Five new CITES MIKE sites established for monitoring elephants in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria – EnviroNews

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The Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recently added five new sites to its network. The MIKE site designated network now spans 74 locations across Africa – a remarkable evolution from its original 39 sites in 2001.

With financial support from the European Union, this expansion marks a major step forward in strengthening Africa’s capacity for systematic elephant monitoring and reflects the enduring commitment of range States to evidence-based conservation.

For over two decades, MIKE has provided governments with the tools to understand how elephant populations are changing and to respond with informed, targeted strategies. The expansion of the network is therefore not only a sign of the Programme’s success, but also a strong expression of trust and collaboration among participating countries.

CITES Secretary-General, Ivonne Higuero, said: “CITES Parties have remained committed to evidence-based elephant conservation, and this expansion of the CITES MIKE network strengthens our collective ability to not only respond to illegal killing through reliable, continent-wide monitoring, but also advance our goals for people and wildlife within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the CITES Strategic Vision 2021-2030.”

One of the most compelling aspects of this expansion is the focus on West Africa. According to the IUCN African Elephant Database, the region holds less than 3 per cent of the continent’s total elephant population and accounts for under 5 per cent of its overall geographic range. Here, remaining populations survive in highly fragmented groups, making every herd vital, and every data point essential for mapping the intense pressures these isolated populations face.

The newly designated sites include Digya National Park, which lies along the shores of Lake Volta in a forest-savanna transition zone and is among Ghana’s largest protected areas; and Bia National Park, part of the Bia Biosphere Reserve recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, which borders Côte d’Ivoire and plays a vital role in cross-border conservation.

In Nigeria, Cross River National Park has joined the network, a major protected area in the southeast dominated by moist tropical rainforest and bordering Cameroon, placing it within a wider transboundary conservation landscape. Also added is Okumu National Park, in southwestern Nigeria, which protects the last remaining fragment of lowland rainforest within the wider Okumu Forest Reserve.

By welcoming these sites, the MIKE Programme is strengthening its ability to track poaching trends and guide conservation actions where it is most urgently needed.

The expansion also reaches eastward, with Gambella National Park in Ethiopia joining the network. This site is remarkable not only for hosting Ethiopia’s largest elephant population but also for its role in one of the world’s greatest terrestrial migrations. Stretching across the border into South Sudan, Gambella’s transboundary nature highlights both the promise and the complexity of managing wildlife across national frontiers.

These additions show how, by broadening its geographic coverage, the CITES MIKE Programme is steadily improving the accuracy and completeness of the picture of what elephant populations are experiencing across Africa. This contributes directly to the implementation of CITES Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP20), which calls for the selection of monitoring sites and, as appropriate, expansion of the MIKE network to the maximum extent possible.

What Happens Next

The next phase of the process will focus on onboarding the newly designated sites. Working with MIKE National Focal Points, the CITES MIKE team will roll out induction sessions and practical training for rangers and site focal points so that elephant mortality is recorded and reported consistently under MIKE protocols, covering all causes of death, not only illegal killing. With each new site, the MIKE Programme strengthens a continent-wide system of data, collaboration, and conservation action.

The MIKE Programme welcomes the commitment of Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria to regular data submission and continued collaboration under CITES. Other countries have also expressed interest in nominating sites, and the MIKE Programme is engaging with them to support further expansion of the network.