by Xinhua writers Zheng Mengyu, Xie Jianfei
KAJIADO, Kenya, July 27 (Xinhua) -- As the morning sun rises over Kenya's southern Amboseli landscape, a group of women in green uniforms complete their morning drills, check their GPS devices, radios and drone equipment, and set out on patrol.
They are members of Team Lioness, an all-female community ranger unit operating in Ole Narika conservancy, a corridor connects Amboseli National Park with the Tsavo ecosystem and serves as a vital migratory route for elephants and other wildlife that would otherwise face increasing pressure from human encroachment.
Launched with eight members by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and now expanded to 17, Team Lioness was established to address a longstanding challenge in wildlife conservation: the information gap in pastoralist communities.
Evan Mvua Mkala, a senior program manager at IFAW, said that while 50 male rangers had received extensive training, IFAW found that their efforts in pastoralist communities were limited by a lack of direct access to information from within those communities.
"Information had to pass from women to male rangers before reaching us," Mkala said, noting that before Team Lioness was formed, information about potential human-wildlife conflicts or environmental degradation often had to pass through traditional social channels, resulting in critical delays in response.
"Women are the first responders when it comes to nature. They collect firewood and water, care for their families and livestock. It is only appropriate that they be represented and that their concerns be heard by involving them in decision-making," Mkala said.
The team regularly patrols up to 400 km a month on foot, monitoring wildlife movements, tracking species using GPS technology and curbing the illegal extraction of natural resources, including excessive firewood collection. Their presence and community-based engagement have contributed to a significant decline in retaliatory predator killings by local herders.
Purity Lakara, a team leader of Team Lioness, said the work represents both an environmental mission and a personal transformation.
"Ladies have been left behind in so many fields, especially in physically demanding fields like this one. So for me, being a ranger is an opportunity that gives me a platform to express myself and has given me a voice," Lakara said. The demanding work has transformed her standing in the community, building her confidence while inspiring younger girls.
Beyond tracking animals and operating drones, the rangers are also expanding their skills. Members of the unit are currently pursuing further education in fields ranging from criminology to tailoring, helping broaden their future career opportunities.
"Now in conservancies or in wildlife protected areas, women can make decisions, take leadership roles and do jobs once considered men's work," Lakara said. ■