Safeguarding Ol Pejeta's Rhino Populations

On October 10th, we had the pleasure of celebrating nine years without a single rhino being lost to poaching. That's nine years of rangers patrolling the ground, watching, listening and standing between these incredible animals and the threats that have pushed them towards the brink of extinction.  

The story of rhinos in Kenya is nothing short of remarkable. In the 1970s, Kenya was home to around 20,000 black rhinos. By 1987, poaching had brought that number down to less than 400. Today, Kenya is home to a growing population of more than 2,200 black and white rhinos, including the last two northern white rhinos, who are guarded by 24/7 armed guards. Across Kenya, there have now been five consecutive years without a recorded rhino poaching incident. These numbers are more than statistics on a page, they are lives saved, populations recovering, and a future that once seemed impossible.

For now,we celebrate every rhino still walking across the Kenyan landscape. We celebrate the rangers who work through the heat, the rain, and the darkness to keep them safe. We celebrate the vets, conservationists, and those working behind the scenes, and we celebrate everyone who has stood with us.

Nine years without poaching is not luck. It is the result of extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, day after day, year after year. There is still a long road ahead, and we can never afford to become complacent, but for now, we pause, we look at how far we have come and we feel proud.