pixelpower

The fact that you need an armed ranger is not always "to protect you against bandits". Once, in Tanzania, we were obliged to take an armed guide too, if we wanted to visit Empakai Crater. 'To protect us from animals'.

I told that guide that, in the event that I got jumped on by a big cat, he should aim at me and put me out of my misery. After all there's plenty enough humans and not nearly enough big cats, and I'm on their turf not vice versa. I didn't know a human could have such wide eyes. He looked at me like I came from another planet.

Anyway, a tent not far from ours ALMOST got broken into in a camp in one of the private reserves around Kruger. So you see; it happens everywhere. I asked there too; 'how about guards?'
They said it wasn't needed, as it would spoil the atmosphere and as it truly was a 'freak occurrence' (long weekend + full moon + management transition in the reserve etc; all the cards were laying the right way).

B.regs,

J.

christabir

"I told that guide that, in the event that I got jumped on by a big cat, he should aim at me and put me out of my misery. After all there's plenty enough humans and not nearly enough big cats, and I'm on their turf not vice versa. I didn't know a human could have such wide eyes. He looked at me like I came from another planet."

I told a guide on a walk a similar thing. Same reaction. (I meant it). Unfortunately, the guides/rangers are there to protect us from the animals, not the other way around. Maybe next time we should hire anti-poaching rangers as our guides.

Hard to tell if the ranger hiring is a scam, jobs program or necessary. I'd probably lean toward the safe side and hire them. I try not to p*ss off the guys with the guns.

sandi

It was after the incident at Naibor 2/yrs ago and earlier at Entim and I believe another small camp that these small camps were asked to have these overnight KWS security rangers. The fee to the camp is about $20 or E20/nt for 2/rangers and the camps willingly pay, not only to assure guests but also themselves when there are no guests. As above, I became aware of this during my stay at Sala's Camp (lone camps on Sand River border with Tanzania) in early June and hadn't the slightest knowledge of the rangers even being there... they seemed to fade into the bushes and in no way disturbed the "atmosphere."

The rangers are dropped-off/picked-up by KWS... just there for security.

And, yes there have been incidents in the Serengeti, if not widely published in the media.

The incident that titles this thread were local Kenyans who were camping privately, as no doubt they'd done many times before, when one individual was killed by the bandits.

Bad things can happen anywhere and to anyone (local or visitor), so when advised of same and even if it'll cost a few dollars, I prefer to err on the side of safety.

atravelynn

BillJ,

If you were seriously considering Kenya, please don't discount it based on some isolated incidents. You could decide against most any place based on rare, unfortunate horror stories.