We have been kept very busy lately keeping up with elephants! There is a large aggregation that my unit and myself are monitoring constantly and we have to keep on our toes to do so. Ranger Leposa has been away from work for a while as he has had many problems with his cattle because of the drought but he is back now. He is a good ranger and I am happy to have him back. Because the Maasai are traditionally pastoralists, we depend on our livestock enormously. They provide us with food, income and they also represent a social status, so when there is a drought and we lose many cows, it is hard to recover. This is why being a wildlife ranger, in addition to being a Maasai, is so important to me as it also provides the same and more. Since choosing a career in conservation, I have learned so much about wildlife and their role within the Maasai culture.
I find it somewhat amusing that though Ranger Leposa is very passionate about his work, he is still quite afraid of elephants! He is fascinated by them but yet he cannot overcome his inner fear. Don’t tell him I said so!
I don’t blame him though. It is important to retain that level of respect for the wildlife we work with. Of course I too have a lot of respect for elephants…I just show it a little differently. Elephants are magnificent creatures and when you spend as much time with wild elephants as we do, your appreciation for their strength and power only grows.
When I first started my ranger work, I too was fearful of elephants. It is a natural instinct and I think it is most likely due to their size. I have gained a lot of knowledge about them since then and this has helped me understand a whole different side than what might be perceived from a Maasai herdsman’s point of view. That is one of the reasons projects like Elephant Aware are so vital in helping the Maasai and elephants coexist. Through my work I am able to teach my fellow Maasai that there are ways to live alongside wildlife peacefully.
Today I was lucky enough to witness an elephant mud bath! It is truly an amazing sight. I have seen one before but they never seem any less delightful to watch. There was a small infant who looked under a year old and he was having so much fun in the mud. Baby elephants are so entertaining to watch! This little fellow was struggling to get back out of the water as he kept sliding all over the place. Eventually his mother helped him and he got out just fine!
Thank you for reading – ashe oleng!
1 Comment
Thank you Ranger Siranka for all that you and your brother Rangers do to help both the wildlife and your communities! Both the local communities and the wildlife need someone who understands the area and what each one needs.