We're transforming what it means to be a woman ranger
We're transforming what it means to be a woman ranger
Team Lioness is forging a new path for women rangers in Kenya.
Problem
Maasai women in Kenya are deeply connected to their communities and land, playing essential roles in local conservation efforts. They possess insider knowledge and unique perspectives on wildlife protection and security but lack opportunities to participate professionally.
Solutions
In 2019, we founded Team Lioness, the first all-women ranger unit in Amboseli, Kenya. Selected for their leadership, physical fitness, academic success, and integrity, the team of eight young Maasai women challenged societal norms by taking on the responsibilities of a wildlife ranger. The team, which has grown to 17, is part of the Olgulului Community Wildlife Rangers (OCWR), which comprises 87 rangers total.
The rangers' primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of both animals and people within the community lands bordering Kenya and Tanzania. These community lands, which nearly encircle the 40,000-hectare Amboseli National Park, serve as vital habitats for wildlife seeking water, food, and mates.
Impact
Rangers play a crucial role in preventing wildlife crime. In 2020, while on patrol, the team discovered a poacher butchering a juvenile giraffe he had killed the night before. They detained the poacher and called the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), who arrested him.
Thanks to their community knowledge and social interactions, the women of Team Lioness have successfully prevented and intercepted retaliatory killings of wildlife, mainly lions that had killed livestock. They have also assisted in extinguishing bushfires started accidentally by community members.
Team Lioness is currently engaged in outreach projects with the local community and schools. They have built a good relationship with the community near their ranger base, where they share knowledge and skills, educating the public on the role that women and young people play in conservation and wildlife protection.
They have founded a wildlife club at the local primary school with 14 active members. There, they share knowledge about wildlife and conservation through storytelling. Team Lioness self-fundraises to purchase food, sanitary pads, and stationery for the club members. They occasionally hold tree-planting activities.
In addition, they plan to organise a boot camp where school children can camp for a few days to learn about conservation, coexistence, and multistorey farming to grow vegetables.
The Team Lioness rangers are the first women in the history of their families to secure employment.
Watch the video below to hear from the rangers and learn more about their impact on wildlife and Maasai communities.
Team Lioness: Women rangers protecting Africa's wildlife
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