WILDLIFE PROTECTION

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust employs 194 community rangers to protect wildlife and wilderness.

The rangers are from the local Maasai community of Kuku Group Ranch and operate under a formalized partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service. The community rangers have received formal training at KWS law enforcement training school in Manyani.

The main duty of the rangers is to protect the natural resources of the Maasai community, conserving the wildlife and habitat of their land.

MWCT uses modern technology to ensure maximum effectiveness of the ranger force. At the start of 2013, the conservation software package SMART (Spatial Monitoring And Reporting Tool) has been introduced and successfully implemented. On a daily basis rangers go out on structured foot patrols dominating the area and engaging the community in conservation.

During these patrols, GPS tracking devices collect data on wildlife and illegal activities. This data is entered and analyzed in SMART and ensures accountability. Quarterly feedback and evaluation meetings are held and awards are given to the best performing ranger sectors. This helps to motivate and increase the moral of MWCT community rangers and the analysis of the data ensures accountability and helps with the strategic planning of the next set of patrols.

Over the years we have built strong relationships with the local Maasai community of Kuku Group Ranch and their support has helped us to curb poaching in the area, while poaching of wildlife and especially elephants is rampant in other parts of Kenya.