Leonard Some: Chief Scout on the HEC project
A charming, smiling, cordial ex-Warrior
The first time you meet Leonard, smiling away in his green uniform, and often using a small broken stick to clean his already pearl white teeth, you would be forgiven for not recognising him as a former member of the Maasai warrior class (the marrans).
Principal Field Assistant
Leonard Some is Dr Sitati's principal field assistant, and leads the scouting group which Noah formed in order to report back on incidents of human elephant conflict and sightings in the TransMara area.
Leonard comes from the Soiminin village which is a short 5 minute drive from the local town of Lolgorien (map). Leonard has now moved up the Maasai's ritual scale from a warrior to become what they call a "young elder".
Leonard's role in the region
Leonard's main activities are to gain local support for the project's initiatives and to mobilise the community into action, ensuring that possible conflict situations between themselves and the elephants are minimised.
It is an Association that is seeking to promote the use of conservation areas and the protection of the remaining wildlife in the region for the long term economic benefits that could be brought about by ecotourism.
Already one scout during his duties came across a leopard caught by its leg in a snare - the Scout cut the branch to which the wire was attached, this loosened the snare, and the leopard could escape - harmed, but not dead.
