Animals

Producing Pachyderms

In 2020, over 200 elephant calves were birthed at the park, including two sets of twins. Even one set is a rare occurrence for pachyderms, who have a gestational period of two years.

Experts attribute the births partially to good rainy seasons in the previous years. Heavy rains mean more food, which means healthier elephants.

Kenya’s elephant population has flourished in recent decades, expanding in size from 16,000 in 1989 to almost 35,000 in 2019.

The Kenyan government has made a concerted and successful effort as well, to crack down on poaching, with more enforcement, stiffer fines and more prison time – resulting in dramatically fewer elephant deaths.

African elephants are still considered a vulnerable species, But what we are seeing, is that conservation, education and proactive government intervention works.

For the elephants in and around Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, they also have a local advantage.

They’ve lived in harmony with the nearby Maasai people for generations and are highly respected in their culture, giving these majestic giants an even better chance for a brighter future.