In a landmark conservation initiative, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Hon. Rebecca Miano, EGH, on Friday officially flagged off the translocation of 21 critically endangered eastern black rhinos from Ol Pejeta Conservancy to Segera Conservancy in Laikipia County.
Accompanied by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Board of Trustees Chairman Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Walter Raria Koipaton, KWS Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga, members of the KWS Board, and key conservation stakeholders, CS Miano described the move as “a bold step toward securing the future of one of the world’s rarest mammals.”
The 18-day operation will see three rhinos translocated at a time, with breaks between each phase to allow the animals to adjust to their new environment. Conducted under the watchful eye of experienced veterinary teams, the effort is carefully timed to coincide with May’s cool and dry conditions, which help minimize stress on the animals during transport.
The primary aim of the translocation is to ease population pressure in overstocked sanctuaries such as Ol Pejeta, Lewa, and Lake Nakuru, while establishing Segera as a new, secure breeding ground. Segera Conservancy is emerging as a promising conservation frontier, showcasing the potential of Northern Kenya’s rangelands.
“This is not just a rhino relocation; it’s a message to the world that extinction is not an option,” CS Miano said. “We are uniting public, private, and community efforts to ensure our rhinos not only survive—but thrive.”
The translocation is supported by the Zeitz Foundation, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and local community conservancies, reflecting a strong collaborative spirit in Kenya’s wildlife protection mission.
As rhino populations continue to face threats from habitat loss and poaching, such efforts underscore Kenya’s leadership in conservation and the power of partnerships in shaping a sustainable future for endangered species.
0 $type={facebook}:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.