Graduating from Manyani is a rite of passage for every single SWT ranger. This group consisted of ten talented recruits, each selected from a different SWT/KWS Anti-Poaching Team. During the three-month training program, they underwent a rigorous curriculum designed to further enhance their capabilities as versatile, bush-ready rangers. Subject matter included:

• Bushcraft
• Navigation
• Drill
• Radio communications
• First aid
• General law
• Wildlife education
• Counter-terrorism

We are incredibly proud of our rangers for passing this major milestone with flying colours. Several members of our management team gathered in Manyani to celebrate the new graduates, including SWT Habitat Protection Officer, James Mbuthia, SWT Operations Commander, George Mwau Muthui; SWT/KWS Ithumba Anti-Poaching Team Leader, Benjamin Kasaine; and SWT Anti-Poaching Managers, Taru Carr-Hartley and Ben Gardiner. At the ceremony, the graduates presented a faultless drill parade followed by the presentation of awards.

As the challenges facing our natural world continue to multiply, it is vital that we have a strong presence in the field. Equipped with their new skills and knowledge, these rangers will be valuable assets to our conservation work, helping us tackle poaching, snaring, human-wildlife conflict, and more. Their dedicated training over the past 90 days is an enormous accomplishment — and an important investment in the future of Kenya’s wildlife and wild spaces.