E-Unit: Meet the Space for Giants elephants

Carlos - The Shy One

Carlos is between 35 and 40-years-old. You can easily recognise him by his broken left tusk. Carlos is a shy elephant and runs away when he sees people. Nevertheless, his insatiable appetite for crops and his great skill for breaking through fences got him into trouble with farmers in southern Laikipia.

Space for Giants and the Kenyan Wildlife Service fitted Carlos with a GPS collar in June 2013 and moved him to Meru National Park where he can roam freely. Since the move, he’s settled down a great deal and is no longer raiding crops.

Local scouts have been able to monitor his movement via a mobile phone app that is linked to his collar, and so can make sure that he’s doing okay.

Tyson - The Family Guy

With two broken tusks and a cut on his right ear, Tyson is a friendly giant. He’s not too big or aggressive but still manages to get himself into trouble.

Tyson is a family man. Unlike other grown bull elephants, he moves with his mother and siblings, but sometimes goes off to socialize with the other bulls.

Well-mannered and polite, Tyson never raids crops and hasn’t broken any fences this year.

Jangwani - The Foreign Exchange Kid

Jangwani means ‘desert’ in Swahili, and he came to Ol Pejeta from the deserts of Northern Africa.

Large but gentle, Jangwani breaks fences more often than the others, but only raids crops in the dry season when food is scarce or when they are in the path he is travelling.

Ananias - The Loose Cannon

You can’t miss Ananias – he’s our biggest bull and you can spot him from a mile away. His large tusks make him stand out, and his left tusk is longer and more curved than the right.

Short-tempered and loud, Ananias is not afraid to tell you when he needs his space. The scouts know his fiery personality and are always on the lookout in case he decides to charge.

On 17 June 2013, Ananias was moved to Meru National Park. But Ananias is who he is. As is his wont, he continues to raid crops and break fences.

You can find out more about our Christmas Campaign to stop elephant poaching here