Behind the Scenes: Life as a Wildlife Ranger
Nestled along Kenya’s stunning coastline, Vipingo Ridge is not just a haven for people, but a thriving landscape where wildlife and conservation live in harmony.
In 2006 Vipingo Ridge became a development transitioning from a monoculture sisal farm to a residential estate with nature at its core. We have planted thousands of native plant species, seen trees become towers of hope as the birds and reptiles have returned.
Following the updated legislation Vipingo Ridge was more recently established as a licensed Wildlife Sanctuary in 2020, an evolution that led to the ‘return’ of a number of larger herbivores.
At the heart of this effort are our Rangers, unsung heroes who dedicate their lives to safeguarding nature.
In this feature, we go beyond the binoculars and boots to meet some of the remarkable individuals who make up Vipingo Ridge’s Ranger Team.
Our Rangers live within Vipingo Ridge, in our dedicated Ranger camp. From their daily routines and close encounters with wildlife, to the challenges they face and their dreams for the future, this is their story, told in their own words, summarised very powerfully:
“We don’t ask for applause.
We ask for action.
Action that protects. Action that educates.
Action that ensures our children inherit a world where giraffe still roam and trees still stand.
We ask people to care not with words, but with choices.”
Meet the Rangers of Vipingo Ridge
Meet Abadada
Vipingo Ridge Senior Ranger
Abadada has patrolled the lands of Vipingo Ridge for four years, Abadada was inspired to become a ranger after witnessing illegal logging in his youth. That memory stayed with him and became a lifelong mission, a mission that he is living to be part of the solution.
After undergoing rigorous training in wildlife tracking, first aid, and conflict resolution all conducted at Vipingo Ridge and to add up the skills and training he acquired in the national youth service, Abadada now serves as a senior ranger.
His day starts at dawn, checking traps, patrolling animal corridors, and guiding visitors.
A standout moment for him, is simply every time he is around this wildlife and caters for them, he is living the dream he once envisioned as a child for his career.
Above all, he encourages people to see his occupation as any other job and advises those desiring to join him in this field to have the passion and love first for the work and the rest will flow.
Meet Josephat
Vipingo Ridge Ranger Supervisor
Since joining the Vipingo Ridge Rangers Team in 2021, Josephat has become a pillar of dedication and leadership within the Wildlife Sanctuary.
Having come on board just a year after the Vipingo Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary was established, Josephat has grown alongside it honing his skills through onsite training and rising to the role of supervisor. He started at Vipingo Ridge as casual employee in 2016, later enrolling in the dog handling training before he specialised in training for Rangers within Vipingo Ridge.
His passion for conservation is clear in the way he leads his team and responds to every call of duty. Whether it’s tracking stray wildlife or patrolling the grounds, Josephat is always at the forefront calm, prepared, and deeply committed.
Looking ahead, Josephat envisions a future where the Vipingo Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary is not only fully equipped, hoping for a dedicated vehicle and new equipment, but also that the Wildlife Sanctuary becomes a leading example of community driven conservation in the region.
“I want to see this place thrive, expand, and become a safe haven for wildlife and a learning centre for future conservationists,” he says with hope.
Meet Omar ‘Dokota’
Vipingo Ridge Ranger
Known affectionately among his peers as “Dokota,” Omar is a ranger whose reputation is built on fearlessness, reliability, and an unshakable commitment to the land he protects.
With nearly a decade of experience in conservation work, Dokota is often the first to volunteer for long-range or high risk patrols a testament to his endurance and passion for the job.
“Every step I take out there, every hour on patrol it means something,” he says. “It means I’m helping nature breathe a little easier.”
Dokota received his ranger training directly at Vipingo Ridge, where he was exposed to practical, hands on conservation techniques from the outset. His training included wildlife identification, navigation, and emergency field response, all of which prepared him for the demanding role he now carries with strength and pride.
His day begins early and ends late. He covers extensive ground across the reserve sometimes walking up to 15 kilometers a day under the coastal sun. Whether tracking the movements of species like elands and bushbucks, removing snares, or responding to human wildlife conflict situations.
Meet Osman
Vipingo Ridge Ranger
Fresh from a night patrol and still alert despite the early hour, Osman meets us at the ranger camp with a calm presence and thoughtful eyes.
With almost four years of dedicated service, Osman has earned a reputation for his reliability, humility, and unwavering love for wildlife.
“I’ve always felt a bond with wild animals,” he says. “Since I was a boy, I wanted to be near them, care for them, and watch them grow. That’s what brought me here - it wasn’t just a job, it was a calling.”
Osman’s journey as a ranger began at Vipingo Ridge, where he received formal training in wildlife monitoring, patrol techniques, safety procedures, and conservation ethics. The intensive program, held within the reserve itself, gave him firsthand experience with the very ecosystem he now helps protect.
“Everything I know started here. Vipingo Ridge didn’t just give me a job, it gave me a purpose.”
His typical day starts early, following a communal camp clean-up, before heading into the field to patrol wildlife, check camera traps, inspect boundaries, and respond to alerts.
Often assigned to evening and night shifts, Osman plays a crucial role in after dark security and emergency response - a demanding schedule that requires constant vigilance.
Meet Asman
Vipingo Ridge Ranger
With a calm demeanor and sharp eye for detail, Asman is the definition of a silent protector. Having served at Vipingo Ridge for two and a half years, Asman was drawn to ranger work through his love of nature documentaries.
His daily duties include handling of the wildlife, working with security, as well as conservation projects. All of this he undertakes in his normal day. He reminds me that the wildlife department, with collaboration with the rangers also offer guide counselling to locals, an initiative that they do to educate and create awareness of nature conservation in the local community.
Educating the youth and local community about protecting nature is an important part of the work undertaken by Vipingo Ridge led by the Rangers who engage the local schools and community projects, to explain the importance of protecting the local birds and other animals, as well as the importance of trees and other habitats.
Introducing the local students to their first zebra or giraffe, through organised visits is an important part of growing the next generation of conservationist that can see the wildlife and Kenyan heritage they should aim to protect.
Meet Salat
Vipingo Ridge Ranger and Mentor
One of the most experienced rangers at Vipingo Ridge, Salat Omar trained at the renowned Manyani Training Facility.
With wisdom gained from years in the wild, Salat brings valuable mentorship to the ranger team.
His day is packed with patrols, data collection, and community engagement. His struggles include navigating rough terrain on foot when vehicles are unavailable, physical strain from years in the field, and balancing hard economic times as he has family that look up to him. He finds his work very rewarding:
“the joy is in the victories of seeing a wounded animal recover, or a child plant their first tree,” he says with pride.
Meet Adam
Vipingo Ridge Ranger
Energetic, articulate, and deeply charismatic, Adam Mohammed serves as the voice of the ranger team when interacting with guests, students, or local leaders having worked at Vipingo Ridge for almost four years.
“We don’t just protect animals we teach people to respect them,” he explains.
Adam manages community education efforts, act as a guide to visiting guest and students from schools, and helps with monitoring of the eland and the giraffe which are most monitored species in Vipingo Ridge as they have 24/7 attendance.
Meet Bernard
Ranger, Lead Patrol Planner
Bernard is a conservationist at heart, and has worked at Vipingo Ridge for three years. Before joining Vipingo Ridge, he volunteered in various environmental programs.
Now, with years of experience, Bernard leads ranger patrol planning and liaises with local authorities on land use policies.
He believes conservation curation and community must go hand in hand: “We can’t just protect animals, we must uplift the people too.”
Bernard has led tree planting initiatives and clean up drives with local youth and the team at Vipingo Ridge, services that he undertakes with passion and love for conservation and sustainability.
He sees conservation as a way of life and hopes more youth take up the mantle.
Meet Omar
Vipingo Ridge Ranger
Omar is one of the most quiet rangers, but no less insightful.
He was attracted to be a ranger since childhood due to his love for animals, and trained at the law enforcement academy at Manyani before he become a ranger.
Omar’s strength lies in his ability to track animal movement and prevent human wildlife conflict. He has worked at Vipingo Ridge for a period of four years. His skills help him navigate terrain and read animal patterns like a map.
As a stand-out event in his work, Omar spotted at distance a zebra delivering a foal. He experienced the occasion first hand and considers it among the most memorable moments of his life.
Meet Abdul Karim
Advanced Ranger and Mentor at Vipingo Ridge
Abdul Karim stands out as one of the most respected, and insightful members of the Ranger team.
With almost five years of service in conservation, Abdul Karim is not only a field veteran but also a quiet philosopher of the wild, someone whose deep understanding of nature comes from both formal training and lived experience.
“This isn’t just a job for me it’s a commitment to something sacred,” he says with quiet intensity.
“The land speaks; the animals communicate you just have to listen with the right intention,” he adds.
Born and raised in a rural pastoralist community, Abdul Karim developed a deep spiritual respect for wildlife and landscapes at a young age. His journey to becoming a ranger began with the training he underwent at Vipingo Ridge in wildlife monitoring, eventually earning him a spot at advanced ranger.
Today, Abdul Karim is not only a ranger but also a mentor to young individuals who envision themselves in the same position that he is in.
When desribing his memorable encounter was rescuing a wounded bushbuck and rehabilitating it back into the wild. “It reminded me why I do this job to protect the voiceless,” he reflects. Adbul also leads high risk patrols, facilitates strategic conservation planning, and often in amongst a team of rangers that monitor the giraffe and the eland.
Despite the challenges of the role, Abdul Karim remains deeply optimistic.
“We can’t afford to be discouraged. If the land is still breathing, we still have work to do.”
He is especially passionate about indigenous knowledge in conservation, often blending modern science with traditional wisdom to guide wildlife behavior forecasting, seasonal patrol planning, and conflict mitigation.
His vision for Vipingo Ridge is bold, “I want this place to become Africa’s leading eco learning centre not just for tourism, but for ranger training, conservation tech, and cultural restoration.”
Species Under Watch: From Grazers to Giants
Vipingo Ridge boasts an impressive array of wildlife, supported by its protected ecosystems and the dedicated efforts of its ranger team.
Among the species frequently seen across the Wildlife Sanctuary are zebras, impalas, a lesser kudu, wildebeests, Grant’s gazelles, giraffes, hartebeests, bushbucks, waterbucks, elands, duikers, white tailed mongoose, onyxes, and wild pigs.
These animals coexist within the wildlife corridors in the residential estate and and the open spaces that make Vipingo Ridge not just a destination, but a thriving conservation landscape.
Named animals in the Wildlife Sanctuary
Among all these species, the male eland ‘Tawi’ and the three giraffes (the tower of Vipingo Ridge) are the most closely monitored.
The male eland, named ‘Tawi’ and nicknamed George by many Vipingo Ridge residents, is known for his immense size and seasonal aggressiveness, especially during mating periods, poses a potential risk near residential zones or footpaths. As a result, rangers track its movements carefully to ensure safety for both the animal and the public.
Giraffes are also under constant observation, not only because of their iconic presence but due to their limited numbers within the conservancy. With only three individuals one male and two females their health, location, and behavior are logged regularly to safeguard their wellbeing and support the future breeding progress. At almost 4 years old we anticipate the next stage of development for these popular animals.
Monitoring efforts at Vipingo Ridge are driven by more than just data collection; they represent a deep commitment to coexistence.
Through daily patrols, wildlife assessments, and ecosystem management, the rangers ensure that the beauty and balance of this biodiverse haven are preserved for generations to come.
From strength to strength
In 2024, Vipingo Ridge marked a milestone year in its conservation journey one made possible by the tireless efforts of its rangers.
The wildlife population within the conservancy grew significantly, rising from 191 to 242 animals, with 57 newborns recorded by December.
This growth reflects not only a thriving ecosystem but the critical, hands on role rangers play in habitat protection, species monitoring, and rapid response interventions.
Beyond the field, rangers also led new eco-tourism experiences such as guided nature walks, bird watching tours, and e bike safaris, allowing visitors to connect with the wild through the eyes of those who protect it daily.
Their work, in collaboration with partners like the Kenya Wildlife Service and Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, has also extended into schools and local communities, promoting environmental education and stewardship.
As the sun dips into the Chodari Hills beyond Vipingo Ridge, casting amber light over mature trees, these rangers remain vigilant. Their work a blend of sweat, science, and soul ensures that Kenya’s wild heart continues to beat.
“We don’t ask for applause,” says Abdul Karim. “We ask for action. Action that protects. Action that educates. Action that ensures our children inherit a world where giraffe still roam and trees still stand. We ask people to care not with words, but with choices.”
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