Community Scout Program — Masai Mara, Kenya

In Kenya's Masai Mara, life follows rules laid down by nature millions of years ago. Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy (AKP) supports efforts to preserve the Mara's rich natural treasures through their work with Friends of Conservation (FOC), and a group of Maasai known as the FOC Community Scouts.

The FOC Community Scouts patrol on foot, tracking and monitoring wildlife in their region. Their presence also stems illegal activities, such as charcoal burning and the setting of wild fires, unlawful tree cutting that leads to deforestation and the poaching of bush wildlife for meat.

In the 1980s, Kenya led the nations of Africa in their battle against the ivory trade that decimated elephant and rhino numbers. Now a new and equally devastating form of poaching has come to Africa, one that threatens the very existence of all wildlife: the commercial bush meat trade.

An ancient method of hunting, the snaring of wild animals was once practiced only at a subsistence level by traditional hunter-gatherer communities seeking a source of protein. Today it is a massive illegal trade throughout Africa and the Middle East, where the demand is great. The meat is also smuggled into African immigrant communities in European capitals.

The scouts concentrate on anti-poaching operations in areas where wildlife is threatened by illegal hunting. Snares indiscriminately injure and kill cattle and goats as well as wildlife. The scouts' monitoring activities help local Maasai communities protect their domestic animals.

Daily patrols identify the location of potentially dangerous predators such as lion and alert communities to the whereabouts of elephant that raid their crops and aggressive buffalo that present a danger to humans. Scouts' outreach activities encourage the Maasai to embrace regular health and hygiene practices and engage local communities in sustainable conservation practices.

With the core support of AKP, the project continues to expand its mission of protecting and preserving the vast biodiversity of the region and empowering the Maasai people who steward this global treasure.

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