In the 1960s and 1970s, Kenya was home to over 20,000 rhinos roaming freely across its vast parks. The black rhino, in particular, thrived in the national parks. But within two decades, this abundance collapsed into a desperate handful of survivors, victims of one of the most devastating wildlife declines in modern history.
The crash was swift and brutal. Driven by insatiable international demand for rhino horn, poaching syndicates launched a campaign of slaughter that spread across Africa and Asia and Kenya was not spared.
By the time Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) was established in 1989, the country’s rhino population had dropped to just 381 animals, an unimaginable loss from 20,000 to fewer than 400 in under 20 years.
Dr. Isaac Lekolool, Head of Veterinary and Capture Services at KWS, reflects on those grim years. “Before the Kenya Wildlife Service was established in 1989, there was lots of poaching. The poaching rate was quite high not only in Kenya, but all parts of the world that includes the southern parts of Africa and the Asian countries. With stronger enforcement, we have managed to bring that under control,” he explains.
The response that followed was as urgent as the crisis itself. Conservation authorities made a calculated move by fencing off small areas and concentrate the surviving rhinos where they could be guarded around the clock.
It was a nationwide emergency triage. “By 1990, when Kenya Wildlife Service came into action, we had slightly less than 400 rhinos within the country.,” Dr. Lekolool recalls.
Those isolated populations were placed into sanctuaries specifically designed to enable breeding under maximum security.
The strategy worked. Through intensive management, constant monitoring, and unwavering commitment, rhino numbers slowly recovered. “These small populations were placed into smaller sanctuaries to enable them to breed, and we have done very well,” Dr. Lekolool notes.
Today, Kenya has about 2,100 rhinos nationwide, with the black rhino population surpassing 1,000 in 2024. Rising from 381 individuals, it is one of conservation’s most remarkable improvements.
But success has introduced a new challenge. The very sanctuaries that saved the rhinos are now constraining future growth. “Most of our 2,100 rhinos are within small sanctuaries, and because of their size, we are seeing too many territorial fights. This is now reducing the breeding rate,” Dr. Lekolool explains.
Overcrowding is beginning to limit population expansion, threatening to stall Kenya’s conservation gains.
As a solution, instead of building more fences to small sanctuaries, Kenya is preparing to bring them down, opening the sanctuary into a bigger area. This is where the Kenya Rhino Range Expansion (KRRE) Initiative Comes in. It is a program aimed at extending rhino habitat from scattered sanctuaries into over 34,000 square kilometers of connected range.
“Two areas have been identified including the Central Kenya and the Tsavo ecosystem,” Dr. Lekolool says.
By Friday, the 10th day of the 15 days of the largest-ever rhino identification operation at Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary in Tsavo West National Park, 74 rhinos had been ear-notched and fitted with tracking devices. The exercise targets more than 100 black rhinos in the area.
This operation is the first critical step toward expanding Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary from its current 92 square kilometers to slightly over 3,000 square kilometers inside Tsavo West National Park.
“Today we are undertaking one of the key exercises that goes with the monitoring of rhinos countrywide. We are doing both ear notching and also fitting the rhinos with tracking devices,” Dr. Lekolool explains.
Each rhino receives unique notches for visual identification and LoRaWAN eartags with VHF transmitters for real-time tracking. He stated that, “We try to achieve at least 60% individual identification. This helps our security teams ensure that when we report rhino numbers, we are as accurate as possible.”
The 60 percent target is deliberate. He says that 100% cannot be done because immobilizing very young calves separates them from their mothers, putting them at risk.
Dr. Lekolool reveals that by the end of the year, the sanctuary fence will be down. “We want to remove the sanctuary fence as we expand it from 92 square kilometers to slightly over 3,000 square kilometers. By the end of the year, we want to see these rhinos freely roaming within Tsavo West as part of the Kenya Rhino Range Expansion Programme.”
Jamie Gaymer, CEO of the Kenya Rhino Range Expansion organization, emphasizes that the initiative goes beyond rhinos. “We are supporting KWS to achieve rhino conservation imperatives, particularly expanding their range. But it’s much bigger than rhinos. It’s about positive ecological and social outcomes,” he says.
His organization is constructing water pans and installing electric fencing to support the expansion in Tsavo West National Park.
He further stated that “We are also driving employment and investment into local economies, and we’re proud to be part of this intervention.”
The economic impact is significant. According to Professor Erustus Kanga, KWS Director General, the initiative is expected to create over 18,000 jobs by 2030, generate $45 million in local conservancy revenue, increase local sourcing by $17 million, and add $15 million annually in tax income. Conservation targets are equally ambitious with a vision of 2,000 rhinos by 2037 and 3,900 by 2050.
Behind the expansion lies detailed science and comprehensive care. “Most areas have mobile veterinary units that maintain close interaction with wildlife,” Dr. Lekolool explains. The service uses a “one health” approach in monitoring livestock, wildlife, and human health together. “We track diseases in livestock, wildlife, and nearby communities to ensure early detection.”
This surveillance extends to zoonotic threats. “If diseases appear in livestock or humans and are reported at dispensaries, we step in to confirm wildlife is not affected,” he adds. Teams conduct close surveillance to track any potential outbreaks.
The benefits reach far beyond wildlife. Local communities will gain employment, tourism infrastructure, and revenue-sharing opportunities. Tourism operators will access newly opened landscapes where rhinos roam free, creating high-value nature-based products.
For government, the program reinforces Kenya’s position as a global conservation leader while generating strong economic returns.
