MANGAT: The village in the valley
A beautiful community conservancy is about to open in the valley between Wamba and Maralal. PHOTO| RUPI MANGAT
What you need to know:
“In 2005, we began thinking of turning our land into a conservancy because we cannot grow crops here, droughts are common and our livestock die,” explains Harison Lenduda, the community chairman.
In 2010, a researcher from Mpala Ranch studying African wild dogs visited the community in search of the elusive African wild dog and asked if her scouts could track the rare canine in the area, including other wildlife.
Deep in the valley, a sliver cuts across the ravines of a land that’s spectacular. It’s the Ewaso Nyiro River and the view is breath-taking. We’re watching the dramatic landscape from the high edge of the murram road at a viewpoint that is open to passers-by
driving between Wamba and Maralal in northern Kenya. A pair of falcons dive from dizzying heights to the depths of the valley and soar up again. It’s an almost vertical free fall, and without realising it, most of us are holding our breath, watching the flight of
the falcons.
It was not until 2005 that the local Samburu community thought of opening up this dramatic land as a wildlife conservancy.
“In 2005, we began thinking of turning our land into a conservancy because we cannot grow crops here, droughts are common and our livestock die,” explains Harison Lenduda, the community chairman.
In 2010, a researcher from Mpala Ranch studying African wild dogs visited the community in search of the elusive African wild dog and asked if her scouts could track the rare canine in the area, including other wildlife.
The four scouts had fantastic reports – they spotted African wild dogs and herds of elephants, the very rare Grevy’s zebra, crocodiles, hippos in the river and big cats. This provided the impetus to turn the community grazing land into a wildlife conservancy.
“We visited other community conservancies like Westgate,” says the soft-spoken Samburu elder.
Westgate Conservancy bordering Samburu National Reserve is one of the most successful community conservancies. The internationally-acclaimed Ewaso Lions project, founded in 2007 by Kenyan Shivani Bhalla (pursuing her doctorate at the Oxford
University) is located there. Today it has fully integrated projects like Mama Simba, Warrior Watch, Mzee Watch, Lions Kid Camp and others. In 2015, the first lion scout Jeneria Lekilelei – who in 2009 at the age of 19 joined Ewaso Lions and has risen up the ranks – won two international awards for his work in lion conservation.
“We have 3,000 hectares of a very diverse land that has plains, hills and valleys,” says Lenduda. Mount Kenya, Mathews Range and Ol Donyo Nyiro are seen on most days.
On a road that was once a cattle track and has been freshly cleared for vehicles, we inch our way into the steep valley. A little snake, suddenly sensing us, moves away fast. Our first stop before the lodge is where the community wants to set up a campsite.
IT'S AWESOME
It’s awesome. One of the warriors points to a waterfall cascading over the rocks in the distance. Newborn camels rest on the pasture and the scouts lead us up the rock inselberg for an eagle’s eye-view of the terrain.
“We border Isiolo, Laikipia and Samburu counties,” says Lenduda. The rivers Ewaso Nyiro, Seia and Kirimon flow through it and form natural boundaries.
At the lodge that’s beautifully crafted from local materials by a local Samburu bringing in his expertise from working in high-end eco-lodges, the view of Ewaso Nyiro deep in the ravine is simply surreal.
Enjoying a leisurely lunch on the patio, the roar of the lion reverberates in the valley. Lenduda talks of the hiking paths being cleared and camels being readied for camel safaris. He then tells us about the black leopard regularly seen, who has taken a fancy to the mbuzi. With the community intent on tourism, the black leopard is granted some leeway. “We’re interested in researchers working with us,” says Lenduda.
We drive through the new road to watch a herd browse while a rainbow arches over grey clouds. “This conservancy is going to be the best in Samburu county,” states Lenduda, “because of peace and community cooperation.”
Driving back to Ngari Hill Ecolodge on Karisia Hills, a Pale-chanting goshawk raids a weaver bird nest at Kisima village while at Kisima, the sacred pool of the Samburu, a pair of grey-crowned cranes stalk the wetlands to catch a bite – insects or snakes. These beautiful birds of the wetlands are listed endangered on the IUCN Red list.
BOOKING
Ngari Hill Ecolodge in Maralal (www.ngarihill.com) has got beautiful luxury suites, tented suites, a dormitory and campsite. The lodge at Nkgoteiya will be open in a few months but safaris are possible
through Ngari Hill Ecolodge. A good four-wheel drive car is necessary.
