Protecting Black Rhinos in Tsavo West National Park

Historically, more black rhinos were found in Tsavo than anywhere else in the world, but aggressive poaching during the 1970s and 1980s reduced their number to less than 20 individuals. The founding of the Tsavo West National Park Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary (NRS) and the Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) resulted in an increase in the rhino population, so much so that they have reached their carrying capacity in the sanctuary. The IPZ has been identified as the most viable area to recover rhinos in Kenya and help the Kenyan government achieve its goal of 2,000 individuals in the wild by 2050. With RRF funding, Tsavo Trust’s main focus is on growing the rhino numbers in TWNP through boosting security and monitoring outside the sanctuary in anticipation of rhino releases. To achieve this, the Tsavo West IPZ needs to be at a level where Kenya Wildlife Service is confident to further populate the IPZ with translocated rhinos from the NRS, and this project will provide additional support to get there.