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As we celebrate this year’s World Ranger Day, we are so proud to announce that our own, Simon Irungu Wangu, is one of the winners of the 2019 African Ranger Awards.
Sergeant Simon Irungu Wangu is the Team Commander for the Rapid Response Unit on Ol Pejeta, and a member of the National Police Reserve team (NPR). His main duty is to protect wildlife, particularly rhinos, and to manage an armed security team of 42 men. Every day, Simon deploys his team in strategic locations depending on the intelligence received hours before. While they mainly work at night, when the threat of poaching is at its highest, they also sometimes work during the day to help local communities with security incidents. It’s a 24/7 commitment.
Please join us in congratulating Simon.
Aerial Count Reveals 8% Increase in Ol Pejeta’s Wildlife
We took to the skies in June to conduct Ol Pejeta’s first dry season wildlife count. We found an increase in Ol Pejeta’s wildlife population by about 8% compared with 2017, and counted some of the largest buffalo and zebra herds on record. Mutara’s wildlife population has boomed – growing 78% since the last count.
Anneka Svenska is the founder of Animal Watch — one of the fastest growing online Wildlife TV channels. In just two years, Animal Watch has reached 200,000 subscribers and amassed over 36 million total views. We were delighted to host Anneka on Ol Pejeta this month, giving her a tour of the K-9 unit and the endangered species boma, as well as some of our rangers on the front line. You will be able to watch her Ol Pejeta adventures online soon, so make sure you subscribe to Animal Watch here.
Creative Cook Stoves for a Sustainable Future
For a number of years, Ol Pejeta has been working with local communities to promote the use of more energy-saving stoves; which use up to 70% less firewood than traditional stoves, and produce a lot less smoke. In the last month, we partnered with JW Seagon, to make bricks that will be used to build fuel-efficient stoves in the Weruini Community.
Ol Pejeta’s Community Work On a Global Platform with Ted X
Our partnership with PA-MOJA has given hope, education and a future to so many students by providing opportunity, not charity. How does this work? In June, biologist Alison Stuart – who is part of the PA-MOJA initiative – shared lessons from her work with the Ol Pejeta communities on the TedX stage – seeking to redefine philanthropy with examples of community members she has worked with.
British Secretary of State for International Development Visits Ol Pejeta
The Secretary of State for International Development for the UK, Rory Stewart, joined the head of the Department for International Development (DfiD) Julius Court on a tour of Ol Pejeta Conservancy as part of a wider visit to northern Kenya.
They met Ol Pejeta’s head of conservation Samuel Mutisya and discussed the challenges surrounding rhino conservation and the successes we have experienced.
