United for conservation – the Samburu warriors guarding the release herd
There are so many elements that help to ensure a successful release – and no effort was spared as we prepared for the rewilding of 13 Reteti elephant orphans this week!
The Elephant Guardian at Reteti during one of their training sessions.
As the custodians of Namunyak Conservancy’s wilderness and wildlife, the indigenous Samburu are at the heart of this deeply meaningful initiative – and their unwavering support for the rescue, rehabilitation, and rewilding of Reteti’s elephants truly stretches far and wide! To ensure the entire Samburu community is involved in each step of the release, we embarked on a highly collaborative awareness drive throughout Namunyak.
From the Samburu keepers who keep driving the success of Reteti’s pioneering work, to wholehearted support throughout every manyatta (homestead) in our beautiful land, every man, woman, mzee (elder) and moran (warrior) is pulling together and helping this release to unfold!
In addition, we have also recruited 12 morans to be Reteti’s additional eyes and ears on the ground.
This highly inspiring group consists of one Moran from each manyatta (homestead) in the Sarara Valley, and they have completed comprehensive training and awareness sessions ahead of the release.
Morans spend their days out in the wilderness tending to their livestock, which makes them ideal community monitors out in the wild. After all, they’ll be the ones encountering the release herd when they roam freely in this landscape, and they'll also have the best overall knowledge of daily conditions out in the field! These Elephant Guardians will go on with their lives as usual, spending their days in the bush – with one crucial addition: to keep an eye on the wellbeing and movements of the release herd.
As part of their training, the Morans visited Samburu National Reserve to spend an information-filled morning with Save the Elephants. Learning more about elephant behaviour, they also received practical training through an inspiring field trip in which they encountered wild elephants.
During various training sessions, a range of topics was covered – including situational reports of encountering the orphans, and how to identify the various members of the herd. Some Morans were overcome with emotion when they recognised the names of elephants – as these are the same as places where they grew up as children here in Namunyak!
Watch: Elephant Guardians practising identifying the elephants in the release herd
What a beautiful testament to the fact that the indigenous Samburu have a highly respectful shared history and bond with these elephants that stretches back generations – and will last for generations to come.
Learn more about our fourth release
If you have any questions or want to learn more, you can visit our specially created Release Hub!
