First black rhino to be born on community land in northern Kenya for over 25 years
Community conservation got a big win on March 11th when a black rhino named Naitamany, gave birth to a healthy calf. She was transferred from Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to the Sera Community Rhino Sanctuary in May 2015, as part of an initiative to reintroduce the endangered species to Samburu.
The Sera Rhino Sanctuary is a pioneering project as the first community-owned and operated black rhino sanctuary in East Africa and amongst only a few others across the continent, due to the strong collaboration between the Northern Rangelands Trust, Kenya Wildlife Service and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
According to SaveTheRhino.org, the number of African rhinos killed by poachers was at least 1,338 across Africa in 2015. Statistics were compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Species Survival Commission’s African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG).
Sera’s population is now at 11 with this new birth, with an additional 10 more rhinos expected in the next year through various translocations with other parks and reserves in Kenya.
This is great news for northern Kenya – but is also news to be celebrated by us all.
Every rhino counts.
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