Road to recovery – Twenty-one black rhinos relocated to new home

Black rhinos are solitary creatures by nature and need space in which to breed. Currently Kenya’s 16 rhino sanctuaries are victims of their own success, and some no longer have the carrying capacity to accommodate the growing numbers of resident rhinos.

Overcrowding can have lethal consequences. One of the main causes of rhino mortality in recent years has been territorial fights between males in existing sanctuaries. Competition for space also inhibits breeding activity and prevents the kind of population growth that would occur in more natural, truly wild conditions.

The long-term future of this critically endangered subspecies will therefore hinge on re-establishing viable breeding populations in some of its former strongholds across Kenya and the rest of East Africa.

How many rhinos are enough?

Collective action on the part of the Kenyan government, local communities and conservation partners including Fauna & Flora and Ol Pejeta has already had a positive impact on the eastern black rhino population, which has more than doubled since the mid-1980s and now stands at 1,004 individuals. However, the national action plan for black rhinos has a target of 2,000 individuals, which is considered the minimum for a sustainable population.

Kenya’s recent success is down to a combination of government policy and global partnerships with conservation organisations and donors whose collective efforts have reversed the decline of one of Africa’s most iconic animals. In particular, increased security and successful prosecutions of poachers have also helped to stem the tide.