Patrolling Kenya’s key habitats to protect wildlife, prevent illegal activities, and apprehend poachers and other perpetrators
Habitat destruction and bushmeat poaching, alongside ever-present threats of ivory and rhino horn poaching, have a devastating effect on Africa’s wildlife and wild spaces. Our skilled front line teams, accompanied by armed KWS Rangers and supported by our Aerial Units, are fully trained and equipped to deter and prevent illegal wildlife activities, as well as launch ambushes, with any necessary arrests carried out by KWS.
Mobile Teams
KMs patrolled by ground teams in 2023
Snares recovered & destroyed in 2023
KWS arrests with our teams in 2023
Weapons seized
Tsavo, Chyulus, Meru, Galana, Kibwezi and Mau Forests
Our teams face real threats to their own safety on every operation. Team members have all undergone intensive training at the KWS Manyani Training Academy to ensure they have the skills and knowledge necessary to mitigate these risks. Highly trained, armed KWS Rangers - with the power of arrest - are assigned to each of the teams on operational duty.
Twenty two of our teams patrol the Greater Tsavo Conservation Area covering 60,000 sq km, an area larger than the country of Croatia. Home to the Kenya's largest elephant herds, as well as rhinos, cheetahs, giraffes, lions and leopards. Further teams operate in Shimba Hills and Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, and Meru National Park. in Central Kenya, which covers an area of 870 sq km. Two Teams, funded by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, operate in the Mau Forest under the direction of MEP, with another fully-funded team operates in the Mount Kenya region under the daily management of the Mount Kenya Trust.