Operated in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's Anti-Poaching Teams monitor for illegal activity and support all manner of field operations.
This report details all Anti-Poaching Unit activities for February 2026. During the month the Sobo, Umbi and Galana Wildlife Teams were on annual leave whilst the Chyulu, Chyulu Mobile, Dakadima, Mobile North, Shompole, Jipe and Kulalu II teams worked part of the month. The rest of the teams were operating fulltime.
MONTH AT A GLANCE:
Kilometres covered on patrol:
30,278
29 Arrests made:
27,678
68 Ivory recovered kg:
1,094 Snares confiscated:
We currently operate 32 Anti-Poaching Teams with the KWS throughout Kenya 25 teams are based in the greater Tsavo Conservation Area, collectively securing Kenya’s largest national park and the surrounding wilderness. One team is based in Meru National Park, which provides sanctuary to critically endangered black and white rhinos Under the direction of Mara Elephant Project, we also fund two teams based in the Mau Forest, an important water catchment area in the Rift Valley. We have expanded our anti-poaching presence to the Arabuko Sokoke Forest and the Shimba Hills, which are two of the last remaining coastal strongholds for elephants
While each team works within a designated region, many also work on a rotating, mobile basis, providing continuous coverage when other teams are on leave. This helps to ensure a constant level of vigilance in Kenya’s most vulnerable ecosystems
In February, SWT/KWS Anti-Poaching Teams lifted 1,094 snares and made 29 arrests, including the arrest of 5 suspected bushmeat poachers Other arrests made during the month included 12 herders, 2 firewood collectors, 2 charcoal burners, 4 loggers, and 4 arrests made for illegal entry into the park.
During the month, the teams destroyed charcoal kilns along with harbors/hides/camps used by offenders in the parks along with evicting livestock from the protected areas and destroying bomas.
In February, the teams also discovered 3 elephant carcasses and handed 68kg of ivory to the KWS for safekeeping They also supported human-wildlife conflict operations, pushing elephants during 8 separate missions out of community areas, along with veterinary cases and rescues.
INDIVIDUAL TEAM REPORTS
FEBRUARY 2026
BURRA ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
9/2/2026
WILD FIRE
The team attended to a reported fire in the ecosystem and extinguished it
10/2/2026 BUFFALO RESCuE
The team rescued a buffalo stuck in a muddy watering pan in the park
16/2/2026 ORPHANED ELEPHANT RESCUE
The team rescued an orphaned elephant and transported it to the Nursery for treatment and care
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Voi & Tsavo East
28
KICHWA TEMBO ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
12/2/2026 CHARCOAL BURNING
The team found a charcoal burning site with tools but the offenders escaped
20/2/2026 BUSHMEAT POACHING
The team confiscated a sack of fresh bushmeat poacher which was abandoned during an ambush
21/2/2026 CHARCOAL BURNING
The team found more charcoal burning sites and camp sites where the burners have been living in the park
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Tsavo West NP & where needed most
28
KULALU ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
Daysonduty:
28
5/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team found snares set by poachers in the park
24/2/2026
ELEPHANT RESCUE
The team helped extract an elephant trapped in a muddy watering hole
27/2/2026 CHARCOAL BURNING
The team found and destroyed a charcoal kiln
Patrolareas:
Border
of Southern Tsavo East within Kulalu & Galana Ranches
DAKADIMA ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
27/2/2026 CHARCOAL
BURNING
The Dakadima team found and destroyed a charcoal burning site
Daysonduty: Galana Ranch and where needed most Patrolareas:
18
MOBILE NORTH ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
24/2/2026 LIFTING SNARES
The team found a number of small wire snares set by poachers on wildlife trails
27/2/2026 LIFTING SNARES
The team lifted more small snares
18
Daysonduty: Fully Mobile in Northern Tsavo Conservation Area Patrolareas:
MOBILE SOUTH ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
15/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The Mobile South team lifted small and medium wire snares from the park
22/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team found some large snares set by bushmeat poachers
27/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team lifted small snares from the park
28
Daysonduty: Fully Mobile in Southern Tsavo Conservation Area Patrolareas:
LAKE JIPE ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
20/2/2026
LIVESTOCK INTRUSION
The team evicted livestock and herders from the protected area and destroyed a boma
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Lake Jipe & where needed most
18
YATTA ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
3/2/2026 LIFTING SNARES
The Yatta team found large snares in the park, set by poachers
14/2/2026 DRONE TRAINING
The Yatta team worked with the new SWT/KWS Drone Units
24/2/2026 GIRAFFE TREATMENT
The Yatta team helped the SWT/KWS Vet Unit treat an injured giraffe
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Yatta Plateau, Tsavo East
28
CHYULU MOBILE ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
22/2/2026 CANNABIS PLANTATION
The team found and destroyed a cannabis plantation in the park
26/2/2026 CANNABIS PLANTATION
The team found another cannabis plantation
Daysonduty:
18
Chyulu Hills National Park & Kiboko Ranch Patrolareas:
ZIWANI ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Tsavo West
3/2/2026 LIFTING SNARES
The team found and removed some large snares from the park
16/2/2026 BUSHMEAT POACHING
The team arrested a poacher with an ostrich carcass
25/2/2026 ELEPHANT CARCASS
The team found a fresh elephant carcass believed to have died from natural causes
THABANGUNJI ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
5/2/2026
ILLEGAL LOGGING
The team arrested a man found logging in the park
11/2/2026
LIVESTOCK INTRUSION
The team evicted livestock found in the park
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Galana Conservancy & Thabangunji
28
MUKURURO ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
10/2/2026
WILD FIRES
The Mukururo team helped with firefighting in the park
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Chyulu Hills
17/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team lifted snares set by poachers in the conservation area
KENZE ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
13/2/2026 ANTELOPE RESCUE
The Kenze team rescued a snared antelope in the Chyulu Hills
25/2/2026 CANNABIS PLANTATION
The Kenze team found and destroyed a cannabis planation found in the park
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Kibwezi Forest
SHOMPOLE ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
24/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team lifted snares from the conservation area
26/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team lifted more large snares from the park
28/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team found many large snares and a recently snared antelope
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Shompole & Mobile in Tsavo
18
CHYULU ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
21/2/2026
ILLEGAL LOGGING
The team arrested a logger found in the park
26/2/2026 ILLEGAL LOGGING
The team arrested 2 more men found logging in the park with a small amount of fresh miraa
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Chyulu Hills
18
KULALU II ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
20/2/2026 WARTHOG RESCUE
The team rescued a baby warthog
22/2/2026 CHARCOAL BURNING
The team found an active charcoal kiln and arrested 2 men at the site
Daysonduty:
18
Patrolareas:
Greater Galana Conservation Area
ITHUMBA ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
6/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team found and removed snares from the park
10/2/2026
FIREFIGHTING
The team fought a wild fire in the park
21/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team removed more snares from the park
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Northern Area of Tsavo East
28
KAJIADO ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
Patrolareas:
6/2/2026 CHARCOAL BURNING
The team found and destroyed a charcoal kiln in the park
15/2/2026 ILLEGAL LOGGING
The team found more logging sites in the park and increased security presence in the area
19/2/2026 LIFTING SNARES
The team lifted small snares set by poachers
Daysonduty: Kajiado & Arabuko Sokoke
28
MERU ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
4/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The team lifted a number of large snares from the park
6/2/2026 LIFTING SNARES
The team rescued a dik dik trapped in a snares
8/2/2026
BUSHBUCK RESCUE
The team rescued an orphaned bushbuck
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Meru National Park
TIVA ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
18/2/2026
POACHERS HIDE
The team found a makeshift poachers hide in a baobab tree
22/2/2026
LIFTING SNARES
The found snares set by bushmeat poachers in the park
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Northern Area of Tsavo East
28
KAPANGANI ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
27/2/2026
CHARCOAL BURNING
The team found and destroyed a charcoal kiln in the park and cautioned the community members at the site
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Galana Conservation Area
28
KWALE ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
27/3/2026 BUSHMEAT
POACHING
The team arrested a man caught with fresh bushmeat
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Shimba Hills National Reserve
28
MTITO ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
10/2/2026
ZEBRA RESCUE
The team rescued a zebra trapped in a fence
25/1/2026
ELEPHANT RESCUE
The team helped rescue an orphaned elephant and transport it to the SWT Nursery for care
Patrolareas:
Daysonduty: Tsavo East National Park
TSAVO MOBILE ANTI-POACHING TEAM
FEBRUARY 2026 SUMMARY OF SECURITY INCIDENTS
The following cases are just a few of the incidents attended to by this team during the month
Daysonduty:
28
6/2/2026 ELEPHANT CARCASS
The Tsavo Mobile team discovered an elephant carcass and handed over the tusks to KWS for safekeeping
16/2/2026 LIFTING SNARES
The team removed more snares from the park
21/2/2026 LIFTING SNARES
The team removed more snares from the park
Patrolareas:
Mobile in Tsavo East National Park and where needed most
