'Curse turned cash cow': Meet once-shunned family breeding monitor lizards and tortoises 'for food & as pets'

A  family in Mogotio, Baringo county, has taken the unorthodox step of starting a business in what has otherwise been considered a curse.

Joseph Kiprono and his sons, Moses and Andrew, have embarked on a unique venture: commercial farming of monitor lizards and tortoises.

This move, initially met with fear and suspicion, is now turning heads and even earning praise from wildlife officials.

Joseph Kiprono's journey began with a conservationist's heart.

Witnessing the brutal treatment of tortoises, deemed crop-destroying pests by his community, he sought a permit from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to protect them.

"Farmers would turn the tortoises upside down until they died," Joseph recalls.

"I wanted to save them."

Over a decade, he amassed a remarkable collection of over 3,000 tortoises.

However, it was his son, Moses, who introduced the more controversial element: monitor lizards.

Inspired by his grandfather, whose name translates to "monitor lizard" in the Kalenjin language, Moses saw an opportunity where others saw only a threat.

"It was a passion, just like any other career choice," he explains.

Initially, the community's reaction was far from supportive. Accusations of witchcraft and blame for the area's drought were hurled at the family.

"People were afraid of us," Joseph admits. But the Kipronos persevered, focusing on breeding Savanna monitor lizards and leopard tortoises.

Today, their farm boasts over 20 adult monitor lizards and 80 hatchlings, alongside a sprawling population of over 500 tortoises.

The reptiles are sold as pets, both locally and internationally, and the monitor lizards are also marketed as a delicacy to countries like Hong Kong and China, where they are believed to possess medicinal properties.

A fully grown monitor lizard fetches between Ksh. 2,500 and 3,000, while a tortoise sells for Ksh. 3,000.

Andrew Chesire, Joseph's other son and a graduate, joined the family business after struggling to find employment.

"I was looking for a job for years," he says.

"But now, I have something in my pocket."

He sees the venture as a form of self-employment, a testament to the potential of alternative livelihoods.

The monitor lizard, often viewed as a pest due to its habit of consuming goat's milk and causing udder swelling, has found an unlikely sanctuary on the Kiprono farm.

This shift in perception is a testament to the family's dedication and the changing attitudes towards wildlife.

Gilberto, a resident of Baringo South, expresses his astonishment.

"I always saw these lizards as enemies to my livestock," he says. "I never imagined they could be pets." He even jokingly requests the family to "trap all the lizards in the area" to alleviate his livestock concerns.

The Kipronos' efforts have not gone unnoticed.

During the  World Wildlife Day exhibition, KWS Director General, Dr. Erustus Kanga, lauded their commercial farming as a prime example of the "bottom-up economic model" championed by the government.

He recognized the family's initiative in creating a sustainable livelihood while contributing to wildlife conservation.