HOW WILDLIFE WORKS

In Kenya’s Southeastern dry land there is a wildlife migration corridor, called Kasigau, where the permanent population of just fewer than 500 elephants swells to over 2,000 around October and March. More than 50 large mammal species and over 300 bird species share this ecosystem with people who have traditionally survived by bush meat poaching and charcoal production leading to deforestation. But in just 10 years an conservation NGO called Wildlife Works has turned a dire situation around.

Through their effective use of carbon credits Wildlife Works has hired 120 rangers, many of them former poachers, provided hundreds of jobs for the local community in sustainable small scale industries, and given thousands of scholarships to the areas students. It may be a model of how to bring communities on board to conserve their local environment.

Photo Credits: Amenya Omwoyo and Maurice Murage