Breaking gender barriers

The wider Amboseli ecosystem is home to more than 2,100 elephants, said Nathan Gatundu, the deputy park warden at Amboseli National Park. Many of these animals move between protected areas and surrounding community lands.

Lakara said elephants, particularly bulls in musth, can become aggressive. The women carry no firearms and sometimes have to rely on their training and experience when an elephant chases them or approaches too closely.