Honouring Namunyak’s Female Rangers
– our Guardians, Role Models & Beacons of Hope!
This World Female Ranger Week, we are so proud to honour the female guardians of Namunyak Community Conservancy, and celebrate the meaningful work they do every day. Through their empathy, compassion, strength and wisdom, Namunyak has become and remains a place of peace – just as its name suggests in Samburu.
The incredible women who take care of Samburu’s landscapes and people not only look after its children, communities, vegetation and wildlife – they are also educators and role models paving the way for the next generation who will guard Namunyak’s natural legacy.
Strengthening bonds in villages and creating hope for the future through sustainable solutions, the female rangers of Namunyak are helping to improve livelihoods – and they are inspiring more young women to follow in their footsteps too.
From the keepers at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, who care for orphaned elephant calves as they would for their own children; to our Eco Rangers, who work closely with the community to rehabilitate Namunyak’s rangeland and support our Milk Mamas – we also pay tribute to every female in the conservancy’s team of Wildlife Rangers for protecting this rare and beautiful land!
Guardians of our elephants
As mothers themselves, the female keepers at Reteti intuitively bond with orphaned elephants from the moment they arrive – and they nurture and nurse their physical and emotional wounds. Witnessing the tender interactions between the orphans and their keepers, we admire their gentle approach and honour the passion and impact of the guardians of Namunyak’s baby elephants!
“As a female keeper, I feel that I have beaten the odds – and brought down traditional beliefs that some work can only be done by men.”
Mary Lengees
Keeper, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
Guardians of our landscapes and people
Patient and kind, Namunyak’s fearless and intrepid female Eco Rangers are relationship-builders who share valuable knowledge and skills throughout the conservancy to help the Samburu Community create better and more sustainable lives. Working tirelessly to avoid deforestation during times of drought and introducing rotational grazing for the benefit of all – they also help our Milk Mamas with everything from record-keeping to quality control.
“As a female ranger, it’s a great feeling to help guard Namunyak’s wildlife – and to share this with visitors from all over the world. I am proud to be part of restoring our beautiful land.”
Baraka Lekerpees,
Eco Ranger, Milk to Market Program
Guardians of our wildlife
As part of an indigenous community who’ve been living beside and sharing resources with wildlife for generations, our female Wildlife Rangers are the dedicated guardians of a wide range of species – from the largest remaining populations of elephant and Reticulated Giraffe in Kenya, to the endangered Grévy's Zebra, as well as hyena, kudu, gerenuk, and leopard. Protecting wildlife across the 850,000-acre conservancy, we are in awe of their commitment – which includes early morning patrols and the continuous monitoring of this precious wilderness.
“As a ranger in Namunyak, I feel honoured to help safeguard our wild animals, conserve our forest, and bring together the entire community to protect and preserve our natural legacy.”
Angeline Lekiliyo,
Wildlife Ranger, Namunyak Conservancy
Courageous and caring
Strong and soft, gentle and brave, our formidable female rangers are at the heart of community-led programs across Namunyak Conservancy. Their impact on the preservation of this ancient landscape, the Samburu who call it home, and the array of wildlife they live alongside, inspires us with hope every day!
If you would like to support our Reteti Keepers, Eco Rangers, and Wildlife Rangers, please click the button below.
Every donation we receive plays a critical role in the increasing growth, impact, and reach of female rangers in Namunyak Community Conservancy.