Abdullahi Ali was a high school student when he visited the Maasai Mara, a journey that would shape the rest of his life. “From that moment, I wanted to do something about conservation and I had to start at home,” he says. Efforts by locals are crucial, as 70% of Kenya’s wildlife populations reside outside protected areas. To play his part, Ali founded a non-profit organisation that safeguards the country’s endemic species. “I started the Hirola Conservation Program to provide homegrown solutions to spearhead the recovery of the hirola antelope,” he explains.
The hirola antelope is critically endangered. Roughly 500 animals are left, restricted to areas along the Kenyan-Somali border. In Garissa, where Ali was born and is currently based, his work has not been without struggle. The region is known for security threats and violent attacks. It is also extremely arid compared to the rest of Kenya, making tourism and the support it brings non-existent. “Many people were doubting that we could actually pull this together,” Ali says. Yet against the odds, he has persevered. “The fact that conservation is gradually falling into the hands of the local community is worth appreciating,” he says. Visit hirolaconservation.org to learn more. Footage by the Hirola Conservation Program was used in the making of this film.
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