Place where cattle roam freely amid wild animals

On a typical day, Stephen Murathi wakes up at 5am, long before the sun graces the horizon, to do some chores before heading to the farm to check on the animals.

He is one of more than 100 workers at Ol Pejeta Conservancy taking care of the Boran cattle kept here.

There are 6,000 purebreds, making Ol Pejeta the only largest conservancy in the world with such a large number.

Murathi, who has been here since 2016, has been assigned the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of a herd of 250 animals.

Because of the danger of being attacked by wild animals, each herd has two caretakers.

Murathi has mastered the terrain. He spends all day in the bush with the cattle as they graze on the plains, herding them to water points, pasture and back to the predator-proof enclosure in the evening.

The conservancy integrates cattle with wildlife and uses livestock as a means to manage the rangelands more effectively.

Its history dates back to the late 1930s.

The conservancy started as a cattle ranch mainly for the production of beef that was exported to the European market.

Later it was turned into a tourism facility.

The livestock kept here, including a herd of Ankole, generates about 25 per cent of the conservancy's total revenue.

Against the breathtaking backdrop of the conservancy, Murathi's bond with the animals is evident.

As we make our way through the dusty, rough terrain to the grazing lands, Murathi can be seen from a distance moving among them with a quiet confidence, a testament to years spent here.

Beyond the physical demands of his role, his connection to the land and its inhabitants is palpable—it is rooted in courage and dedication.

He is aware that dangerous wild animals such as lions and hyenas, among others, roam freely here.

As the day progresses, Murathi's tasks may vary, from assisting with veterinary checks to guiding the cattle to grazing areas that ensure their nutrition and health.

Each action is a piece of a larger puzzle, contributing to Ol Pejeta's conservation efforts.

For Murathi, this work is not merely a job but a calling resonating with values and aspirations.

"Once I get here every morning, my first job is to do a headcount of all animals to ensure they are all there," he says.

But, the job is not for the fainthearted.

While it is demanding, it is also risky and only a few dare work here.

Murathi vividly recalls a day when, while still new at the workplace, a lioness lunged at him while in the field.

On that particularly sweltering afternoon, Murathi explains, he was focusing on his tasks, when a sudden rustle in the tall grass made him look up.

A lone lioness was preying on the newborn calf, he says.

“Ng’ombe alikuwa amezaa tu hivi na ndama alikuwa hapo chini, so ni kama alikuwa anamwinda (The cow had just given birth and the calf was still lying down; the lioness had already identified it as prey before emerging from the hideout),” he narrates.

Armed with a long wooden stick, the only weapon he uses while walking around in the field, Murathi tried to rescue the calf only for the big cat to attack him.

“The lioness sprang towards me because she knew I wanted to take away her food and sank her teeth into my knee,” he says.

“As I struggled to free myself in vain she looked straight into my eyes and left me as she went away with the calf.”

Deep scars on his left knee, faded but still visible, serve as a reminder of the brutal struggle.

Murathi says he was lucky she did not take his life.

Dennis Makale, also a seasoned herder of the Ankole, says he has never been attacked by wild animals. He has mastered the art of keeping them away.

While he notes that there has been an increase in the number of predators preying on the livestock, he has managed to save many thanks to his bravery and skills.

“Leo hautaninyang’anya, leo hupati (Today you are not stealing from me, you are not going away with it),” he recalls a day he shouted at a lion that was preying on a calf as he chased her away.

The Ankole alone, which number 250, according to Adil Butt, the head of Livestock and Agriculture at the conservancy, were sourced from President Yoweri Museveni’s farm.

They have been reared here over the last 20 years and contribute to the conservancy's revenue.

Butt says the revenue from the animals is mainly from the sale of semen and embryo, which are exported to countries like South Africa.

Their horns, he adds, are used specifically for aesthetics and fetch a significant amount of between Sh50,000 and Sh300,000.

How technology is revolutionising conservation

To minimise the loss of cattle and reduce the injuries caused to humans as a result of this livestock-wildlife integration model, the management has introduced cutting-edge technology.

It is estimated that 60 head of cattle are lost to predators alone yearly apart from other factors like diseases.

Introduced in 2018, the Earth Ranger app has contributed immensely towards conservation in terms of biomass, ensuring visibility of where the cattle are grazing and the location of wild animals.

William Njoroge, head of shared services at the conservancy, explains that the app collects data from GPS-enable collars and microchips fixed on the ear of the cattle and predators.

Njoroge says one or two cattle in a herd of 250 are fitted with the device, as well as the lions.

“Ideally it is one cow that has the tracker but in some herds, there are some with two,” he notes.

From tracking and monitoring to ensuring the safety and well-being of livestock, this innovation is reshaping the landscape of ranch management.

“This technology has not only streamlined operations but also improved the overall efficiency and profitability of ranching enterprises,” he says in an interview.

The devices provide real-time location data, allowing ranchers to pinpoint the exact whereabouts of each animal within seconds.

This not only aids in quickly locating stray animals but also in preventing theft and minimising losses due to predators.

Moreover, drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras have become valuable tools for ranchers here.

These aerial devices can fly over vast expanses of land, scanning for heat signatures that indicate the presence of animals.

“If a lion, for example, goes near the bomas where the cattle are grazing, we are able to see it from the monitor and dispatch a vehicle to go and keep them away,” he states.

“We have proximity alerts that come out when a lion goes to the proximity of a boma.”

At the conservancy is also an 11,000-acre arable land where wheat, sorghum and other cereals are grown.

Another 1,000 acres have been set aside for the fodder to sustain the animals, especially during dry seasons, and for commercial purposes.

“We consume 30 to 40 percent and the rest we sell to the farmers around the conservancy,” Butt says.

Boran cattle

Borans are the fastest-growing breed of cattle; they attain maturity faster than other breeds.

They also have a high fertility rate, which is unusual for other breeds.

Heifers reach puberty at an average age of 385 days.

Calves at birth weigh an average 28kg for males and 25kg for females.

It takes only three years from birth before they can be slaughtered, at which point they weigh about 50 kilogrammes.

A mature cow can produce 10 calves before old age.

She is also an excellent mother; not only will she feed her calf so well but also guards it against predators.

Calves born at Ol Pejeta are micro-chipped to help track them until they reach maturity.

There are breeding bulls and breeding heifers, which are kept separately and are sold locally and to neighbouring countries.

A pedigree or a bull goes for about Sh400,000 to Sh500,000 while heifers are sold for Sh100,000 to Sh150,000.

They are slaughtered at site and supplied to various outlets in the region.

Ol Pejeta produces 250,000 tonnes of beef yearly and collects over Sh180 million from it.