Security

Securing Conservation, Conserving Security:

Lewa is known for its 150 well-trained and highly motivated force of security personnel, who are dedicated, responsible and efficient. They are deployed to incidents of poaching, cattle rustling, road banditry, robbery and any occurrences affecting peace and prosperity in the area.

The security force includes: armed rangers, rhino surveillance teams, radio operators, tracker dog handlers, a fence maintenance team, night guards, guards manning entrance gates, and aerial surveillance.

• Lewa’s armed rangers are Kenya Police Reservists (KPR), highly trained in Kenya’s law and order system with the legal status to carry automatic weapons and make arrests
• We work with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the Kenya Police, the Anti-Stock Theft Unit, the Tourist Protection Unit, game reserves, and scouts in community conservancies
• Wildlife is monitored daily by rhino surveillance teams, using radios and binoculars to identify rhino, zebra, elephant, giraffe, the cats and other species
• Lewa’s radio room is the hub of a communications network covering over 100 kilometres, that monitors all security- and poaching-related information 24 hours a day
• Lewa’s four bloodhounds are exercised daily by excellent handlers, and are often called upon by other organizations. Combined with the communications network, the dog team has helped to drastically reduce crime in the area
• Our large unit of fencers each walk eight kilometres daily to inspect and maintain Lewa’s 147 kilometre boundary electric game fence
• Along with the fencers, our gatekeepers and night guards also prevent poaching by keeping track of visitors, and representing the face of Lewa to all who enter and exit the Conservancy
• Aerial surveillance is a very important part of conservation security: carrying out reconnaissance flights, monitoring collared animals, doing wildlife censuses, and working with the government