Travel Tips
Voluntourism: Six Change-Makers in Africa
5. Richard Roberts, Robert’s Safaris, Richard’s Camp and The Mara Elephant Project, Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa.
On a bumpy ride, through heavy bush and past thousands of zebra, elephant and giraffes, we came to a small enclave of trees that popped out on the yellow horizon. There I met the tall, blonde and barefoot Richard Roberts, owner of Richard’s Camp and Robert’s Safaris, who came to greet our safari vehicle. Richard has lived in the Kenya’s Masai Mara from the age of three. He moved there with his parents, in 1981, where they lived in tents on the banks of the Mara River. At the age of eight Richard took his first guests on a game drive, with blocks of wood strapped to his feet in order to reach the pedals. It was a sign of things to come.
In 2011 Richard established the Mara Elephant Project (MEP) in conjunction with Escape Foundation. Human/wildlife conflict is a major issue in the Mara and MEP is dedicated to tracking elephants to better understand their behavior and to improve their security and life expectancy, particularly in relation to poaching and conflict with local farmers.
Elephant ivory still carries great value in some parts of the world. Since MEP began just over a year ago, their dedicated team of Rangers has apprehended eight ivory dealers and eighteen poachers, dramatically reducing the number of elephant deaths in the region. They have also apprehended bush meat poachers and illegal loggers.
During its lifetime, an elephant will travel across vast tracts of land. This sometimes brings them into conflict with farmers whose land they traverse, causing crop damage. MEP’s aim is to educate the farmers as to the habits of the elephants and to sensitize them as to the elephants’ plight, thus creating safe passage for the animals and reducing conflict.
Get involved: Travelers who are visiting the Mara are helping to support and sustain the National Park and its surrounding Conservancies and prevent the encroaching development with their tourism dollars alone. Donations to the Mara Elephant Project help support their on-going conservation work.
