Pictures: Elephant Underpass Reuniting Kenya Herds

Safe Conduit

Photograph courtesy Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

At first, only adult male elephants ventured through the underpass (pictured from the highway), and then only at night.

But before long whole family groups were passing through during the day, Chege said.

"Elephants in northern Kenya are known to respond positively in areas where their security is guaranteed," he said.

"In this project, the elephants knew exactly when a safe conduit for them was created, and they did not have to cut across through human settlements that would have led to conflicts."

(Also see "Elephant Pictures: Killed Female Highlights Poaching Rise.")

Published May 16, 2012

Restoring Migrations

Image courtesy Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

An elephant marches through the underpass in October 2011. The corridor is part of a larger effort to re-create the historic migration routes of elephants in northern Kenya.

Currently the region's elephant populations are divided into two isolated groups: 2,000 animals in Mount Kenya and 7,500 in the Samburu-Laikipia ecosystem, according to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

The concept of underpasses isn't new, Chege added. Similar projects have been created for other animals in North America and South Africa.

"But this kind of project is the first of its kind in Kenya," he said.

(See "Hold the Champagne: Highway to Split Serengeti After All?")

Published May 16, 2012

Beneficial Corridor

Image courtesy Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

The elephant underpass (pictured in 2011) could have at least two other benefits. For one, it could improve the genetic health of northern Kenya elephants, since more genes will mix as the animals move into various territories and find new mates.

The corridor may also mean that elephants will move around more, reducing pressure on habitats—and possibly helping other species that use the same resources, such as the black rhinoceros, according to the conservancy.

(See elephant pictures.)

Published May 16, 2012

On the Road

Photograph by Michael Nichols, National Geographic

African elephants walk along a dirt road in Kenya's Samburu National Park.

The species is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but numbers vary greatly depending on the region.

For instance, major populations in eastern and southern Africa—including Kenya—are increasing at an average rate of 4 percent a decade, according to the IUCN.

But one trend is clear across the continent: "Elephant distribution is becoming increasingly fragmented," the conservation group noted. And that's something projects like the Kenya underpass can help to address.

Published May 16, 2012

Next: Biggest Conservation Area Created in Africa

Photograph by Roy Toft

Published May 16, 2012