Where to see rhinos in Kenya : Good news concerning rhinos is hard to come by in these turbulent times; poaching has resurfaced and these animals, which date back to the prehistoric era, appear to be in grave danger. Although there is a risk, rhinos are still rather common, and Kenya is still one of the best safari destinations on Earth to see both black and white rhinos.
Particularly moving is the tale of the black rhino, which is sometimes referred to as Kenya’s native rhino. The number of black rhinos in Kenya decreased from an estimated 20,000 by the end of the 1980s to barely 300 due to poaching conflicts during the 1970s and 1980s. After decades of strong conservation efforts, those numbers gradually increased, and the most recent rhino census conducted in Kenya in 2014 revealed that there were approximately 620 black rhinos remaining in the country’s wild. This represents over 90% of the remaining eastern black rhino subspecies and roughly half of all black rhinos that are still found in the wild.
There are believed to be 350 or so white rhinos in Kenya, having been introduced as part of successful conservation efforts to rescue the species in South Africa. Below is a list of national parks where to see rhinos in Kenya.
Nairobi National Park.
Nairobi National Park, which is located on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital to the southwest, is the most apparent site to start your search for rhinos. The park is known as Kifaru (Rhino) Ark because of its accomplishments in breeding and safeguarding black rhinos, which have led to the presence of over 50 black rhinos living at densities that are unparalleled in Africa. If you want an odd picture of a rhino snuffling across the savannah with the skyscrapers of Nairobi in the background, this is the place to go.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
The 75,000-acre Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a fantastic spot to watch rhinos since it is a hybrid of the national park and the private conservancies that are a hallmark of central Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau. Sightings of Kenya’s largest population of black rhinos, Ol Pejeta’s, are virtually certain, numbering one hundred. Visit the Endangered Species Boma, a 700-acre enclosure that is home to three of the last six northern white rhinos left in the world, including Sudan, the sole surviving breeding male. This enclosure is in addition to the rhinos that roam freely.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
One of the key reasons rhinos are still found in Kenya is Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which is located just north of the Laikipia protection zone but is still very much a part of the same ecosystem. The Craig family, who own Lewa, and famous rhino conservationist Anna Merz pioneered the practice of reserving private land for conservation and combining it with upscale tourist back in the 1980s. At Lewa, there were 72 black rhinos and an estimated 62 white rhinos by 2015.
Approximately 20 rhinos that were grown at the conservancy were relocated to help boost rhino populations in other parts of the nation. To access the conservancy, you must be a guest at one of Lewa’s upscale lodges; yet, because there are no limits on the vehicles’ travel routes, this is the closest you’ll ever get to a rhino. Even better, you may visit Lewa’s Orphan Rhino project and experience it yourself, just like Sir David Attenborough did in the BBC’s Africa series conclusion.
Borana Wildlife Conservancy.
A historic deal to tear down the barriers between the affluent Borana from the adjacent Lewa Wildlife Conservancy was struck in 2014. With its own significant population of rhinos now free to breed with the well-known rhinos of Lewa to generate a combined black rhino population of about 90, Borana’s 35,000 acres of perfect rhino habitat are now a part of one of the most significant rhino sanctuaries in the world.
Run by the local Maasai community, Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, off Lewa’s north-western border, has small but substantial numbers of both black and white rhinos. Because Il Ngwesi sees fewer tourists than Lewa or Borana, encounters with rhinos are typically more personal.
Tsavo West National Park.
Few conventional national parks are as crucial to rhino protection as the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, which is located deep within the Tsavo West National Park in southeast Kenya. Within a 90-square-kilometer area of the park that is gated off, there are 78 black rhinos. Although it can be difficult to spot them among the thick vegetation, it is nevertheless worthwhile to keep trying to spot them. Rhino Valley, which passes through the centre of the park, is home to rhinos that have been released from the sanctuary and into the larger area.
Lake Nakuru National Park.
Situated in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru is a renowned park that offers dependable views of the parks around 60 black and white rhinos. One of Kenya’s smaller parks, it gets its name from the lake that it surrounds, where rhinos especially white rhinos are frequently spotted.
Meru National Park.
The poaching massacres that decimated Kenya’s rhino population in the 1980s had their epicenter in this region on the country’s east coast. However, rhinos from Lake Nakuru have been added to Meru national park’s 48 square kilometre, well-guarded Rhino Sanctuary. It’s still a great spot to watch rhinos in the wild, with about 25 black and 55 white rhinos.
Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Although the annual migration of millions of wildebeest and its populations of big cats are the main draws of the Maasai Mara, a few resident black rhinos enhance the overall experience of visiting this area.
Aberdare National Park.
A black rhinoceros clings to the heavily forested hills of Aberdare National Park, high in Kenya’s Central Highlands. Because of the thick undergrowth, finding a rhino may become a terrifying game of hide-and-seek where you have to be prepared to escape at any time in case a raging rhino bursts through the bush.
Solio Game Reserve.
Another key figure in Kenya’s rhino conservation story is Solio Ranch, Kenya’s oldest rhino sanctuary located 22 km north of Nyeri, where a large number of the rhinos seen around the nation originate. Sightings are a gratifyingly simple idea here because of the expansive, open horizons. With 22% of all rhinos in Kenya, Solio likely has the highest rhino density per square kilometre in all of wild Africa. There are often up to 50 rhinoceros on a single plain, making it by far the greatest and easiest site to watch rhinos.
Ruma National Park.
Situated in the remote western region of Kenya, near the shores of Lake Victoria, Ruma National Park spans a mere 120 square kilometres, yet it harbors significant rarities such as Rothschild’s giraffe, roan antelope, and about thirty rhinoceros, both black and white.
In summary, the above are the national parks where to see rhinos in Kenya.
