Rhino Project

Tens of thousands of rhinos once thrived in Africa’s landscape. Since the beginning of the 20th century, humans have pushed the species to the brink of extinction. In the 1960s, Kenya was home to an estimated 20,000 black rhinos, but just two decades later, poaching had reduced the population to less than 300.

As a result of conservation efforts, the black rhino population is steadily recovering and there are now over 600 black rhinos in Kenya. However, even with marked progress, the black rhino remains critically endangered.

Today, the survival of one of Africa’s iconic species rests on long-term solutions that involve local people, securing its habitat and reducing demand for its horn. 

This includes community-based conservation, which is an approach to biodiversity conservation that involves working with the indigenous, local people. The benefits of wildlife protection and the resulting tourism should be funneled back into the communities, helping them to develop and improve their own quality of life. Empowering communities, particularly those who share their land with wildlife, or live adjacent to conservation and wildlife areas, is the most sustainable path for wildlife conservation. Community-based conservation is, therefore, a multi-faceted approach for conservation with programs in wildlife management, human-wildlife coexistence, education, community/livelihoods, and healthcare in recognition of the needs of the communities.

Information sourced from Borana Conservancy