This past Sunday, Head of Anti-Poaching at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Edward Ndiritu, showed the depth of his dedication to protecting one of nature’s most vulnerable species, the Rhino.
The 53-year old running the 26.2-mile London Marathon has become a remarkable achievement on its own. Edward took on an even greater challenge by completing it while wearing a 10 kg rhino costume.
What may have looked like a symbol of conservation was, in reality, an exhausting, ordeal that made every step challenging yet crucial.
Mile after mile, he carried both the physical weight of the costume and the responsibility of the cause it represented.
Now, Edward has crossed the finish line and stepped out of the suit, but the race for rhino conservation is far from over.
Edward did the hard miles on the streets of London to raise awareness and support for rhino protection attracting well-wishers to fund/donate towards the initiative.
He joined Lewa in around 1997 as a rhino monitor, at a time when Kenya’s black rhino population had plummeted from 20,000 to fewer than 300 and has been promoted through the ranks, officially becoming Head of Anti-Poaching in 2012.
Nderitu is also a distinguished member of the Kenya Wildlife Rangers Association board and holds a position on the Game Ranger Association of Africa Leadership Council.
Often working behind the scenes, rangers are at the core of a transformation in conservation, supporting both people and nature in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss/crisis.
The diverse roles of rangers extend from wildlife and forest protection, law enforcement, environmental education, and community engagement to fire management, disease prevention, and sustainable resource use.