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Amboseli Trust for Elephants

@amboseli_trust

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Official profile for Amboseli Trust for Elephants. The longest study of 🐘 in the world!
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News from the field team 🐘⁠ ⁠ With so many females currently nursing young calves, we are seeing fewer females in oestrus and fewer matings. This week, however, the team watched Winnie, the 56 year old matriarch of the WA family, mate with Palmer, a 32 year old male from the PC family.⁠ ⁠ The male beside them is Iagan, 27, from the IAIC family. Independent males often spend time together, moving in small groups. Males don’t usually begin breeding until their 30s, and younger males like Iagan tend to follow older bulls, learning survival skills as well as social and mating behaviour along the way.⁠ ⁠ Elephant pregnancies last around 22 months, so if all goes well, we hope to welcome Winnie and Palmer’s calf into the Amboseli population in 2028. by @amboseli_trust
11
3 days ago
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Some happy news from Amboseli 🐘🐘⁠ ⁠ Our neighbours at Angama in Kimana Sanctuary reported a female elephant with newborn twins. Before sharing the news, our team wanted a closer look and confirm who she was. It is Twain of the TC family.⁠ ⁠ Born in 1996, Twain is the daughter of Topaz. She has been an incredibly successful mother, giving birth to five calves since 2009, all of whom are alive today. Now she has had twins, a rare event in elephants.⁠ ⁠ Not all twins survive in the wild, since two calves must share one mother’s milk and care. With Twain’s experience, and if ecological conditions stay good this year, their chances are strong.⁠ ⁠ Thank you to the Angama team for the sighting and sharing the photos with us! by @amboseli_trust
54
6 days ago
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For 54 years, our research has been guided by one principle: watch elephants without interfering in their lives. We step in only to treat injured elephants or to fit tracking collars, and we do so because of what collars help us protect. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Amboseli National Park covers just 392 km², but its elephants roam an ecosystem of around 8,000 km² that stretches into Tanzania. They gather at the Park's swamps in the dry season and disperse widely when the rains come. As open land is increasingly fenced and settled, tracking shows us the corridors elephants rely on, so we can work with communities and partners to keep them open.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ In mid September, over three days, seven female elephants were collared in a joint effort with Kenya Wildlife Service and KWS vet Dr Mutinda (supported by Sheldrick Wildlife Trust), Save the Elephants, Tsavo Trust, Big Life Foundation, ElephantVoices and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ We chose one female from each of seven families: EB, BB, TC, DB, LD, WB and UA, because each uses a different critical corridor out of the Park. This combined knowledge will give us a picture of the elephants' wider home range. The UA family had not been seen for eight years before this, so we're especially keen to learn where they've been spending their time.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ We're deeply grateful to everyone involved in this operation. What these seven females show us will help shape an Amboseli where development and wildlife corridors can coexist, meeting the needs of growing communities while keeping space for elephants to move. by @amboseli_trust
3
16 days ago
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🐘 New published research on elephant communication just dropped! 🐘 We know elephants for their mighty trumpets, but much of their vocal communication happens through low-frequency rumbles. Around 60% of these rumbles occur in overlapping choruses, where multiple elephants rumble at once. Yet, these have previously been difficult to analyze. In a new study published in Scientific Reports, working with @earth_species_project and @amboseli_trust, we used machine learning to analyze elephant choruses. Here’s what we found ⬇️ 🎶 Choruses carry information about what elephants are doing Given only an audio recording of a chorus, our models could predict broad behavioral context, such as maintaining contact among separated elephants, comforting and reassuring calves, and coordinating movement. 🐘 Elephants “get in tune” during some interactions During some interactions associated with coordinating movement, elephants’ rumbles became more similar, a pattern known as vocal convergence. The authors suggest vocal convergence could play a role in helping families build “a plan of action.” ❓How could this help elephants in the future? Understanding how elephants communicate and coordinate their movements could help identify important habitats and movement corridors, better understand how elephants use shared landscapes, and inform approaches to human-elephant coexistence. 📄 Read the study: www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-68525-3 (link in bio) #ElephantCommunication #ElephantBehavior #AnimalCommunication #Bioacoustics #MachineLearning #Elephants by @amboseli_trust
10
17 days ago
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Working together for elephants across the Amboseli ecosystem 🐘 Last week, the Tsavo Trust helicopter supported an important elephant collaring exercise in the Amboseli ecosystem, working alongside the Amboseli Elephant Trust, Big Life Foundation, Save the Elephants, the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Seven carefully selected female elephants were fitted with satellite collars, providing conservation teams with valuable information about their movements, ranging patterns and use of the landscape. Collaring elephants is an important conservation tool. By understanding where elephants move — and how they navigate between protected areas, community land and other parts of the ecosystem — teams can better identify key habitats and corridors, anticipate potential human-elephant conflict, and make informed decisions to help protect both elephants and the people who share this landscape with them. This work is a powerful reminder that elephant conservation is a collaborative effort. From the air to the ground, partnerships between conservation organisations, communities, researchers and wildlife authorities are essential to understanding and safeguarding these remarkable animals. Seven collars. Seven individuals. A wealth of information that will help shape conservation action for years to come. by @amboseli_trust
9
18 days ago
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Applications are open! Amboseli Trust for Elephants is hosting a fully funded Conservation Career Development Workshop in Nairobi this November, designed to help wildlife conservation graduates take the next step in their careers.⁠ ⁠ You'll walk away with sharper CV and communication skills, insight into internships and job opportunities, and guidance on preparing for a Master's - plus the inspiration to keep pursuing conservation work.⁠ ⁠ 📌 Open to recent graduates with a Diploma or University degree in wildlife conservation or a related field⁠ 📌 Only 16 spots available⁠ 📌 Applications close once we hit 120 submissions⁠ ⁠ Scan the QR code or tap the link in bio to apply. Don't wait - spots are limited! by @amboseli_trust
3
a month ago
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Excited to announce that two research articles have been published in Pachyderm. For more information, click on the link on our bio. by @amboseli_trust
0
a month ago
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As we celebrate our anniversary, we remember the many elephants we have known.⁠ ⁠ Over the past 54 years, the Amboseli Trust for Elephants has come to know more than 4,000 individual elephants. Each has contributed to our understanding - their stories, families, and behaviour have revealed insight into wild elephant lives that has helped shape their conservation & advocacy around the world. ⁠ ⁠ This post is a small tribute to some of the elephants - past and present - who have shaped what we know. This series of photos includes the current oldest female & male in the population: Ulrica and Ganesh, both born in 1963.⁠ ⁠ Echo & Ebony Echo (1945–2009) was one of the most well known elephants in Amboseli's history; her daughter Ebony is still alive today.⁠ Dionysus (1940–2003)⁠ Tim (1969–2020)⁠ Suki (born 1968, alive today)⁠ Eudora (born 1972, alive today)⁠ Ulrica (born 1963, alive today)⁠ Craig (1972–2026)⁠ Ganesh (born 1963, alive today)⁠ ⁠ To know an elephant from birth until death is a monumental commitment, highlighting how much knowledge can be gained by observing a population over a lifetime rather than merely through a single season.⁠ ⁠ Every one of them, and thousands more, are part of why Amboseli's elephant research is what it is today. by @amboseli_trust
27
2 months ago
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Today marks our 54th Anniversary. As we reflect back to the 1st of September 1972, we want to thank and remember our Founder & Director, Dr Cynthia Moss.⁠ ⁠ In 1972, she started the Amboseli Elephant Research Project alongside Dr Harvey Croze. What began then has become the world's longest continuous study of wild elephants. Today, Cynthia still leads the project, alongside a dedicated team, and Harvey remains a close friend and supporter of ATE to this day.⁠ ⁠ The knowledge this project has contributed is immense. Much of what the world knows about elephants was first studied here in Amboseli and shared outward. We continue to research, discover, conserve, and educate, with the goal of protecting wild elephant populations while supporting the people who live alongside them.⁠ ⁠ Conservation through knowledge and awareness will always be needed, and we intend to continue this mission, alongside these same elephants, for many decades to come.⁠ ⁠ We are thankful to all who have helped, and continue to help, ATE in this mission: to our donors, without whom this work would not be possible; to the Amboseli community, our partners, and Kenyan authorities, for their continued collaboration and support; and to the elephants, who we will keep knowing and protecting. by @amboseli_trust
9
2 months ago
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Communication saves lives - for elephants and people alike.⁠ ⁠ We're proud to share expanded versions of our Be Elephant Aware animation, now available in Kiswahili, French, and Maa alongside English.⁠ ⁠ Developed to help communities living alongside wild elephants understand elephant behaviour and respond safely during encounters, this tool is already used by educators and community members across Amboseli. Expanding it into more languages means it can reach further - into classrooms, community meetings, and homes across Africa.⁠ ⁠ Understanding how elephants communicate and behave is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce risk and build lasting coexistence.⁠ ⁠ A huge thanks to everyone helping spread this message in their own language. 🐘 ⁠ ⁠ This video shares short snippets from the full animation. To view the full animation in various languages, visit our YouTube channel - link in bio!⁠ by @amboseli_trust
3
2 months ago
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Six years ago today, we lost Tim - 51 years old, a true Amboseli icon known and loved across the ecosystem.⁠ ⁠ Now you can bring him home. ATE presents a limited collection of Tim prints, set against Kilimanjaro, by acclaimed graphite artist Terry Miller.⁠ ⁠ 🖼️ Limited Edition (50 only), 5"×7" - $125⁠ 🖼️ Open Edition, 9"×6⅜" - $40⁠ ⁠ US shipping included. 100% of proceeds support elephant conservation in Amboseli.⁠ ⁠ DM us or email info@elephanttrust.org to order by @amboseli_trust
7
2 months ago
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Playtime is serious business for young elephants! Calves spend their first months play-fighting, chasing, and sparring - and it turns out who they choose to play with says a lot about growing up.⁠ ⁠ Young calves often play with family members close in age, but many also seek out playmates from other families entirely - a great opportunity for two families to spend time together, just like the LD and OA2 calves in this photo! These interactions help calves build social skills, test their strength, and get comfortable with elephants outside their own family circle.⁠ ⁠ It's playful, it's noisy, and it's an important part of growing up strong in Amboseli. by @amboseli_trust
4
2 months ago
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