Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration

🚨 BIG NEWS! GLOBAL INITIATIVE ON UNGULATE MIGRATION PUBLISHED IN SCIENCE youtube.com/watch?v=8_Np6A…

New report on the plight of migratory species just released by @unepwcmc and @BonnConvention , finding that 47% of key biodiversity areas for migratory species are not protected. GIUM provided expertise and maps for the report's ungulate section: tinyurl.com/3ysvc5j9

Our new State of the World's Migratory Species: Interim Report 2026 brings difficult news for migratory species, but it also shows that conservation action can work. 🐾 While 49% of migratory species populations listed under CMS Appendices I and/or II are declining and 24% now face extinction globally, 7 CMS-listed species have improved in conservation status. These are important signs of progress. They show that when countries work together across migratory routes, species can recover. 🤝 At #CMSCOP15 in Brazil, the message is clear: despite the scale of the crisis, there is still hope, and coordinated action can deliver results. Download the #SWMS26 report in English, Spanish and French: cms.int/publication/st…

"The future of saiga is still being shaped." Maps can aid planners when determining where to build new infrastructure or identify zones with a greater risk of conflict between saiga and agriculture. Read more: tinyurl.com/mtn8ztwf

New @migratinghooves maps published in the CMS Atlas of Ungulate Migration reveal the remarkable scale of saiga migrations across #Kazakhstan and the growing threats these iconic antelope face. 🦌 Once pushed to the brink, #saiga have rebounded into the millions thanks to years of conservation action. Their migrations, some stretching more than 300 km, are now returning across the Kazakh Steppe. The new maps show why protecting movement corridors matters. They highlight key migration routes in Betpak Dala and the Ural region, while also showing how roads, railways and other infrastructure can fragment habitat and disrupt seasonal movements. 🛤️ Learn more, explore the interactive maps and download the new fact sheets: cami.cms.int/news/new-maps-…

New maps out today! Saiga once teetering on the brink of extinction now migrate in the millions across the Kazakh Steppe. Learn about the challenges they face on their long distance journeys here: cms.int/gium/migration… @BonnConvention @ACBK_Kazakhstan

Migratory species need freedom and safety to move across borders, find food and rest, and reach their breeding grounds. 🦩 When we safeguard them and their habitats, we support journeys that keep nature connected and help sustain life. Let's support migratory wildlife so they can roam, recover, reproduce and return, season after season, year after year. 🦭 Learn more on #MigratorySpecies at cms.int

Migration Monday! Roe deer migrating in Germany's Bavarian Forest National Park traverse mountains and cross roads during their seasonal movements. Check out the Atlas for more! cms.int/gium/migration… Data and photo by @MarcoHeurich

Elk in the southern Trench Valley of Canada's BC make impressive migrations from their winter valleys to high elevation summer ranges. This landscape hosts migratory elk, moose, mule deer and bighorn sheep often using the same corridors. Analysis by @ClaytonTLamb

Two new @migratinghooves maps have just been added to our Atlas of Ungulate Migration. 🦌 In British Columbia, Canada, #elk follow the seasons through mountain valleys and river floodplains. But along the way, their routes can be shaped or cut short. In Germany’s Bavarian Forest National Park, #RoeDeer move up and down the mountains, but their movements also face human pressures. Explore the two new maps and download the informational fact sheets: cms.int/gium/migration…

Bathurst’s caribou migration area has halved in 30 years ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/22152… See our maps used in this story by Radio Canada!

Read about efforts to recover the Bathurst caribou population, mitigate development impacts, and safeguard the species amidst a changing Arctic. tinyurl.com/4b2fnt9c

The Bathurst herd of barren-ground caribou is under growing pressure across Canada's Northwest Territories and western Nunavut. From 1986-2019, the herd declined by 98% and its range has shrunk by 80% since 1997, with the migration now covering half its historic distance. 🦌❄️ A new @migratinghooves map in our Atlas of Ungulate Migration shows the herd’s shrinking migratory range, where roads, mines and a warming Arctic are adding stress to a species that is deeply tied to Dene/First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. 🔗 Explore the new map: cms.int/gium/migration… 📄 Download the fact sheet: cms.int/publication/fa…

New migration map out today! The Bathurst caribou herd has undergone a striking decline, with new development set to impact their migratory range amidst a changing Arctic cms.int/gium/migration… @BonnConvention

We analyzed tracking data to see if Serengeti wildebeest migration corridors have shifted since the construction of the Ritz Carlton safari camp in the southern Masai Mara reserve:

@FGaitho237 We analyzed tracking data to see how wildebeest migration corridors have shifted pre- and post-construction of the Ritz Carlton safari camp:

BETRAYAL IN THE MAASAI MARA: HOW DR. MEITAMEI OLOL DAPASH WAS BRIBED TO WITHDRAW COURT CASE Months ago, when I obtained details of Dr. Meitamei Olol Dapash’s lawsuit against Marriott/Ritz-Carlton over their luxury safari camp in the Maasai Mara, I published it on my blog FrancisGaitho.com . It quickly became one of the most viewed articles, drawing global attention to the alleged obstruction of a critical wildebeest migration corridor and land grabbing issues. I was the one who gave the case its first major visibility - something Dapash had been struggling to achieve. I then personally reached out to support his efforts, providing him with precise satellite imagery comparing the site before and after construction, clearly showing the impact on the wildlife corridor. We strategized: He would proceed discreetly, file the petition quietly, and secure interim court orders to protect the ecosystem before the developers could react. But to my shock, just days before filing, he went public - engaging Reuters and amplifying the story prematurely. This exposed the case to potential state interference and judicial maneuvering, weakening its surprise element. Since that premature publicity, I haven’t spoken to him. He began behaving like many of Kenya’s commercial “activists” and bloggers - shifting tone after government engagements and handouts. It was clear the orchestrated hype from state-linked influencers on TikTok (the likes of Malby and Zue) was building artificial momentum - only to lead to escalation followed by deliberate demobilization. Today’s sudden withdrawal of the petition (announced December 17, 2025) is the final act: Not because concerns were “sufficiently addressed” (as some media spin it), but the culmination of compromise, greed, and bribery. This sells out the Maasai Mara ecosystem, the Great Migration, and the Maasai community for personal gain. Dr. Meitamei Olol Dapash has revealed himself as a profiteer in activist clothing - a supposed community leader who betrayed his people for cheap incentives. The fight for the Mara continues. Real conservation demands consistency, not convenience.

@citizentvkenya We also analyzed tracking data to see how wildebeest migration corridors have shifted pre- and post-construction of the Ritz Carlton safari camp:

Environmentalist, Meitemei Olol Dapash applies to withdraw his petition against the establishment of Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp; says his concerns on obstruction of wildebeest migration are sufficiently addressed, ruling expected tomorrow

@citizentvkenya We analyzed tracking data to see how wildebeest migration corridors have shifted pre- and post-construction of the Ritz Carlton safari camp:

Maasai Mara Hotel Case: Meitemei Olol Dapash asks court to strike out his petition Meitemei had filed petition against Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp #CitizenBriefs

Heatmap from Serengeti wildebeest tracking data shows intensity of use in the southern Mara ecosystem pre- & post-construction of Ritz-Carlton lodge in 2023. Wildebeest have used the area less and for less time since construction @Kaikainaipaa @Kenyans @Kenyajudiciary

@citizentvkenya A heatmap made from Serengeti wildebeest tracking data shows intensity of use in the southern Mara ecosystem pre- and post-construction of a Ritz-Carlton safari lodge in 2023. Wildebeest have used the area less frequently and spent less time in this habitat since construction.

"Ongoing development has driven the collapse of all Kenya-based migrations... Maps are essential for reopening and reconnecting blocked or lost migration corridors" - Dr. Joseph Ogutu tinyurl.com/mv76pcpc @SmithsonianMoL