THE OLOROPILE FUND
In honour of a very special elephant whom our team knew for many years before he tragically lost his life last year, we have launched The Oloropilé Fund, a small initiative intended to support the education of Maasai children who have lost one or both parents in human-wildlife conflict cases within the Siana area. Oloropilé was a magnificent 50 year old bull elephant and he was beloved by our whole team for many reasons but mostly because of his likeable and easy going manner. He epitomized the term 'Gentle Giant'. Despite having been attacked many times by humans in his life, he was never aggressive and he was particularly trusting of our team and the rangers who had kept him safe over the years. In both 2014 and in 2018 we had to call in veterinary services to treat Oloropilé when we found him injured after attempts on his life by poachers. EA Rangers devoted many hours, days and weeks to protecting him as he recovered.
Apart from being a very important member to his kind because of his age and rank, Oloropilé was gentle and always exuded wisdom which could be felt when you were in his presence. He had his own "bull group" with other males of similar age, possibly lifetime friends, as well a number of young bulls often seen following him wherever he went. He was idolized by elephants and humans alike! Oloropilé was misidentified and tragically killed on the 4th of January 2020 in retribution for the terrible death of a community member who was sadly trampled by a herd of different elephants.
We are pleased to say that the daughter of the man who lost his life is being sponsored through this initiative. It is our fervent wish that through The Oloropilé Fund his memory will become a light of hope to better the coexistence between people and wildlife and that his memory will live on through our continuous work to secure a future for his species in the Mara ecosystem.
In countries like Kenya where around 70% of the wildlife lives outside of protected areas and on land owned by communities such as the Siana area , it is crucial that these landowners are actively involved in the conservation of elephants and other wildlife. If wildlife is to have a future at all it requires the support of those who own land where wildlife and wild habitat still exist. Therefore it is our fervent wish that through The Oloropilé Fund his memory will become a light of hope to better the coexistence between people and wildlife. We hope that his memory will live on through our continuous work to secure a future for his species in the Mara ecosystem. Final Salute to Oloropile, the Gentle Giant…
