Mega-Translocations: The Kenya Wildlife Service at its Best

Introduction The capture and translocation of 220 elephants in just two weeks, the rare translocation of 18 hippos in three weeks, the mass capture and translocation of over 1,000 impalas and 800 zebra in a single month—these are some of the most exciting and unparalleled feats of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). These few examples do not only show the magnitude, but also the efficiency in carrying out such exercises. The capture of a wild animal is an intricate process, requiring great caution to ensure safety of both personnel and the animal. Translocation, which refers to the physical transfer of an animal from one habitat to another, requires inputs from both science and art. With our current records in wildlife capture and translocation, we believe that we are the best in the region. Today, KWS can capture and translocate any land mammal species in Africa. However, these skills were not attained overnight. The Veterinary and Capture Services Department, which is responsible for these exercises, has undergone major changes. Initially, capture and translocation of wildlife was based on rudimentary methods, mostly relying on instinct, brute strength, and (supposedly) luck. Those were the days of “chase and rope” methods where animals were chased and noosed using a rope, just like in the cowboy movies. Pitfall methods, in which holes were dug along animal trails, were used for some of the mega-herbivores like the rhinos. It is clear that these methods were not only unethical but most likely injurious, with little regard to posttranslocation survival. Therefore, KWS established the Veterinary and Capture Services Department in 1993, which constituted a professional team of veterinarians, animal health technicians, and capture rangers. Since then, the department has progressively improved in efficiency and reduced capture-related mortalities. There were times when it would take a whole day to capture and load an elephant into a transportation crate, let alone translocate it. However, with increased mechanization and veterinary skills, a whole elephant family of 12 individuals can now be captured and loaded in transportation crates in less than 30 minutes! These improvements came at a great cost with a massive investment from the government of Kenya. Currently, KWS uses both air darting on a helicopter or ground darting either on foot or using a vehicle. The choice depends on several factors, among them habitat condition (e.g., accessibility) or animal behavior (e.g., aggressiveness) or escape flight speed. The capture rangers have paramilitary training and serve two roles: they provide security and also assist in physical restraint of the animals. However, members of the capture team