Our partner, Fauna and Flora International have shared their final report for the year and provided an update on the Black Rhino population at their Sera Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya! Want to find out more? Read on….
In Kenya, where approximately 85% of the world’s remaining black rhino populations resides, Fauna and Flora International run a community conservancy in Samburu County known as the Sera Wildlife Conservancy, the first community-run rhino sanctuary in East Africa. At WildLife Foundation, we’ve helped support Sera’s rhino project since 2018, to optimise population growth, develop strategic plans focusing on the management of the sanctuary, and reinforce effective black rhino protection within and outside the Sera Rhino Sanctuary!
Still with us? A lot of information to take in, we understand. But in summary, Fauna and Flora are making every effort to help protect, conserve, and grow the black rhino population in Kenya. Through strategies such as checking their habitats, improving daily security, monitoring patrols, providing the correct equipment for rangers, and new housing for the rhinos within the sanctuary. How you make a house for a rhino though, we can’t answer that! 😂
As a result of their excellent work, Fauna and Flora International can now expand their maximum productive carrying capacity! In simple terms, this means how many rhinos they can support at their sanctuary – from 26 to 40 rhinos. Oh, but there is so much more good news, and makes for a very good read 😉.
There have also been lots of
rhino babies born at the sanctuary, or the correct term, calves! The rhino population in the sanctuary increased to 19 in November this year and has seen a total of ten rhino births. At a national level, the black rhino populations have increased steadily to 897 rhinos in 2021, the long-term national vision is to reach 2,000 rhinos. A big challenge but we have every faith in our partners, as the Sera Wildlife Conservancy population recovery efforts have made a HUGE contribution to this national goal.
So, what do these changes look like over time? And what have Fauna and Flora International achieved so far? Well, over a nine-year period from 2010-2019, the team have made every effort to improve the rhinos’ habitat, reducing the amount of bare ground within the habitat and increasing the amount of vegetation cover. These positive changes have helped to increase the rhino capacity of the conservancy, from 26 rhinos to 40.
Lots of rangers have also undergone wildlife monitoring training to build and improve their skills, including rhino conservation lessons! We feel the same… sign us up! The training covered theory lessons on rhino biology and behaviour, as well as practical sessions on patrol and tracking techniques.
This work is vital to protect black rhinos across Kenya, as the protection of black rhinos continues to be challenging as demand for its horn remains high, BUT you can help! Our funding helps to support black rhinos at the Sera Wildlife Conservancy, and with donations we can do even more!
Find out more about Fauna and Flora International’s work by clicking here.
Find out more about WildLife Foundation’s work with black rhinos by clicking here.
You can find out more about other WildLife Foundation conservation projects by clicking here.
