Programme #4 and the final shoot for National Geographic and this time we headed to Kenya to follow the Environmental Investigation Team as they tried to uncover some facts on the illegal ivory trade.
Nairobi skyline. We didn't stay here long as we headed north past Mount Kenya to the dry and arid landscape of Samburu National Park.
We met Ian Douglas Hamilton founder of Save the Elephant foundation who have been working tirelessly protecting these amazing animals in Samburu National Park.
We met Ian Douglas Hamilton founder of Save the Elephant foundation who have been working tirelessly protecting these amazing animals in Samburu National Park.
He took us out to go and see the carcass of Resilience, a matriarch shot by poachers 3 weeks before our visit. She managed to escape them and stumbled around the bush for two weeks. She was eventually found lying on the ground in convulsions and it was decided the kindest thing to do was put her out of her misery with a gunshot. The poachers never managed to get her tusks which in a twisted way makes her killing even more pointless.
Filming Resilience's carcass.
The evening of our second day in Samburu and as we relaxed chatting away to Sir Ian and his staff a message came over the radio that an elephant had been shot. It was too dangerous for any of us to go and find out. KWS were informed and they sent an armed patrol. Early the next morning we headed deep into the bush and found the mutilated body of "Hope" a 40 year old matriarch. She was riddled with AK47 bullets and her two front tusks had been hacked off with a machete. David, the head ranger, started asking around the local tribes and they all said the same thing, Somali poachers.
Hope had two small calfs who ran off into the bush during the attack. Luckily they have since attached themselves to another group and fingers crossed they will survive.
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