Fear into Fascination

It was a beautiful sunny morning. We welcomed 52 excited children from the neighbouring schools, just beyond Angama Amboseli's boundaries, as they arrived for their first conservation lesson inside Kimana Sanctuary. This was an opportunity to educate future generations of the area to understand the importance of preserving these important wild spaces, loving its animals, and fostering a sense of harmony between wildlife, farmers, and their communities.

Us Angama Guides were just as excited as our students as we greeted and whisked them away on a safari adventure they wouldn't soon forget. For many of the young ones, it was their first up-close encounter with wildlife. The elephants especially brought out gasps of awe and wonder. For the children, elephants had always been a symbol of fear, often only seen as troublemakers that trampled through farms and caused destruction.

I remember their worried faces as they asked about the danger elephants posed. We had to explain that elephants, being a keystone species, require large areas and vast amounts of food. Their sheer size isn’t a sign of aggression but a reminder of their crucial role in the ecosystem. 

When they started to understand this, you could see the change. They were amazed to learn that coexistence was possible, and they left feeling more connected to these gentle giants. Their journey didn’t stop there. To their delight, they spotted hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, zebras, and baboons. It was a magical morning of discovery and learning.  It was heartwarming to see how their perception of the wild was changing right before our eyes. 

The safari adventure led to a surprise at the lodge, where we gathered them in the Staff Recreation Room. There, the children watched a video of Salash, one of the Guides at Amboseli and a former Big Life ranger. His story struck a chord with them. During the pandemic, when everything had gone quiet, Salash stayed on, protecting the elephants. He shared his journey from ranger to Angama Guide, and the children were eager to know why he made the switch.   

I’ll never forget one question that stood out, ‘Why did you stop being a ranger?’ Salash explained that he wanted to show guests the beauty of Amboseli and share his deep knowledge of wildlife with people from all over the world. This seemed to inspire the children, as they saw firsthand how someone from their community could play a key role in protecting and educating them about wildlife. 

We cannot wait to make this a regular part of what we offer at Angama Amboseli, bringing in more students every time and teaching them all about the extraordinary beauty of the area that they live in.

Thank you to the Angama Guides, who felt passionate about this experience and took it upon themselves to set it up. Seeing the children leave with smiles, newfound knowledge, and a fresh respect for the animals around them — well, that makes it all worth it.