While Joyce is back in Norway preparing for her appearance in the legal case against Ringling Brothers Circus, and dealing with other pending elephant-issues, I continue my stay here in Nairobi. I am keeping busy working on our website update and our databases with IT-experts Mark and Fred, and trying to get our field vehicle in shape for the next few months of field work – a continuous job!
In the middle of next week I leave for Amboseli with Blake Murray. Over the next 10 weeks Blake is going to be assisting with ElephantVoices’ communication research by collecting acoustic recordings and video of some of the rarer calls. After a two week intro period with me he will be in the good hands of the very competent ATE research staff members, Norah Njiraini and Katito Sayialel.
Right now Blake is with Joyce in Norway being prepared for his time in Amboseli and picking up the recording equipment, datasheets and so on. Blake, who is currently a student at University of Utah, worked with us for a couple of months in 2003. You will be hearing more from us in the field. 
Blake and Petter with the BBs in Amboseli in May 2003.
Based on normal rainfall patterns this time of the year usually represents a productive work period for collecting elephant vocalizations. But this year may be different. Due to the severe drought elephants are likely to be more subdued and just focused on getting enough to eat.
The short rains failed over most of Kenya, which is a troubling fact for millions of Kenyans. The political upheaval last year really had an impact on food production in the country and having the rains fail sets people even further back. Millions of Kenyans are currently faced with hunger – making human elephant conflict even more acute.
Despite the drought, I really look forward to being with the Amboseli elephants again, and we are all hoping for good rains in March and April.
Petter
COME ON RAIN! : )
Fingers cross for the field vehicle & the rains !!!
Best of luck to you, the elephants and all of Kenya!
D. Channell
Petter,
Thanks for the update. Glad to see ElephantVoices back in Kenya for continuing field studies. Hope to hear updates on Echo and other elephants who have been part of the ongoing studies there. Great to hear that Blake will be contributing in your work. I hope the elephants are fairing well against the drought and any human altercations aggravated by the political and economic turmoil. Sheldricks have reported an upsurge in poaching throughout Kenya and 2008 was a bad year with a much higher number of orphaned wildlife coming in than is normal. I believe the BBC will soon be showing new programs on both Sheldricks in Nairobi & Tsavo, and the Douglas-Hamilton’s work in Samburu Reserve, respectively. Was wondering if any such TV programs are in the works for you and Joyce with your work in Amboseli and in Sri Lanka? These programs really pull in public awareness, interest, and financial support; as I’m sure you are aware. When I’ve viewed such programs, it has made me unable to ignore the needs of the pachyderms, and always galvanizes my determination to rework my budget and “find” that extra donation to lend support.
Best Wishes
Yes, Lisa, we’re all hoping for more rain!
And The Teach – with all the challenges elephants are facing we can only do the best we can – and hope that “things” will improve and change over time. It is vital for wildlife that we (more precise: politicians) are able to deal with the needs of human beings – poverty and the struggle for resources is one contributing factor when it comes to poaching. (And even more so, the game meat trade)
The Amboseli Elephant Research Project will soon appear in an Animal Planet series (read more here, http://elephanttrust.org/node/484), which is good for the Amboseli elephants and the broad-spectered work of AERP. ElephantVoices and Joyce have participated in quite a few programs/documentaries over the years, and there is a lot of interest in our new Sri Lanka project. We will come back when we know more… Thanks!
The Tech, in all that is going on around the world and the efforts being made to be heard and raise awareness the BBC is doing a great job here in the UK, prime time TV last Wednesday and for the next two week’s highlighting the Douglas-Hamilton’s work in Samburu.
…..
It have made the pick of the week on our TV schedules, the same goes for the Sheldrick’s BBC Elephant diaries that now will come up to the third series, every time these type of programmes airs on our screens they help raises the awareness and make people think about their chooses and actions they make in their life’s and surely contributes financially as you say (I can think of a few adoptions of the orphans just via my work place
Can’t wait for the Animal planet series from Amboseli and the EB’s, they are after all the number one ambassadors of their kind and the amazing work that have been (and is being done) for almost 40 years now by ATFE,
Petter
Best of luck in your time in Kenya and Amboseli, will be following yours and Joyce work via the blog,