Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust
Humans in Harmony with Habitat and Wildlife
Rhino Ark works with communities in farmland around Kenya's mountain national parks to reduce human wildlife conflict and to make the villagers' lives better. Their projects include:
- Erecting environmentally friendly game proof electric fences to keep poachers out of the parks and wildlife out of farmers' fields.
- Re-establishing endangered species in the mountain forests of Kenya.
- Establishing an education programme for children in schools around the national parks and providing rainwater harvesting equipment.
- Giving communities better livelihoods by introducing forest friendly agro industries like bee keeping and limited grazing fodder collection.
- Designing methods of easing migration of wildlife, for example Rhino Ark have built the world's first automatic elephant gates and are establishing wildlife corridors through farmland between the parks.
- Establishing ranger patrols to stop snaring, illegal logging and charcoal burning in these mountain forests.
History
Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust was established in 1988 to save Kenya’s dwindling black rhino population in the Aberdare Forest and to protect adjacent communities from the dangers of human/wildlife conflict. The innovative approach used - building and maintaining game-proof electrified fences – has evolved into, and proven to be a highly effective blueprint for conservation of critical forest ecosystems.
To date, Rhino Ark has built over 750 kilometres of conservation fences.
Our long-term conservation approach integrates strong institutional partnerships, and engagement with local communities through conservation education and sustainable livelihoods. Rhino Ark has raised over £10.9 million while successfully implementing important wildlife and forest conservation programmes. We currently operate in five forest landscapes in Kenya, helping to conserve over 570,000 hectares of critical water catchments and threatened wildlife habitats in collaboration with government conservation agencies.
Rhino Ark UK, our sister charity in the UK, is an important part of our international support system.
