FIELD NOTE / CONSERVATION
The scouts who keep the line.
Twenty-four local scouts patrol the land between Serengeti National Park and the farms and villages beside it.
On the eastern side of Ikona, Twiga camp looks out over the photographic area. From here, the village game scouts patrol the land between the park and the villages.
A local force
Ikona has 24 village game scouts, including two women. All are recruited from the member villages. They know the routes, the people and the places where wildlife and livestock meet.
Two directions
The work runs in two directions. Scouts protect wildlife from poachers, and they protect people, crops and livestock from wildlife. They also record what they see, building a picture of how animals move through the WMA.
Two camps
Twiga camp is in the photographic area to the east. Kongoni camp is in the western hunting block, which is operated by Singita Grumeti Reserves. Between them, the scouts cover 242.3 square kilometres.
Why it matters
The scouts are the first line of defence for the WMA. Their presence is one of the reasons the villages continue to support the agreement: conservation has to be visible, and it has to make the villages safer.
Village game scouts on patrol in Ikona WMA.