RIKAPO IS SELECTED AS ONE OF DISNEY’S 2009 CONSERVATION HEROES!
16 October 2009
Sasaab works closely with The Grevy’s Zebra Trust, who recently nominated Rikapo Lentiyoo, a Grevy’s Zebra Scout Coordinator to become a Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Conservation Hero.
Rikapo is from the same area as Sasaab - the Ngutuk Ongiron Group Ranch, West Gate Conservancy. In 2003, Rikapo was recruited by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy as one of the first part-time Grevy’s Zebra Scouts to operate in a community area. A young Samburu warrior wearing traditional dress and speaking very little English, he quickly proved to be an excellent Scout. Rikapo inherently possessed a passion for Grevy’s zebra and a skill for scouting which led to his promotion as full-time Scout with the responsibility of radio-tracking collared Grevy’s zebra in the area.
Rikapo was promoted to Grevy’s Zebra Scout Coordinator in 2005 and continues to lead the Scout Programme for the Grevy’s Zebra Trust with 21 Scouts under his supervision. In addition to managing the Scouts’ data collection, training and data entry, Rikapo also facilitates regular awareness meetings with communities and is one of Kenya’s most powerful ambassadors for the species.
In early 2006, a serious crisis occurred with the onset of an anthrax outbreak in the heart of Grevy’s zebra range. For four months, Rikapo worked tirelessly, travelling on his motorbike to locate reported carcasses, taking samples for laboratory analysis, disposing of carcasses to avoid spread of the disease, coordinating mortality reports coming in from community members, and ensuring that Kenya Wildlife Service vets who were administering the vaccine by helicopter targeted the entire Grevy’s zebra population in the affected area. Thanks to this coordinated work in the field and crucial financial support from partners, the outbreak was brought under control.
As Sasaab and the Trust look to the horizon, they believe it will be vital to expand all their Grevy’s zebra conservation programmes and, with Rikapo on the team, we know the Trust will continue to succeed in its goals.
Please see www.grevyszebratrust.org for more information.