Implementing conservation priorities for Asian elephants in the Southern Myanmar Landscape

General

The goal of this three-year project is to increase knowledge of elephant populations in southern Myanmar, generating evidence on which to base an elephant landscape management plan, and the tools for local stakeholders to implement the plan. Project objectives include: 1) establish routine monitoring of key elephant sub-populations and threats; 2) improve human-elephant conflict (HEC) management and reduce HEC events to under 5 annually; 3) mitigate the threat of poaching; and 4) with stakeholders draft and implement an elephant landscape management plan. Activities include: 1) collaring 10 elephants to support land-use planning and HEC management, and provide real-time early warnings to villages; 2) establish, train and support Community Elephant Guards to respond to and document HEC and poaching threats; 3) work with local communities to create information networks and build on anti-poaching messages of previous campaigns; and 4) analyze monitoring data, consult with stakeholders, and draft an elephant landscape management plan. This project will contribute to the survival and increase the population and habitat of wild Asian elephants in Myanmar.