Nomads of the North

The Masai and Samburu people of Kenya and Tanzania practice a semi-nomadic, pastoral way of life, which has helped to preserve some of the world’s most famous wildlife areas, such as the Serengeti ecosystems. They are an essential part of modern-day wildlife conservation, working as scientists, researchers, scouts, and guides, and teaching foreigners and young people about the value of human-animal coexistence.

Joseph, a local Samburu tasked with monitoring the surrounding forest, looks over the rift valley. We walked through an ancient forest sparkling with fireflies and memories of elephants in the evening chill, to a view spanning across the Pokot lowlands. Joseph has been walking these ancient trails since boyhood, he was keenly aware of the threats to the surrounding environment, and was fighting to preserve one of the last wild places in the area.