ELEPHANTS; The uninvited guest in my village – Thirsty and hungry elephants enter my village looking for water and food. The elephants sometimes turn up at water pan and boreholes sending villagers scampering for safety. Villagers blow whistles, bells, bang metals, motorbike hooting, use powerful flashlights and light fires around their homes, water pans and boreholes to keep them away. However, elephants eventually get used to these tricks and they forcefully walk into water pans and boreholes to drink water. Elephants encounter children walking to school or herding livestock in the bush and they all run back home. Negative stories spread in the village that elephants kill people, destroy boreholes and water pans, villagers call each other about the elephants and fear spreads in the village. Parents start escorting their children to school, women fear going out to collect firewood in the bush and movements in the village restricted – No going out of the village from 6:00pm to 6:00am. A devastating drought forced elephants out of Ambsoeli national park into people’s villages looking for water and food.

I am a Maasai elder leading a Maasai council of elders coordinating and presiding over the Maaasai/elephant peace declaration to enable villagers to co-exist peacefully with elephants. The peace declaration to be conducted according to the Maasai culture to make it solid and culturally acceptable. In normal cultural peace procedures, a cow is given to one side to create peace. The peacemaker in the Maasai/elephant conflict is a ‘cow’ and the Maasai will give a cow to all individuals who sign the Maasai/elephant peace petition on behalf of the elephants. An elephant portrait to be drawn on the body of the peacemaker {the cow} and received by the mediator on behalf of the signatories to the Maasai/elephant peace petition. A Maasai/elephant peace petition to be prepared and made available for individuals around the world to sign.

Your support will help us create this historical peace between the Maasai and elephants to make them co-exist peacefully. Sign the petition in support of this peace.