Growing up near Baragoi, elephants were something Bena feared. While herding livestock as a young boy, close encounters with them left him wary of their immense size and power.

Everything changed during a field trip with Save The Elephants, when Bena found himself face-to-face with a matriarch named Annabelle. Instead of panic, he felt calm and admiration - the beginning of a journey that would see him learn to identify hundreds of individual elephants. Today, with a Master’s degree from the Durrell Institute of Conservation Ecology (DICE), UK, he shares that same wonder and connection with guests from around the world.

As a child, walks to school near Archer’s Post often meant weaving around elephants and other wildlife with her sister, Ntimisian. Though the sisters once feared these great animals, curiosity slowly replaced fear, eventually drawing them both to Elephant Watch Camp.

Today, Dipo’s warmth, laughter, and limitless energy make her one of the most loved members of the team. Alongside her natural gift for caring for people, she has become an invaluable presence whenever someone needs first aid or support.

Named after the great Ewaso Nyiro River that winds through Samburu, Ewaso is known for both his courage and his character. During a flood, he famously dived into the raging river to rescue two young herd boys stranded on a tree, holding onto them for hours until help arrived by helicopter.

Part of the Elephant Watch family for over a decade, he now leads our team of waiters with warmth, humour, and song - always making sure guests are well fed, well watered, and looked after with great care.

You will often hear Leshakwet’s laugh before you see him. Loud, infectious, and impossible to miss, it has earned him the affectionate reference of “the American” around Camp.

Full of humour and charm, Leshakwet brings endless energy wherever he goes. Often dressed in colourful headgear and always impeccably put together, many fondly describe him as the peacock of the Camp.

Around Camp, Maatano is recognised as the marathoner - a natural long-distance runner whose stamina and endurance seem endless, proudly carrying forward Kenya’s great running legacy.

Originally from Kitamany Village in Westgate Conservancy, Maatano joined us five years ago, bringing with him a calm focus and a quiet attention to detail that makes him a steady presence both in Camp and out in the bush.

Known around Camp as one half of the “Glamazons” alongside her sister Dipo, Ntimisian Lemoyog is loved for her radiant smile, warmth, and striking presence that instantly puts guests at ease.

Growing up in Kalama Conservancy, she and Dipo would wait for neighbouring children each morning before setting off to school together - forming their own little moving herd of children crossing safely through elephant country. Though the sisters once feared these majestic animals, curiosity slowly replaced fear, eventually leading them both to Elephant Watch Camp.

In 2005, while herding goats with his best friend Litus, Lesachore survived a terrifying encounter with a protective mother elephant that left him badly injured. The incident marked the beginning of a long relationship with Elephant Watch, after the team came to their rescue.

Today, nearly two decades later, he remains part of the Elephant Watch family as one of our head waiters, a skilled part-time fundi, and an invaluable member of the team - still carrying the remarkable scar from that day, etched across his stomach almost perfectly in the shape of the number seven.

Ringas is a beam of joy around Camp - there is rarely a room his infectious laughter and energy cannot brighten. He often jokes that he holds the power to make anyone happy, because happiness begins with a full stomach, and all he has to do is cook something delicious.

Passionate about music and an impressively skilled footballer, Ringas brings the same rhythm, creativity, and warmth to both the kitchen and everyday life at Camp.

Coming from Naivasha rather than the north, Rhoda settled into life in Samburu with remarkable ease, quickly becoming part of the rhythm and warmth of Camp life.

Creative in the kitchen and always experimenting with new recipes, Rhoda brings imagination and flavour to every meal. But despite adapting so well to the wild, one thing still terrifies her completely - snakes. Even the smallest trail can send her scrambling dramatically onto the nearest shelf.

Seraiyo first joined Oria as a wild young Samburu warrior, deeply rooted in traditional life and speaking very little English. Over the years, he has become one of the longest-serving members of the Elephant Watch family.

After a serious fall from a tree left his leg badly injured, a failed surgery nearly cost him the limb entirely. Rushed to Kijabe Hospital in time, doctors were able to save his leg. Today, despite a slight limp, he is back on his feet, caring for his family and continuing his journey with quiet strength and resilience.

Fresh juice creations are very much Tipis’ joy in life. He will happily disappear into the bush searching for berries and wild ingredients for his latest blend - some joke he would even walk through a herd of elephants to find the perfect berries. Around Camp, this devotion to fresh flavours has earned him the affectionate reference of “the juice guy.”

After spending time at our sister property, Sirocco Wildlife Sanctuary in Naivasha, working as a guide and spotter, Tipis is happy to be back in Samburu among his kinsmen and the landscape he calls home.

There is a quiet curiosity about Lekalaile - the kind that is always observing, learning, and gently improving whatever is placed before him. Though soft-spoken, his creativity speaks loudly through his work in the kitchen.

Lekalaile especially loves baking bread, often preparing fresh loaves not just for guests, but for the team too, simply for the joy of sharing something warm from the oven. More recently, he has developed a fascination with pastries and puddings, constantly experimenting with new flavours and sweet ideas.