The Kenyan anti-poaching hero safeguarding wildlife

DW (English)

Poaching remains a serious threat to Kenya’s wildlife. But at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, one man is leading a powerful fight against this menace—protecting endangered species and inspiring a new generation of conservationists.

Transcript

00:00In the vast savannas of northern Kenya where elephants, giraffes and rhinos roam under vigilant protection,

00:07Edward Nderitu has dedicated his life to defending the country's great animals.

00:13As the head of anti-poaching at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy,

00:17Edward leads a committed team working to create a safe haven for wildlife.

00:23In 2011, 2012, 2013, there was a lot of challenges of rhino pushing.

00:27We also lost animals. We also lost rhinos.

00:31And I remember very well, I, when I was promoted in 2012, we had lost four rhinos in a span of two weeks.

00:41So it was very challenging and we had to think about how to do it.

00:46Faced with mounting losses, Edward and his team revamped their patrol methods,

00:51enhanced ranger training and began collaborating closely with local communities.

00:56The results were transformative.

00:59We did not have community on our board, but when we realized that conservation is all about people

01:05and when we work with the community, that is when we can win.

01:09Because, you know, the people who are involved in poaching are not people from the community.

01:12They are not desperate people in the community.

01:14This is done by a syndicate, people who are well organized, and the community are against all those activities.

01:20So working with the community was a game changer and also welfare of the rangers was a game changer.

01:24The new approach paid off. Since around 2020, Lewa has not lost a single rhino or elephant to poaching.

01:32Beyond his leadership in the field, Edward also runs marathons to raise funds for ranger welfare,

01:38ensuring his team remains motivated and well equipped.

01:42We came to realize that welfare of the ranger is the key, because if rangers are well trained and well motivated,

01:49they will do anything. They will do anything good.

01:52From the dark days of rampant poaching to a thriving conservancy built on trust and collaboration,

01:58Edward's journey is a testament to resilience and vision.

02:02His mission now is to inspire others to take ownership of wildlife conservation.

02:07My dream is to see all people in Africa, and also in the world, taking care of wildlife as their own.

02:17Because we need to have, all of us, the ownership.

02:20What I'm doing is, I'm just a custodian for providing security for them, but the wildlife is yours.

02:27And we are doing this for the future generations, and if we can work as a team, we cannot, even if we cannot finish, we can eliminate poaching.

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