MIKE - Monitoring Elephant Population Trends and Illegal Killing

5. MIKE is a site-based system to monitor elephant population trends and the illegal killing of elephants MIKE is a system based on data collection and analysis that will be standardised for all range states, including the time frame for the delivery of such information MIKE is about capacity building, particularly at the national level, for more effective conservation management MIKE is designed to use the current state of the art in monitoring techniques and data management MIKE is not, in itself, an anti-poaching operation to stop the illegal killing of elephants, though the information MIKE produces may guide such effort MIKE is not a monitoring system advocating a particular model or system. What MIKE is and what MIKE is not

6. The data analysis inter-relationships that MIKE will be particularly addressing are: • population trends • patterns of illegal killing • patterns of influencing factors • patterns of effort

7. Population Surveys

8. .SUCH SURVEYS HELP TO ESTABLISH WHETHER ANY POPULATION IS STABLE OR DECLINING, PARTICULARLY IF UNDERTAKEN ON A REGULAR 2-3 YEAR CYCLEIT IS RECOGNISED THAT ASIAN CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO REQUIRE OTHER METHODOLOGIES TO BE CONSIDERED, COMPARED TO THE AFRICAN APPROACH. THE IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING MALES IN PARTICULAR AND MALE/FEMALE RATIOS IS ALSO RECOGNISED.

9. Law Enforcement Monitoring

10. Monitoring Law enforcement is important for 2 reasons: Law enforcement is a deterrent to poaching and has an important impact on illegal killing and so needs to be taken into account when comparing rates of killing. LEM provides information that site managers can use to determine optimum allocation of resources and so help improve protection and management of elephants

11. The LEM work is based on the existing patrol personnel keeping a systematic record of where they go and what they find. • In addition, all elephant carcasses, whether located in a site or outside it, whether found on patrol or otherwise, are requested to be reported on, as this data provides information on why elephants are being killed. • This work is based on the use of standard forms and field protocols, and is facilitated by the use of GPSs.

12. LEM Forms • Ground Patrol Forms • Provides information on patrol effort • and observations encountered • Carcass Forms • Provides information on elephant deaths • and possible causes (not restricted to patrols) • Monthly Reports • Summarises the information collected during the month • Annual Reports • Summarises the monthly information and details • other factors that may have contributed to illegal killing • THESE CAN BE ADAPTED TO BETTER SUIT ASIAN NEEDS

13. Influencing Factors

14. List of possible influencing factors.

15. Effort

16. Patrol effort and “catch” in 2 management sectors 150 150 100 100 50 50 0 0 April May June July April May June July SECTOR 12 SECTOR 11 Patrol effort (fraction of area covered * patrol days) Patrol effort (fraction of area covered * patrol days) Effort index Effort index Observations illegal activities (“catch”) Observations illegal activities (“catch”) Human sign Human sign

17. Catch / effort index per month in 2 management sectors Catch / Effort Index sector 12 Catch / Effort Index sector 11 100 100 80 80 Catch/Effort index Catch/Effort index 60 60 40 40 20 20 0 0 April May June July April May June July

21. Poaching Risk Assessment Lower Risk Zone High Risk Zone

22. Data Analysis

23. The data required per site and the data collected will be placed in a computer-based data management system that will facilitate the analysis of the data provided and produce the expected outputs. • Of particular importance will be the capability to commence the analysis at site level and then to develop the analysis further at national, sub-regional and continental levels, whilst maintaining a standardised approach as illustrated in figure 1.

24. Figure 1: Data management and data flow Spatial geographic,environmental and socio-economic data Population survey data LEM Subsidiarydata SITE Database / GIS Site level analysis Summary statistics, monthly and annual reports Raw data Reports National database/GIS COUNTRY National analysis SUBREGION CONTINENT Central database / GIS Regional/Global analysis

25. Sites

26. MIKE is intended to ascertain what is happening on the ground. It would be impossibe to cover the whole elephant range from the outset. MIKE is therefore based on a sample approach, using enough sites to provide that sample. But, resources permitting, many range states will be and are striving to extend MIKE processes to other significant sites, particularly as national and sub-regional trends and patterns will also be important MIKE objectives.

27. Sites should therefore be prioritised, using the influencing factor table and the situations that prevail in each range state.

28. Institutional Arrangement

29. STANDING CITES SUBREGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEES COMMITTEE CITES MIKE COP SECRETARIAT (SOUTH ASIA) SUBGROUP MIKE MIKE CENTRAL TAG COORDINATION UNIT

30. CENTRAL COORDINATION UNIT SUBREGIONAL SUPPORT OFFICER STEERING COMMITTEE South Asia National Officer National Officer Sri Lanka Bangladesh Site Officer Site Officers Site Officer Site Officers Site Officers National Officer National Officer National Officer Bhutan India Nepal