© Sinamatella
“Before the project started, Grevy’s zebra were afraid of livestock and people but now they are not afraid. Even the herders accept them to pass next to them. Monitoring of Grevy’s zebra was the responsibility of the scouts, but now it has become the responsibility of the whole community and they report sightings to the scouts.”
– Chereb Lechooriong, Grevy’s Zebra Scout
Our flagship Grevy’s Zebra Scout Program which has been operating in northern Kenya since 2003. We employ 29 Grevy’s Zebra Scouts from seven different communities to monitor Grevy’s zebra and foster positive attitudes towards the species.
Analysis of their data provides us with an index of the demography of, and trends in the Grevy’s zebra population, indicating whether the population is stable, increasing or declining. This highlights the importance of the Scouts’ work as citizen scientists for long-term endangered species monitoring. The Scouts monitor the health of the Grevy’s zebra, providing us with valuable data on body condition, mortalities and movements, which help us to better target our management interventions, such as water provision or supplementary feeding during prolonged drought periods.
It was data collected by the scouts that helped secure support for the establishment of Westgate, Kalama and Meibae community conservancies in Samburu because their results showed these areas to be of critical importance for Grevy’s zebra conservation. Thanks to the foundations laid by the Scouts and the subsequent establishment of community wildlife conservancies, conservation awareness is relatively high throughout their area of operation.
Empowering Women
© Mia Collis
From the outset, women have been uniquely included in our conservation efforts. Twenty-one of our Grevy’s Zebra Scouts are women, many of whom are widows or single mothers and are able to provide medical care and education for their children thanks to their income. Being a Grevy’s Zebra Scout increases their standing within the community, and they are publicly recognized by men for their important role in conservation of the community’s resources, and are called upon to contribute to meetings and decision-making.
“The Grevy’s Zebra Scout program has given women a voice and improved our status in our community. My community now listens to me more and comes to seek my opinion, even men from my community. This was unheard of in the past.”
– Ngeeti Lempate, a woman scout in Westgate conservancy.
Ngeeti, who has been a Grevy’s Zebra Scout since 2003, was recognized for her dedication to Grevy’s zebra conservation when she received the Disney Conservation Hero Award in 2017, and was the only woman in Africa to receive it that year.
Taking Action
Wankare Lekuancha was recruited as a Grevy’s Zebra Scout in 2017 in the Kalama area, and was soon presented with an opportunity to show her commitment to Grevy’s zebra conservation. One morning Wankare was patrolling along the Lablab lugga (dry riverbed) when she encountered two Grevy’s zebra moving along the lugga, trying unsuccessfully to get at the water in a few little wet spots. With a broad smile, she said, “I knew it was time for me to do something. I felt I already knew one duty of a Grevy’s Zebra Scout – to help Grevy’s zebra access water!”
Wankare went into the lugga and dug a small shallow well, as luckily the water level under the sandy riverbed was still high. Within minutes she had made a good pool of water. She then walked up the side of the lugga to wait patiently for the zebra to come back down and find the water. Her efforts paid off. After a while, the two Grevy’s returned and drank at her shallow well. She said, “I felt a sigh of happiness going through my whole body. I felt I did something great today.”
During the drought of 2017, the water point continued to be used by ten Grevy’s zebra, and was actively managed by GZT, with the help of Wankare.
Raising Awareness
The Scouts also conduct community outreach sessions, engaging elders, women, warriors, children and local leaders in conservation discussions. The topics covered during these meetings include Grevy’s zebra access to water, planned grazing, security and wildlife, and the impact of sand harvesting. The Scouts emphasize the importance of tolerance and co-existence with all wildlife, not just with Grevy’s zebra. They are also equipped with glove puppets made by Kenana Knitters so that they can liven up their outreach work to fellow community members!
Socio-Economic Benefits
A socio-economic survey conducted in 2015 found that nearly half the Grevy’s Zebra Scouts invest their salary into other enterprises, increasing their income by 57%. As a result of their income, the Scouts also contribute significant financial resources to households within their homestead and beyond.
“I have never seen the door of a classroom but I can now hold a pen and write, and when I see my boy with a book and a pen I feel happy because I know they are on a journey to positively change their future and possibly mine. This is all because of Grevy’s zebra conservation.”
– Patin Lebacha, Grevy’s Zebra Scout.
GZT Scout Program
