In a landmark conservation effort, Kenya has announced the translocation of 21 critically endangered eastern black rhinos from the congested Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County to the newly established Segera Rhino Sanctuary within the same county.

Ol Pejeta, home to 175 black rhinos, had reached its ecological carrying capacity, risking resource strain and territorial conflicts.

Overseen by Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, the operation, described as one of the largest single rhino translocations in the country’s history, was a collaborative effort led by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Segera Wildlife Sanctuary, with support from conservation partners.

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“The translocation of the 21 black rhinos to Segera Conservancy is more than a conservation milestone. It shows Kenya’s strong commitment to protecting one of the world’s most iconic and critically endangered animals,” Miano said at a ceremony in Ol Pejeta.

The 50,000-acre Segera Rhino Sanctuary, set to expand to 250,000 acres, is expected to offer a secure and ecologically rich habitat to support the animals’ survival, breeding and growth.

CS Miano praised the initiative as core to the government’s goal of achieving a 5% annual growth rate in the black rhino population, as outlined in the National Black Rhino Action Plan 2022–2026, which aims to increase their population to 2,000 by 2037.

Kenya is home to 80% of Africa’s eastern black rhinos, with numbers rising from 384 in 1989 to 1,059 last year, alongside 1,041 southern white rhinos and the world’s last two northern white rhinos.

Despite this progress, poaching, habitat loss and overcrowding continue to threaten their survival.

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