Wildlife
Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu has commissioned the Maasai Mara National Reserve Conservation Center, equipped with Earthranger (ER) software that gives real-time data on the activities at the great resource.
Governor Patrick Ntutu said the real-time data collected will be used for decision making, hence helping to improve the management at the National reserve. ER uses artificial intelligence to combine real-time data from ranger patrols, remote imaging and various other sensors to display a complete picture of wildlife in their natural habitat.
“All the activities happening in the reserve will be monitored in one central place, which will enable us to get real-time information on ranger movements, tourists vehicles and tagged wildlife,” reiterated Governor Ntutu. The software will also help the reserve management to monitor poachers, visitors’ impact, wildlife movement, tourist overcrowded areas, curb human-wildlife conflict and inform conservation and management strategies.
Governor Ntutu said the initiative is a fulfilment of one of his dreams he had before becoming the county boss, of having a central point to monitor the National Reserve. “The Conservation Center will serve as a communication hub for the Maasai Mara National Reserve. We will monitor the entire ecosystem from one point,” he said.
Also, the governor announced that his administration had introduced an annual fee of Sh. 10, 000 for the tour guides at the National Reserve, which the guides will start paying as from October, 2025. “There are about 200 tour guides in this ecosystem. I will hold a meeting with them so that we can resolve some of the challenges they encounter while on duty,” he said.
Edward Arkle of 51 Degrees Limited, the company that installed the software, underscored the importance of the software saying it has sensors and trackers placed in different areas to monitor all the activities at the reserve. The information received, he said, will help the management to make informed decisions when planning for the global resource.
“It will no longer be guesswork. Everything will be done in a targeted manner as there will be real-time information of the wildlife and other happenings at the reserve,” he said. According to Arkle, the ER is a very effective solution in its ability to monitor wildlife movement across ecosystems, ranging from specific areas to continent-wild migrations.
‘ER provides a unified view of tagged wildlife, rangers and infrastructure within a protected area,” he continued.