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The local Maasai communities have set aside the Selenkay Conservancy in the Amboseli eco-system and the Ol Kinyei Conservancy in the Mara as reserves exclusively for wildlife and in return they are receiving an income from tourism. This income is used either to fund community projects such as schools and water supplies or is distributed to the families who own the parcels of land that make up the conservancy. Employment opportunities have also been provided for the local Maasai people as game rangers, trackers, and camp staff. Apart from the Kenyan manager virtually all other staff in the camp and Conservancy are members of the local community.
The 70 kms of roads in the Selenkay Conservancy were constructed using local labour so that members of the community gained employment. As a result of the establishment of the Selenkay Conservancy wildlife numbers have recovered significantly in recent years and elephants are now seen frequently after an absence of nearly 20 years. Selenkay Conservancy lies in the heart of Maasailand, well off the beaten track, and has not been visited by tourists until fairly recently. In the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, wildlife numbers have also increased significantly since the conservancy was established and there are resident lions as well as cheetahs and leopards in addition to large numbers of all the other animals for which the Mara is famous such as giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, eland and impala.
The animals are truly wild and tend to behave more naturally than those in the parks which are often habituated to the presence of large numbers of tourist vehicles.
Having grown up in Africa, the founder of this Kenyan safari company realised he could help local families owning plots of land which adjoined the overcrowded National Parks. He asked if they wanted to help create wildlife-rich conservancies and safari camps which would generate them income and offer tourists a real off-the-beaten-track experience. It was a risk but the Maasai people got behind the idea and helped make it a success. As they are private, these conservancies have fewer restrictions than the parks, meaning visitors can do walks and night-game drives and benefit from the first-hand knowledge of the guides.
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