate, examined it, and figured out how to open it himself. Moments later, he calmly walked through and continued on his way.
No damage. No injuries. No encounters with people.
Just an extraordinary display of intelligence from an animal that never ceases to amaze us.
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4000 W. 106TH Street SUITE 125/238
Carmel, IN
46032
