Solio’s part in Kenya’s Rhinoceros Recovery

By Safina Center Fellow Alex Chege

Two young white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) siblings forage together with their family. White rhinos are distinguished by their flat square lips, a feature that allows them to graze on savannah grasses. ©Alex Chege

In Africa, the Rhinoceros is a must-see mammal on safari. 150 years ago, the African plains were teeming with several hundred thousand of these prehistoric-looking animals, but today, spotting two or more of these in a single game drive is a lucky and elusive achievement. What can sometimes be a fortunate sighting is a bitter reminder that few of these animals still exist in the wild—being almost entirely confined to protected areas and sanctuaries.

Following the colonization of the African continent, these enormous, reclusive mammals were driven close to extinction in the 1900s. The rhino is regarded as a member of the African ‘Big Five’ - a moniker used to describe the five most dangerous and prized African mammals desired by trophy hunters to add to their collection. Nowadays the term ‘Big Five’ has faced criticism in Kenya for its root in an ideological system that placed monetary value and prestige in hunting its wildlife. Now we have embraced a new era that values wildlife and appreciates it as being an irreplaceable part of Africa’s heritage.

Black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) are distinguishable for their prehensile, hooked lips that enable them to browse on the leaves of bushes and shrubs. Pictured in Solio Ranch Game Reserve, Kenya. ©Alex Chege

In the 1970s Kenya’s population of White rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) and Black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) faced a catastrophic decline due to illegal poaching fueled by the ivory trade, and hunting from Indigenous communities of the Maasai that expressed civil dissatisfaction with national parks encroaching on traditional pastoralist land. In Kenya, the then fragmented populations of Black rhino (pictured above) dwindled from 15,000 nationwide to less than 1,500, with as few as 35 animals dwelling in expansive areas such as the Amboseli National Park bordering Tanzania. In a desperate but decisive attempt to save the critically endangered animals, Kenya’s conservationists translocated individuals to heavily protected sanctuaries where these giants could live free from human threats.

One such sanctuary, Solio Ranch Game Reserve was established from the generous donation of space that transformed a cattle ranch in Kenya’s Laikipia region into one of the most prominent and successful rhino sanctuaries in East Africa. In an area the size of 70 square miles and 110 miles from the capital Nairobi, Solio Ranch is teaming with both rhinoceros species.

When I visited Solio Ranch in July, I was astounded to see abundant herds of rhinos roaming in sprawling families evoking a scene reminiscent of the antelope grazing on the plains of Maasai Mara. In the late 1980s, Solio Ranch became the leading conservancy for the recruitment of rhinos given its exceptionally high birth rates at the time, which still continues today. The more suitable habitat and freedom from disturbance set the stage for most females to successfully rear and nurture their calves (pictured below). What started out as a collection of 43 rhinos in the 1980s is now Solio’s thriving population of over 200 individuals that enables the regular reintroduction of both rhino species to other protected areas and national parks all around the country.

A keen white rhino calf stands vigilant intending to protect its mother as she grazes. ©Alex Chege

Since its inception, over 160 individuals have been reintroduced to their historical range from Solio Ranch alone. The reserve's diligent rangers, strict anti-poaching measures, community involvement, and its dedication to rhino conservation through ecological management strategies have contributed massively to the recovery of these rhino species. Today Solio Ranch remains a haven for the survival and protection of these animals and serves as an international model for the conservation success of threatened and endangered megafauna.

Dense herds of white rhinos are a common sight at Solio Ranch, making it one of the most important sanctuaries for African rhinos. ©Alex Chege