IWD: The lionhearted women conserving Africa’s Wildlife

Traditionally considered too dangerous for women, wildlife conservation has long been a male-dominated industry. Since ivory trading was banned internationally in 1989, following a detrimental few years of intense elephant poaching, male rangers alone have been patrolling the continent’s many national parks. In recent years, however, a growing number of women have been getting involved in conservation, becoming rangers, keepers and trackers.

While still not considered the norm, these women are being increasingly accepted as people recognize their physical strength and mental capacity, as well as the benefits of the fresh perspective and skills they bring to the field. This IWD, we’re showcasing some of Africa’s trailblazing female anti-poaching groups and the conservancies that make it a priority to support local women.

Owned and run by the local Samburu people, Reteti in northern Kenya is the first community-owned and -operated elephant sanctuary in east Africa. Since it was founded by Katie Rowe in 2016, its mission has not only been to rescue elephant calves, but also to provide jobs for Samburu people – particularly women – who weren’t given the opportunity to go to school. Here, women can train to be keepers, making them the first-ever female elephant keepers in all of Africa.

As keepers, they work to rehabilitate injured, orphaned or abandoned elephant calves before releasing them back into the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy. They hand-feed them milk, play with them, take them for walks, provide medical care where needed, and help them build up the skills they’ll need once released.

The idea that underpins Reteti – and arguably the one that has made it so successful – is community involvement. The sanctuary has provided an income and new purpose for many local people, leading them and their peers to be more invested than ever in the plant-life and wildlife that surrounds them.

To read the full article, visit www.abtamag.com.