Wildlife
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Three Elephant Rescues in One Day: the Product of Intensifying Tensions During a Period of Severe Drought
The reality of human-wildlife conflict is hitting home during the severe drought that most of Kenya is currently experiencing. The afternoon of 31st August 2022 was an intense day in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project. While on their daily patrol, a team of rangers spotted RF1, one of the oldest and most distinctive female elephants within the project area. RF1 was spotted grazing with her 4 year-old calf with a large arrow stuck in her trunk, digging so deep that the arrow had split in half. The rangers immediately informed the Wildlife Works Head of Security, who alerted the aerial surveillance team, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Kenya Wildlife Service.…
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An Exclusive Interview With Mike Korchinsky, President and Founder of Wildlife Works
Do something to support forest conservation and don’t wait for someone to do it for you, says Mike Korchinsky, the founder and President of Wildlife Works. Watch this exclusive interview with our Media and Communication Officer Jane Okoth What motivated you to start Wildlife Works? What fascinates you most about elephants? What was the status of forests, wildlife and the people before the project started? What is your approach to forest conservation? How did you engage local communities back then? How do you engage local communities to support the conservation plan? Why is the REDD+ mechanism so effective for conservation and sustainable development? With continued REDD+ market success, what could…
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Interview with Eric Sagwe, Wildlife Works Head of Security
By Jane Okoth Wildlife Works Rangers are on the frontline of our conservation efforts in 500,000 acres of dryland forest in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project area. Here, we talk to Eric Sagwe, the Head of Security at the Kasigau project, who has been a member of the Wildlife Works team since 2002, to gain his perspective on the work our rangers do. Hi Eric, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear more about what your job entails! Perhaps you can describe a typical day for a Wildlife Works ranger? A typical day for a Wildlife Works ranger starts as early as 5.30am where the rangers will take…
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Kasaine Fences; A Solution to Human-Wildlife Conflict?
By Jane Okoth They may be the most fascinating and intelligent mammals, but in some areas of rural Kenya, elephants pose a major threat to farmers because of their crop-raiding behavior. Human-wildlife conflict occurs frequently in dryland areas with a large wildlife population and the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project in Kenya is no exception. Joseph Mutua, a small-scale farmer residing in Ngambenyi, which is part of the project area, has been a victim of seasonal crop-raiding for many years. Three days prior to our visit, an adult male elephant had visited his farm and ravaged his pawpaw trees. “It was around 1 am but lucky enough my dog raised an…
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Meet Jessica Njeri, Wildlife Works Female Ranger
By Jane Okoth Early mornings and evenings are usually the peak times for wildlife activity. Jessica Njeri, a Wildlife Works ranger, is ready to begin her daily patrols by 5 am. The nature of their patrols can be either by car or foot. After a day of different sightings, they will all return to report their wildlife sightings and other findings with their team leader in the late evening. Jessica is part of the 100+ ranger team who patrol the 500,000 acres of dryland forest in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project area. Born in a family of 8 in a remote village called Kisimenyi, Jessica had a love for wildlife…
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Searching for Signs
By: Jacqueline Jobin Wildlife Works Intern Jacqueline Jobin, is a student from the University of Minnesota in the United States. As part of her time interning with Wildlife Works, she has been observing and learning about each department within the project. Jacqueline spent a day out with the ranger department to get to know more about the project area and the animals within the conservancy. One of my first days interning with Wildlife Works, I had the opportunity to experience a day in the life of the rangers. At sunrise I jumped in the back of the land cruiser, surrounded by rangers in green uniforms, and watched as the sun…
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Wildlife Works Rangers Rescue Lion from Poacher’s Snare
By Jade Cizeau, Wildlife Works Intern Jade spent a day with Wildlife Works rangers and witnessed the rescuing of a lion from a poacher’s snare. This is her story. It all began as a ranger patrol day in Rukinga. Early in the morning, Wildlife Works’ Head Ranger Eric Sagwe drove down to camp to pick up the rangers who were on duty for the day. All ready in their uniforms, the rangers jumped at the back of the green Landcruiser ready for their patrol “Rangers daily patrols are crucial for conservation”, explained Eric. There are 103 rangers dispersed in various camps based in different locations within the project area. They…
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Ground Breaking Ceremony Marks Construction of Classrooms for New School
By Jane Okoth Wildlife Works Kasigau REDD+ project has benefited thousands of members of communities in rural Kenya through the distribution of carbon revenue. Local people in the Kasigau project area face a lot of challenges, ranging from marginalization to poverty and illiteracy. The intervention of Wildlife Works’ projects has brought a lot of positive change into the lives of these communities, especially in education. For example, the construction of classrooms for schools has ensured that vulnerable children in our project area have a chance to fight the inequalities that stand in their way. In the month of November 2018, Wildlife Works was invited to officiate a groundbreaking ceremony held…
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Meet the Female Rangers Protecting the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project
By Jane Okoth In 2011, Wildlife Works opened its doors to its first female rangers who are now part of the 100+ ranger team currently working at our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project to protect wildlife and the environment from poachers and other illegal activities. Since joining Wildlife Works, these conservation rangers have gained valuable insight and experience on how to deal with poachers and other threats. This is their story. Constance Mwandaa “Before I joined Wildlife Works, I was not sure whether I would do what is traditionally seen as a man’s job,” says Constance Mwandaa. Growing up as a child, she enjoyed going on wildlife tours in school. This…
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Wildlife Works Rangers Undergo Refresher Training
By Jane Okoth On a daily basis, Wildlife Works rangers go out on patrols to survey the area for anything suspicious such as snares, poachers and charcoal burners. The teams also collect data for the biodiversity monitoring team on any wildlife sightings. This kind of dedication is what it has taken to keep the 500,000 acres of the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project protected. Despite these efforts, the rangers have to live with the fact they might come face to face with armed poachers, an inevitable threat that stresses the need for a well-trained team. In January 2018, Wildlife Works rangers with the support of Ranger Campus Foundation and Kenya Wildlife…
