Indy Film Fest: War of Space | Human/Elephant Conflict in the Maasai Mara

The human population in the Maasai Mara region of Africa has grown by 7% per year for the last 16 years; three times the national average of 2.5%. This is pushing more and more people into elephant rangelands, which leads to Human-Elephant Conflict.

More people living in the Maasai Mara means the takeover of more land used for farming and infrastructural developments like roads, railways and pipelines. Most of the land traditionally home to elephants has been separated into title deeds given to individuals, privatized. Herds of elephants can have trouble reaching food and water sources and their options are more limited with the livestock grazing on the same grasses they rely upon for food. If this grazing by livestock continues to go unchecked it will lead to widespread soil erosion having a devastating impact on the grass growth and ecosystem in the future.

“THIS IS A WAR OF SPACE. EVERYONE IS TRYING TO CARVE OUT A LIVING IN THIS AREA.”
– Marc Goss