Female Maasai rangers break from cultural norms to protect Amboseli

In a community where tradition holds firm and men wield authority, a fearless group of young Maasai women is rewriting the narrative and challenging patriarchal beliefs.

Defying cultural norms that once dismissed the education and leadership of girls, these 17 trailblazers have united with a mission to protect their environment and inspire a generational shift.

They call themselves Team Lioness-fierce, collaborative, and resilient, just like the lionesses that anchor their pride. 

We arrive at Team Lioness ranger base at Risa area, in Amboseli. It’s a few minutes to 6 am, the rangers have woken up and changed into jogging tracks ready for the daily morning workout.

In the foothill of Mt Kilimanjaro, the rangers work out for one hour then head back to the ranger base to shower, have breakfast then change into their ranger uniform before going for patrol.

The aim of the patrol is to monitor wildlife, prevent poaching, and report injured animals.

We joined them during the patrol, a few metres in we spot huge bones, believed to be from a Giraffe. As we continue walking down the path we spot an adult dik dik.

Ranger base

One of the ranger’s records on the rangers App before proceeding. By the end of the patrol one ranger would use the walkie talkie and radio the main ranger base in Amboseli. They would give the full report of the patrol.

Purity Lakara heads Team Lioness.

 “The Lioness is the one in charge of the family, hunts and protects the family. The Lioness multi tasks. We as Team Lioness do the same. When we are at home we act as mothers when we are at work we act as rangers,” says Lakara

Team Lioness was founded in 2019 with only eight rangers. Six years later that number has increased to 17.

 “We do what other rangers do, our work is to protect the wildlife from poaching and retaliatory killing. We also protect our environment we prevent charcoal burning, sand collection, and distraction of the environment” says Lakara

 The 17 women are mothers and wives, some have older children at home with their families, some are still lactating, the babies are with them at the ranger base.

25-year-old Loice Soila is nursing her six-month old baby at the ranger’s camp. Loice talks about the challenges of being pregnant while working.

 “There are challenges especially during the first trimester, you feel like you do not want to see people and you are at work. Sometimes, someone would come, then I would lock myself inside my room so that I would not talk to them. There were moments when I thought of packing my bags and going home,” she adds laughing. 

Soila is a mother of two, her oldest who is at home with the family is three-years-old. Rangers stay in the base for three consecutive weeks then take a one week break.

“I miss my baby, but when I am home I make sure I take care of her. I give her al the love. When I am here I speak to her every evening, “

From a young age, Soila wanted to be a ranger.

“When in school I would tell teachers I want to be a ranger, I just wanted to take care of animals, then we would see tourists with their safari vans and they looked so amazing, so that sealed it for, I knew I wanted to be a ranger,” she says

Naomi Simaloi, also a mother in the ranger base says it gives them peace of mind when they have their children with them, however, there are challenges.

 “It’s great having my child here, but sometimes you might wake up and the baby is not feeling well so that affects productivity,” she says

 “The first trimester was hard, but my teammates understood. Also, the work out we do in the morning really helped,”

The mothers will stay with their babies in the ranger base until they are two years, then from there they would take them home to their families. Their is a nanny who helps around with the children when the mothers are busy.

At home

Lakara, the team leader says initially it was not easy for the community to accept the fact that there are female rangers now in charge.

 “We have been empowered as team lioness. You can work and also have the family back at home,”

After the ranger base, we went with one of the rangers to her home. Lucy Siria became a ranger in the year 2020 .When we arrive at her home she quickly adjusts and starts cleaning the compound, rearranging utensils and folding clothes.

“When I was young I would see rangers patrolling, would admire them. After school my father got me this job. I would tell other women to join us because it’s a good job,” says Lucy.

Lucy’s, mother and sister talk about how proud they are of her.

“ We decided to also take our girls to school because for a very long time girls did not get education. I am proud of Team Lioness and proud of Lucy. When you educate a woman you educate the whole community. So Lucy supports us financially as well as the family where she’s married,” says Noondomon Kipamba, Lucy’s mother

According to Lucy’s sister, Mary, the rangers are very important when it comes to protecting their livestock.

“When we see them on patrol we feel secure. Am so proud of my sister Lucy, I see the way she helps with finances at home. I also wish I had an opportunity to be a ranger,” she says

Patrick Papatiti, the director of Operation at Olgulului Wildlife Rangers within the Amboseli Eco-system, says there’s a total of 88 rangers women being 17. The rangers cover 1,743 square kilometres meters within Olgulului ranch. They ensure they cover at least half of the area either by foot, vehicles and motorcycles.

Initially they thought a team of women will not be able to handle furious warriors whose livestock had been attacked by Lions. The rangers were able to handle the situation without violence.

Since Maasai men cannot beat women having Team Lioness is an advantage during negotiations. 

" People would look down upon them especially aggrieved warriors. But their soft approach has really worked. Also having them, they have benefited from employment perspective,” says Papatiti

Still on the soft approach, Guyo Adhi, East Africans Communications Officer, at International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) emphasizes the importance of good negotiations skills.

“Team Lioness brought soft power. In most cases we think once a lion has attacked a homestead and the Maasai’s have lost some cattle, you think using hard power and getting some male rangers to go there would be a better a solution. But if you think along the lines of using soft power and good negotiations skills where the ladies at team lioness have demonstrated is another element that we felt ladies will be able to do a better job,” he says

Every day at 5pm  the rangers would radio the the Headquarters and submit their data, where it is registered and stored.

The following day we met Chief George Lupembe at Meshanani area. Chief Lupembe says for a very long time the Maasai culture did not think education and empowerment of women was important. However, things changed starting with him educating his own daughters.

Seeing Team Lioness thriving gives him a sense of pride.

“We are proud of team lioness, they are educated and empowered. When they are ready to get married, they will do it because they want to and because they need to. We see girls coming back to build homes for their parents and educate their younger siblings,” he says

Evan Mkala, Programs Manager, Amboseli Landscape, says the aim of having Team Lioness was to bring gender parity in the male dominated community Wildlife Ranger Fraternity.

"These ladies are going against the norm of the Maasai cultures, in practice, leadership, economic empowerment and cultural practices, this has been met with consistent resistance. They are staying in the wilderness, they need special care for themselves and their babies,” he says

Mkala adds that to increase the number of Team Lioness, stakeholders need to showcase the work of team lioness.

“We need to mobilise resources in term of salaries, welfare, their mobility, equipment and other accommodation requirements,” he says.