Meru’s rhinos help restore populations in Loisaba Conservancy: A conservation success story

In a powerful testament to long-term conservation efforts, rhinos from Meru National Park, home to Born Free’s adopted rhino family, will now be helping to strengthen rhino numbers hundreds of miles away in Laikipia. 

As part of a collaborative effort led by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and supported by Loisaba Conservancy, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and Sharjah Safari, ten southern white rhinos were successfully relocated to Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia. Notably, four of these rhinos came from Meru, which has been a stronghold for rhino conservation thanks to Born Free’s ongoing support.

This milestone highlights the success of Meru’s rhino conservation program, which has nurtured healthy, thriving rhinos that can now contribute to national recovery efforts.

When Born Free first started supporting rhino conservation in Meru in 2014, there were just 1,047 rhinos in the whole of Kenya. Today, this number has risen to 1,977: 1,004 black rhinos, and 973 white rhinos.

Classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, populations of white rhinos are decreasing globally. This initiative to boost the population in Loisaba Conservancy will help strengthen Kenya’s position as a stronghold for rhinos, with the one of the largest rhino populations in Africa.

Born Free celebrates this achievement as a shared victory for conservation. Supporters can take pride in knowing that their contributions have helped build a resilient rhino population in Meru, one strong enough to assist in restoring populations elsewhere.