Congratulations to 10 rangers from Selenkay Conservancy for last week successfully completing a rangers training course and to the conservancy manager Daniel Mamai for leading the team. The training included physical fitness training, drill and duty, standard operating procedures for wildlife scouts, signals and communication skills, field operation skills, land navigation, basics of law, problematic animal management, tactical first responder care, and wildlife crime scene management.

Selenkay Conservancy in the Amboseli eco-system was set up almost 30-years ago by Gamewatchers Safaris in partnership with the local community with the focus of setting up a tourism business that would bring employment and benefits to the community and with revenues going to lease land to protect wildlife habitat (with every tent paying the monthly lease to protect at least 700 acres of habitat), the business paying 100% of the costs of the rangers, antipoaching, road works, wildlife water holes and other costs of running the conservancy and providing guests with an authentic and exclusive experience.

The Covid pandemic has brought immense challenges and as we end the year we thank the many loyal guests who have continued to come on safari to our Porini Camps throughout the pandemic from within Kenya and overseas, guests and friends that have supported our ‘Adopt An Acre Program’, http://wildlifehabitattrust.org/adopt-an-acre.html, KWS and the Government of Kenya for paying the rangers salaries for 12 months through to September of this year and in the Mara the many conservation and bilateral donors that supported the conservancies through the Maasai Mara Conservancies Association (including USAID, GIZ, CI, Band Foundation and many others) and especially to our team and community members who have worked together to come through this.

Training on assessing a potential wildlife crime scene

Training on assessing a potential wildlife crime scene

First Aid training for the Selenkay Conservancy rangers

Rangers receiving their certificate at Selenkay Conservancy

The closing ceremony with invited guests including Mr. Elijah Kiprono Assistant County Commissioner as the chief guest, Mr. Joel Poreka Senior Chief, Mr. Muema KWS Community Warden, Mr. Jackson Meeresi Group Ranch Treasurer, Mr. Daniel Mamai Selenkay Conservancy Manager. And thanks to the trainers Mr Fidelius Michira and Isaiah Etyang.