"The trends generated by the MIKE programme are widely regarded as the most authoritative source of information on elephant poaching trends across Africa. Data generated by MIKE have helped put the current elephant poaching crisis on the international agenda, and are an effective way of monitoring the effectiveness of interventions to halt the crisis."

Julian Blanc, Coordinator, MIKE - Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants, CITES Secretariat

CONTEXT

The MIKE programme was established in 1997 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). MIKE is a site-based system to monitor elephant population trends and the illegal killing of elephants. MIKE operations in Africa have been funded by the European Commission since implementation began in 2001. When an elephant carcass is found, site personnel try to establish the cause of death and other details. This information is recorded in standardised forms, details of which are then submitted to the MIKE programme.

OBJECTIVES

• Monitor levels and trends and identify drivers of illegal killing of elephants.
• Institute a standardized monitoring system in a representative sample of sites spread across the range of African and Asian elephants.
• Build institutional capacity within the range states for the long-term management of their elephant populations.

RESULTS

• MIKE has been able to document a sharp increase in levels of elephant poaching in Africa since 2008, and to quantify the scale and impact of poaching on elephant populations.
• MIKE has identified poverty, poor governance and demand for ivory as the three most likely drivers of the poaching trend.
• Information provided by MIKE has helped put the issue on the international agenda and has prompted decision makers at the national and international levels to take decisive action.
• MIKE has helped deploy ranger-based monitoring systems that assist protected area managers and wildlife authorities to better use their resources to protect their natural heritage.

TESTIMONY

Charles Tumwesigye, Deputy Director Conservation, Uganda Wildlife Authority

Until the MIKE Program came into existence, very little was known about the extent and levels of elephant poaching in Africa. Thanks to MIKE, we now have data from all elephant range states on elephant mortalities and are able to understand and explain the drivers of elephant poaching in Africa. The MIKE program has generated incredible data and information on elephant poaching that is unrivalled by other existing monitoring systems in Africa.

In Uganda, MIKE has helped to build the capacity of Uganda Wildlife Authority to monitor the country’s elephant populations, mortalities and the illegal ivory trade through staff training and equipment provision. Data from MIKE has been used to improve decision-making and deploy financial as well as human resources effectively and efficiently to address specific needs in protected areas.

Using information from MIKE data, we have realized the crisis we are facing with elephant poaching and have been able to come up with interventions and measures to address the challenge of elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade. Uganda is happy to have been involved in the implementation of the MIKE Programme.