Endangered Rhinos in Kenya Are Taking Back Their Land
A joint effort is helping 20 black rhinos reclaim their habitat in Kenya. (Photo: Facebook/Lewa Wildlife Conservancy via Ami Vitale)
By Sarah V Schweig
On a stretch of land in Kenya, the last rhino for miles was killed 25 years ago.
Eastern black rhinos, murdered by poachers for their horns, have not set foot in the 100-square-mile native habitat since, and their numbers worldwide plummeted by 98 percent between 1960 and 1995 because of hunting and poaching.
But last week, that began to change.
(Photo: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy)
The critically endangered black rhinos are now returning to the land they once called home thanks to a joint effort between the Northern Rangelands Trust , the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and Kenya Wildlife Service. Twenty rhinos have been selected to repopulate their native habitat in Kenya, and two rhinos have already been successfully moved to the freshly established sanctuary.
“The rhino has not existed on that land in over 25 years,” Wanjiku Kinuthia, communications officer at Lewa, told The Dodo. “It has been a dream of Lewa’s and the Northern Rangelands Trust to reintroduce the rhino to its previous homeland in that area.”
Related: Feel Great Now: 8 Ways to Save a Rhino Today
(Photo: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy)
The rhinos will be guarded 24/7 by community rangers who have been trained in rhino protection and they will also have support from nearby anti-poaching units.
Related: Sexy Game Rangers Strip Down to Save the Rhino
This is the first time in East Africa a local community will take responsibility for the protection and management of the black rhino, signaling “a mind shift in Kenya’s conservation efforts,” a press release from Lewa announced:
This pioneering move demonstrates the Government of Kenya’s confidence in the local community, and fulfills the promise to support community-based conservation initiatives as provided for by the new Wildlife Act, 2013.
A lot of people had to come together to right the wrong done to these animals. We thank them for being heroes for rhinos.
Learn how you can be a rhino hero here.
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