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Elephants vs avocados - 9th April 2021

Tolstoy the elephant roves the southern Kenyan wilderness against the backdrop of Africa’s largest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro.

Having survived drought and ivory poachers for nearly half a century, he has now come up against a new menace: the avocado.

Demand for the dark green fruit in affluent countries is at its peak and the impact of this is now being felt by Kenya's gentle giants.

Last year, agribusiness KiliAvo Fresh received approval to set up a 180 acre avocado farm on land sold by the local Maasai. Environmental groups believe it will block elephant migration routes through the nearby Amboseli National Park.

Daniel Ole Sambu works for the Big Life Foundation.

Daniel: “There are two farms there, and both of them are exactly in the middle of a wildlife dispersal area. Some of this, we have recorded some of this area has been used by elephant as maternity. You know, they come out of the park, outside the park, give birth there, and then they go back when they, they the calf, calf are good, enough to walk. So when we, we do a large farm there, then it means we are going to lose that space. The elephant has to find another space.”

Supporters of Kenyan avocado agriculture point to increased exports and profits which stand at $17 million a year, but conservationists and locals alike remain outraged at KiliAvo's enormous new development.

Samuel Kaanki is the head of the local landowners association.

Samuel: “If we lose this land, if, if KiliAvo will be allowed to continue, we will lose others. We have so many others people who are waiting. So it is dangerous. If we lose this, we will lose so many.”

Following pressure from the Kenyan environmental agency, KiliAvo's farm was placed under review last September with the government commanding work to cease. Despite these restrictions, the company has continued to farm the land.