#10Guardians; Meet Mohammed Ismail, the Hirola Guardian

Mohammed Ismail, Hirola antelope guardian. Photo_ NRT

In Ijara’s shrubby woodlands in Garissa County lives the hirola, a peculiar, rare antelope.

The hirola, which derives its name from the Somali word ‘arawla’ because of its light brown coat, is the world’s most endangered antelope. It is often referred to as ‘the four-eyed antelope’, due to the two large pre-orbital glands located beneath its eyes that give it a distinct look. After nearly being wiped out by a rinderpest outbreak in the 1970s, its population recovery has been slow but steady. However, this does not perturb Mohammed Ismail, who has devoted himself to protecting some of the world’s remaining hirola.

Mohammed, 42, has worked in the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy as a Senior Warden for the last 12 years. He oversees and coordinates all security operations in the Conservancy and directs a team of 21 young rangers in carrying out wildlife monitoring exercises and anti-poaching patrols within the Conservancy.

The Conservancy hosts about 25% of the world’s hirola population. Mohammed supported his community in establishing the Ishaqbini Hirola Sanctuary in 2012 in an initiative aimed at bolstering hirola conservation efforts. At the time, extreme drought, predation, habitat loss, and poaching threatened the critically endangered hirola. The Sanctuary is also home to reticulated giraffes, buffaloes, lesser kudu, and other wildlife.

Mohammed's passion for conservation and diligence inspires many in the community, including Ahmed Maalim, the Conservancy Manager. “It is not unusual to see Mohammed conducting patrols during his leisure time! As the Head of Security, he never leaves anything to chance,” says Maalim. “Mohammed is an outgoing person who eagerly shares his community’s traditional wildlife beliefs with locals and visitors, endearing him to all. The young people in the community see him as a role model,” adds Maalim.

Mohammed’s job is not a walk in the park. His work entails regular patrols in the wild while battling the sweltering heat from an unforgiving sun. Every day while performing his duties he puts his life on the line due to the Conservancy’s proximity to the Kenya-Somalia border, the rendezvous point of the Al-Shabaab’s infamous insurgents. Additionally, Mohammed has had close run-ins with poachers targetting the Ishaqbini community’s wildlife, but none of these challenges deter him.

The Endangered Hirola antelope. Photo_ NRT

Mohammed and the Ishaqbini community regard themselves as the hirola’s guardians. They have vowed to safeguard this unique species, and their collaborative efforts have paid off. In early 2021, the Ishaqbini Hirola Sanctuary had approximately 140 hirola individuals marking a 190% rise in hirola numbers since its establishment. In the same year, 64 hirola were re-wilded into the Conservancy’s expanse to ease population pressure in the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary’s success is a source of encouragement for Mohammed and other selfless individuals in the community who are committed to conserving endangered wildlife.