1st Tracker installation

September 2021

Tuesday, September 7th 2021. 

After two years of planning and months to finishing up the last touches, last Tuesday we finally got the opportunity to test in real life our new tracking solution. Batsha, a male elephant followed by Elephants Alive, needed to have his collar changed. Dr Michelle Henley asked us to accompany her team and put our tail tracking unit on Batsha to finalize our testing. 

We met with the team in a reserve close to Hoedspruit, South Africa, at 15h30. And here we all went, two ground teams (Elephants Alive and The Albanu Foundation) and a flying team with Dr Ben Muller, the head veterinarian. 

After more than an hour of looking for Batsha in the wilderness, we finally located him, and the flying team darted him, we now had 45 minutes to work while Batsha slept peacefully. The Elephants Alive team was working on changing the collar and taking measurement on every part of this gentle giant, while The Albanu Foundation team was busy installing the tail unit and flying the drone which collected the data from the tail tracker. 

After 40 minutes of hard work from all of n us, we all got back in our vehicles and in less than two minutes, Batsha was awake, up and running, back into the wild. 

Our mission now is to check him periodically to check if our tail unit holds in the wild. But that a story for another time. 

Once again, I would like to thank:

Elephants Alive: Dr Michelle Henley and her team

Wildscapes: Drs. Ben Muller and Joel Alves

Hope for Wildlife Helicopter Services: Jana Meyer

Permission and logistical assistance: Ian Nowak, Dirk de Kerk (LEDET), Tertius Hofmeyr (PMC), Sasha Mulder (PMC)

Margaux Claret

Co-Founder & President 

The Albanu Foundation

1st Phase - Successful Test

June 2021

Our first phase of test for the GUARDIAN system and IOT chip was done in the South of France mid-june. It was a great success, our next step is testing it in the field in South Africa later this year. 

Alain Delon - Honorary member

April 2021

Mr Alain Delon became an Honorary member of The Albanu Foundation. For years, he has worn an elephant hair bracelet on his wrist that he never takes off. Through a report retracing his life, he explains his attachment to this “lucky charm” bracelet and these gentle giants synonymous with wisdom.

N/a'ankusê partnership

March 2021

The Albanu Foundation is partnering with N/a'ankusê on a new project. A line of one of a kind bracelet made with the elephant hairs of the N/a'ankusê elephants. Each bracelet will be unique from one elephant and will bare is name. 

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We will keep you updated of the release of this exclusive high-end line.