Mwaluganje elephant sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary (MES) is a community-owned elephant park, a conservation area for elephant
s and Encephalartos
cycads in Kwale District
of the Coast Province
of Kenya
. It is located 45 km southwest of Mombasa
and is adjacent to the Shimba Hills National Reserve
. The sanctuary was formed in the early 1990s as a cooperative project between the people of the surrounding Mwaluganje community, United States Agency for International Development
, and the Born Free Foundation
and the Eden Wildlife Trust.
MES is an example of ecotourism
, as well as community
-based-conservation efforts, both of which are very recent trends in conservation management
. In this community-based program, the local people have lease
d their privately-owned property to a community based trust.
The trust manages the sanctuary for the conservation and preservation of the elephants. In addition it is a valuable source of revenue for the local people, re through monies generated by eco-tourism and gate entrance fees. The area is off the Shimba Hills escarpment in Kwale District
and is on the to the migratory route leading to Tsavo East National Reserve.
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s and Encephalartos
Encephalartos
Encephalartos is a genus of cycad native to Africa. Several species of Encephalartos are commonly referred to as bread palms, bread tree or Kaffir bread since a bread-like starchy food can be prepared from the centre of the stem. All the species of Encephalartos are endangered...
cycads in Kwale District
Kwale District
Kwale District is an administrative district in the Coast Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kwale, although Msambweni and Ukunda are larger.The district has a population of 496.133 ....
of the Coast Province
Coast Province
Coast Province of Kenya, along the Indian Ocean, is one of Kenya's seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi. It comprises the Indian Ocean coastal strip with the capital city at Mombasa and is inhabited by the Mijikenda and Swahili, among others...
of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It is located 45 km southwest of Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
and is adjacent to the Shimba Hills National Reserve
Shimba Hills National Reserve
The Shimba Hills National Reserve is a small National Park in the Coast Province of Kenya, 33 km from Mombasa and 15 km from the coast. The reserve is an area of coastal rainforest, woodland and grassland...
. The sanctuary was formed in the early 1990s as a cooperative project between the people of the surrounding Mwaluganje community, United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
, and the Born Free Foundation
Born Free Foundation
The Born Free Foundation is a conservation and animal rescue organization in the United Kingdom. It originated in 1984 as the "Zoo Check Campaign" by actors Virginia McKenna and her husband Bill Travers along with their son Will Travers and four associates....
and the Eden Wildlife Trust.
MES is an example of ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
, as well as community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
-based-conservation efforts, both of which are very recent trends in conservation management
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
. In this community-based program, the local people have lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
d their privately-owned property to a community based trust.
The trust manages the sanctuary for the conservation and preservation of the elephants. In addition it is a valuable source of revenue for the local people, re through monies generated by eco-tourism and gate entrance fees. The area is off the Shimba Hills escarpment in Kwale District
Kwale District
Kwale District is an administrative district in the Coast Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kwale, although Msambweni and Ukunda are larger.The district has a population of 496.133 ....
and is on the to the migratory route leading to Tsavo East National Reserve.