Global Conservationist Jim Justus Nyamu Launches 3,700 miles U.S .Walk for Elephant Protection

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Global Conservationist Jim Justus Nyamu Launches Historic 3,700-Mile U.S. Walk for Elephant Protection.

OAKLAND, CA — August 15, 2026 — Marking World Elephant Day 2026, renowned Kenyan conservationist Jim Justus Nyamu officially commenced the 20th edition of his "Ivory Belongs to Elephants" campaign with a successful launch at the Oakland Zoo in California.

Addressing fellow conservationists under this year's global theme, “Bringing the world together to help elephants,” Nyamu highlighted the critical threats facing African elephants, including habitat loss, rampant poaching, and climate change. As a vital keystone species, elephants are foundational to their ecosystems; Nyamu emphasized that conserving elephants is essential to protecting all surrounding wildlife and their natural habitats.

Following his address, Oakland Zoo Chief Executive Director Nik Dehejia, alongside board members, staff, and international conservation allies, officially flagged off Nyamu for his ambitious 150-day awareness campaign walk across the United States. The 3,700-mile journey will traverse diverse eco-climatical regions, passing through Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, before concluding in New York.

The primary objective of this historic walk is to mobilize global diplomatic and financial support for the 29 African Elephant Range States (AERS). These nations face shared crises in wildlife management, underscored by severe funding shortages for local wildlife agencies. This campaign serves as an urgent international appeal to protect the remaining 415,000 elephants left on the African continent.

Key Policy Recommendations for the United States Government

To ensure the survival of African elephants for the next century, Nyamu is presenting a strategic framework outlining seven key actions for the U.S. government:

• Completely Close the U.S. Domestic Market: Eliminate remaining commercial loopholes, tighten documentation mandates for antiques, and aggressively prosecute illegal ivory trade.
• Lead Global Diplomatic Bans: Partner with major transit and consumer nations—such as China, Vietnam, and Thailand—to permanently shut down legal domestic ivory markets and standardize international legal penalties.
• Target High-Level Trafficking Networks: Pivot enforcement focus from local poachers to international syndicates by investing in intelligence, cross-border financial investigations, DNA/forensic analysis, and customs oversight.
• Deploy U.S. Technology Along Transit Routes: Provide African and Asian customs agencies with advanced risk-based container screening, data analysis tools, and canine units to intercept massive ivory shipments still moving through global transit hubs.
• Expand Direct Conservation Funding: Increase financial resources for African ranger programs, protected sanctuaries, community-led conservation, and human-elephant conflict mitigation. The U.S. African Elephant Conservation Fund’s FY2024 allocation of $8 million represents a vital foundation that must be expanded.
• Aggressively Reduce Consumer Demand: Subsidize long-term public awareness campaigns in key ivory-consuming countries to stigmatize ivory ownership and expose its direct ties to international organized crime.
• Utilize Trade and Diplomatic Leverage: Enforce diplomatic pressure and targeted trade restrictions against nations that consistently fail to meet their CITES obligations, building on current U.S. import verification successes.

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Nyamu: Appeals for more financial support to save Jumbo's

On June 11^th 2022, Jim Justus Nyamu  kick started his coast elephant campaign walk dubbed “ Tsavo East -Galana Elephant Campaign walk . This walk will pass through Mazeras, Kaloleni, Mariakani, Bamba, Ganze, Dida, Baolala – Galana Kulalu, Kakuyuni , Gedi and end in Malindi in 16 days covering 221km .

During this 14^th walk edition, Jim Justus Nyamu the Executive Director of Elephant Neighbour’s Center, will engage different learning institutions along his route. He is also expecting to hold community meetings along the road advocating for elephant and environmental conservation.  

The rationale behind this walk is to create awareness on the plight of elephants, sensitize local people on how to tolerate Jumbo’s currently in their region and how to mitigate elephant conflict. In his remarks ahead of the launch of the walk, Jim Justus Nyamu made an appeal to the National Government to equip and finance Kenya Wildlife Service “ Kenya Wildlife Service is currently under funded. Her vehicles are old not serviceable and field offices are in bad shape,’ says Jim Justus Nyamu known as the Elephant Man

Nyamu revealed that his campaign walk is informed by movement of 14,000 elephants on that route migrating to best water sources, pasture and breeding areas adjacent to the park .

 

Former Chairperson Kenya Tourism Federation (KFT), Mohammed Hersi  called upon the effective protection and management of the migratory corridors which will in turn reduce human-wildlife conflicts in the region and help reduce serious threats to protection of endangered species.

 

 

“We have elephant migratory corridors coming from Tsavo West to Tsavo East down- Arabuko Sokoke forest- Tana River -Lamu and Shimba hills. This campaign will go a long way in educating our people on the need to protect our elephants and other species," added Samuel Ole Tokore , Coast Senior Assistant Director Kenya Wildlife Service . 

 

Mombasa County Commissioner Mr. Otieno officially launched the walk and in his remarks hailed the Tsavo East-Galana-Arabuko-Sokoke Elephant campaign walk by Nyamu, saying it will go a long way in raising public awareness on the value of protecting elephants and other wildlife. "Tourism is a key pillar of our country's GDP hence there is a need for a concerted effort to conserve these animals," he observed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why protect King'wal Swamp

Jim Justus Nyamu today led tree planting in Kingwal swamp found in Nandi County, he was accompanied by Nandi County Commissioner Mr Herman Shambi,KWS and KFS.  

Kingwal wetland is one of the important wetlands  that used to host otters, African Cranes among other birds of prey,  the swamp is commonly known for its endemic Sitatunga antelope.

The since documented survey shows that Kingwal has 200 , their number is decreasing due to habitat degradation and attack by farmers whose crops are damaged by the animals and since they are rare animals and are currently threatened, they are almost driven to extinction. To arrest this, there is a need to determine the swamp boundaries for the sustainable conservation approaches, I use elephants as point for conservation in view of profiling all endemic species and raise their conservation need ~ Jim Justus Nyamu.  

I want to assure you Mr. Nyamu that I will ensure this swamp and the wildlife found therein are protected says Mr Herman .There is a need for a joint efforts in securing this important habitat, its within our mandates to protect such areas and I will spearhead this projects says Mr Herman .

Jim Justus Nyamu is on a campaign walk dubbed Ivory Belongs to Elephants from Nairobi to Mt Elgon, Tourism and wildlife PS Prof Segor flagged Jim and his team from St Georges Girls Secondary on Nov 16th 2021 .During this 14th walk edition he has planted 4,890 indegenous trees in 29 schools from 7 counties targeting 10,000 seedlings in 11 counties, Jim Justus Nyamu is expected to finish this walk in Mt Elgon on Dec 19th after covering 621km in 31 days .

Since 2013, Mr Nyamu has walked 17,560km in US,UK and in Africa creating awareness on the plight of elephants, he is quoted saying that he shall walk until the world know Ivory Belongs to Elephants .

Cde' Jim Justus Nyamu walks and marks World Elephant Day in Amboseli

Ivory Belongs to Elephant Campaign Walk

The Ivory Belongs to Elephant Campaign Walk started 11 days ago

on 4th August, 2021. The walk ended today, 12th August on World Elephant Day. The walk was led by Mr. Jim

Nyamu, The Executive Director, Elephant Neighbors Center.

At the flag-off of the 320km walk, the First Lady of Kenya in a statement read on her behalf by Ms Eva Maina

Director of Administration, The Office of the First Lady applauded Jim Nyamu for his commitment. She noted

that the campaign dubbed ‘ivory belongs to elephants” has helped to sensitize communities on the need to

protect the endangered animals. She pointed out that Nyamu’s elephant protection efforts complement the

‘Hands Off Our Elephants” initiative, a Kenyan anti-poaching campaign where she is patron.

The walk started at the Kenya Wildlife Service Headquarters in Nairobi and headed towards Kitengela town,

onwards to Kajiado town, Bisil, Emotoroki, Isinet, Kimana market and finally Amboseli National Park.

Jim Nyamu, an elephant research scientist turned elephant advocate has walked 17,776km since the

campaign started in 2013. He has walked extensively in Kenya and across Africa to Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi

and Botswana. He has also walked in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“There are an estimated 350,000 elephants in Africa today. We have lost close to a million

elephants in the last 4 decades. Illegal killing of elephants contributed to the loss of a large

percentage of these elephants. It is estimated that Africa loses close to 20,000 elephants every year

to poaching. African elephants will be extinct in our lifetime if this rate of loss continues. We must

let the global community know that African elephants are in danger. Extinction is forever and we

cannot imagine Africa without elephants.” Jim Nyamu-Elephant Neighbors Center.

According to the Kenya Wildlife Service database, there were an estimated 34,354 elephants in Kenya in

2020. The country has just completed the first ever national wildlife census and the results are eagerly

awaited. The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Honorable Najib Balala, during the launch

of the national wildlife census, informed the country that Kenya is now losing more elephants to human-elephant

conflict than to illegal killing for ivory.

“The Maasai have traditionally lived in harmony with elephants and other wildlife, but Maasai land is

changing drastically. The expansion of agriculture in the range lands, the continuing subdivision of group

ranches and climate change have resulted in loss of grazing lands for cattle and shrinking space for wildlife.

Finding ways to encourage harmonious coexistence between people and elephants is now emerging as the

most important strategy in elephant.

conservation. ” Dr. Winnie Kiiru-Elephant Protection Initiative.

The Elephant Neighbors Center is a non profit organization whose mission is to protect the African elephants

and secure landscapes for elephants outside protected areas . 

Kindly visit www.elephantcenter.org for

Cde ' Jim Justus Nyamu talks on Human -Wildlife Conflict

 I had asked people's opinion towards the best and sustainable ways in mitigating Human -Wildlife Conflict in Kenyan Wildlife zones , I have summarized and added my opinions . I am sure if we execute some of these options we can mitigate if not control Human -Wildlife Conflict/ Wildlife-Human Conflict. 

In my view , we have been dealing with symptoms instead of tacking the route course , this over time has escalated the animosity between people and wildlife. 

One simple obligation  that all players should know and acknowledge is to be Be proactive when you see Wildlife.  Since most animals are naturally afraid of humans, conflicts often arise when animals become habituated to humans or associate them with food. This to me is basic or common sense,  if we ignore this from the beginning then we are doomed to suffer. 

Most of these areas characterised as Wildlife zones have no land -use plan and if its exists has no good will in execution.  The moment we shall understand and embrace wildlife conservation as a land use we shall win this war , there has been been efforts to arrest this but disjointly and absence of policy and political goodwill that resulted in frustrating the efforts . Examples are known to many ,how Maasai Mara, Samburu /Laikipia - Amboseli among others have made wise strides that ended up being frustrated .This is denominator and require players to be sincere , serious, committed and implement the process collectively. I am sure the agencie has clear mandate and know their strength as well as weakness ( SWOTS) and vice versa who frustrates this process . This is where the agencies should acquire more space for wildlife instead of putting all our effort/ strength to compensation as the last option .

Once the above is applied we can start the process of payment for Environmental Services (PES)  concept. This concept recognises the environmental gains within the ecosystem and how it can be utilized ( finacialy). The most popular of these is financial reward for the sequestering of carbon, but it is also seen as a potential solution for human-wildlife conflict respectively..

Last but not ! There should be compensation or insurance to the affected out of animal-induced damage . I know this has been there for sometimes now but the mere question is what is the future of this program; sustainability and governance?   There are different ways this can be done for example, community-based insurance systems exist for damage done to livestock & injury with a transparent governance.

This topic is a thorn in my fresh , I will continue collecting views from mass, expert until we get close to the reality . 

Elephant Neighbors Center (ENC): Lesson to Learn from Botswana on Elephant Conserva...

Elephant Neighbors Center (ENC): Lesson to Learn from Botswana on Elephant Conserva...: Coming to term with the latest news from  “African Elephant Giant nation Botswana”; I appreciate that there has been stern confab in ide...

Lesson to Learn from Botswana on Elephant Conservation

Coming to term with the latest news from “African Elephant Giant nation Botswana”;I appreciate that there has been stern confab in identifying a coping mechanism on the increasing in elephant population across Southern African region;“I credit that decisions about wildlife management should be based on science rather than willful ignorance of it.”  In my humble view I feel like the decision to lift the hunting of elephants was not well moored by scientific or other forms of scientific evidence; in the entire world of conservation we have never seen or witness such decision solving the underlying said contests.

The rationale behind lifting hunting include:  “The number and high levels of human-elephant conflict and the consequent impact on livelihoods was increasing; Predators appear to have increased and were causing a lot of damage as they kill livestock in large numbersamong others 

I have been globally put to analysis this decision and this is what I feel; 

·      The government of Botswana would have consulted the African Elephant Range state; In Africa we have about 37 countries hosting at least 1,000 elephants and above and they play a central role in elephant conservation, lifting the ban on hunting will affect the continental elephant population not a single country or a region. 

·      Its time for African Elephant range states establish and enhance the “Regional integrated trans boundary approach”, elephants are known as long distance species and move from one country to another country. This validates why this trans boundary approach is very important and will discourage a decision from a single country. Invariably, they will offer space for these species as well as sharing synergy in tackling conservation challenges. 

·      If a population or any species seems increasing and may cause unprecedented challenges i.e. ecological or human conflict; a country or a region should consider translocations to the countries that have lost their elephants if only the said country (s) have collected the cause of species disappearance.  Some countries have lost their elephants are now ready to can accommodate more elephants such countries includes Malawi, Uganda and Ethiopia among others. 

I feel like Botswana Government is playing a devil advocate rule here!  African leaders and policy makers have demonstrated conservation ignorance and need to be kindled up by a thrust! I have traversed in most of African countries and I can attest that our leaders have ignored science and instead have embraced unplanned infrastructural development targeting the protected areas. These developments are cash cows for most of these leaders for self-gain; and have stemmed in expansion of wildlife conflict between humans exasperating the negative attitudes from communities towards wildlife conservation. 

By Jim Justus Nyamu- Elephant Conservations and cruder