We'll build out the security team with rhino rangers, new vehicles, and state-of-the-art monitoring equipment. Then, there is the need to prepare the location with specialized infrastructure, including constructing a rhino-proof fence around 24,000 acres within the conservancy. Many assessments must be conducted to ensure that the location is suitable to support rhinos, including an ecological assessment, a disease risk assessment, a security assessment, an operations audit, and a fence survey with accompanying environmental impact assessment. ![]() Munira: A lot of work is required before the translocation of rhinos can be done. It also serves as a conservation and research hub for other key species, including reticulated giraffes and leopards, and it has a strong collaboration with the local communities. Black rhinos are browsers, and the shrubs and bushes at Loisaba will provide the nutrition they need, along with the cover and protection these solitary animals crave.īut also importantly, thanks to TNC supporters who helped transition Loisaba from a private ranch to a wildlife conservancy, it already has much of the basic infrastructure in place, including trained security teams and good roads. Matt: Fifty years ago, rhino were abundant on the land that is now Loisaba Conservancy, so we know it’s great from an ecological perspective. We are looking forward to working with KWS to help them reach their ambitious goal and ensure the survival of this amazing species. Our next step is to raise the funds that will enable us to fulfill those conditions. ![]() The Kenyan government has given conditional approval to relocate rhinos to Loisaba. Munira: According to feasibility assessments carried out by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia is historically an ideal spot for a rhino sanctuary. They need a place with the right vegetation, the right security in place, and the right overall suitability for the animals to thrive. ![]() Matt: We need to find more appropriate habitat for rhinos so that we can spread them out. At a certain ecological carrying capacity, rhino reproduction rates begin to decline, which stalls the population growth. The majority of rhinos remaining in Kenya are in sanctuaries, which is important since poaching is still a very real threat and any rhino lost now is a big step in the wrong direction.īut these sanctuaries are now overcrowded. But there is still a long way to go from the Kenyan government’s goal of 2,000 individuals, the minimum number necessary to ensure the long-term survival of the species. Munira: Black rhino populations in Kenya have almost doubled from their low point in the late 1980s to just over 850 animals, which is great.
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