Kenya Wildlife Service and the Zeitz Foundation Initiate Historic Rhino Translocation to Segera Conservancy

Associated Press

28-05-2025

The initiative aims to create one of the largest rhino sanctuaries globally, protecting endangered species while delivering sustainable community benefits.
SEGERA, KENYA, May 28, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- Kenya's Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano today presided over the launch of a groundbreaking rhino translocation exercise at the Segera Conservancy in Central Kenya. The project, a collaborative effort between the ZEITZ Foundation and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), will see 21 critically endangered eastern black rhinos moved to the 50,000-acre conservancy, marking a significant milestone in Kenya's wildlife conservation efforts.
More than a relocation effort, this is a visionary model for regeneration. It forms part of a broader plan to establish what will ultimately become one of the largest rhino sanctuaries in the world by connecting Segera to other conservation areas in the region.
Kenya is home to about 80 percent of the world's remaining eastern black rhinos. As of 2024, Kenya had 1,977 rhinos, made up of 1,004 eastern black rhinos, 971 southern white rhinos, and two critically endangered northern white rhinos.
Jochen Zeitz the founder of the ZEITZ Foundation and Segera says, 'We are so excited to be welcoming endangered Black Rhinos back to Segera. By giving these rhinos an expansive new home, we not only expect to see numbers increase significantly in coming years, but it also benefits communities while enhancing the biodiversity and landscapes of Central Kenya.' said Zeitz.
Restoring the Land, Empowering the People
Like all other projects by the ZEITZ Foundation, the translocation is expected to deliver tangible and sustainable benefits for land, wildlife, and rural communities. The establishment of Segera Rhino Sanctuary will serve as a linchpin in Kenya's Rhino Range Expansion plan, with Segera Conservancy being the central geographic connection between other rhino sanctuaries.
As community involvement remains central to the project's success, areas around Segera will benefit through employment, capacity building and increased conservation economies. The project also offers unique learning experiences for schools and communities on wildlife conservation and related opportunities.
Enhanced Security and Ecological Monitoring
The translocation process is expected to take approximately 18-21 days, during which the rhinos will be kept under close observation by KWS specialists to help them adapt to their new home. Enhanced security measures will protect not only the rhinos but also the broader biodiversity of the area and local communities around the conservancy.
Organizers have emphasized that existing land rights and boundaries will be respected and remain unaffected by the rhino translocation. Advanced ecological monitoring will also ensure sustainable habitat management and help mitigate Human Wildlife Conflict.
A Living Legacy of the 4Cs
Segera's role in this rewilding milestone reflects a long-term vision seeded by Jochen Zeitz, founder of the ZEITZ Foundation. In 2009, the Foundation developed The Long Run—a global community of nature-based businesses committed to achieving the highest levels of sustainability through a holistic balance of the 4Cs: Conservation, Community, Culture, and Commerce. Now an independent charity, The Long Run supports some of the world's most forward-thinking conservation and tourism initiatives, safeguarding over 21 million acres globally. As a founding Long Run Destination, Segera exemplifies this philosophy through efforts like wildlife conservation, women's empowerment, habitat restoration, and community development. In turn, this rhino relocation is more than a conservation success—but part of a larger story where tourism, nature, and local communities work in harmony to shape a sustainable future.
A Tourism Model That Regenerates
Aside from being a vital hub for the relocation project, Segera is also an award-winning eco-tourism destination where every guest stay directly supports the ecosystem and the communities who protect it. As a pioneer in regenerative tourism, Segera offers travelers a luxury safari experience grounded in purpose. Visitors are invited to take part in guided rewilding walks, learn about the 4C Philosophy, meet rangers and researchers, and explore how tourism revenue fuels long-term ecological and community resilience. Today, guests will also now have the rare opportunity to witness the return of critically endangered eastern black rhinos to their ancestral lands.
ABOUT SEGERA
Located in the heart of Laikipia, Kenya, Segera is a 50,000-acre wildlife conservancy and award-winning eco-tourism destination. As a hub for conservation, art, and culture, Segera blends luxury with purpose, offering guests transformative travel experiences that support wildlife protection, community empowerment, and the regeneration of East Africa's landscapes.
ABOUT THE ZEITZ FOUNDATION
Founded by Jochen Zeitz in 2008, the ZEITZ foundation promotes an innovative approach to sustainable ecosystem management which aims to achieve sustainability through a balance of Conservation, Community, Culture and Commerce (the 4Cs). Its vision is of an ecosphere – our planet and all of its life-sustaining regions – maintained in the healthiest possible state, with the major contribution to that health coming from people making sustainable choices.
The ZEITZ foundation's mission is to create and support ecologically and socially responsible projects to achieve long-lasting impact and sustainability through the 4Cs, delivering tangible and sustainable benefits for land, wildlife and rural communities.
Founded by the ZEITZ foundation in 2009, The Long Run is a membership organisation of nature-based tourism businesses that are committed to driving sustainability through the same holistic 4C philosophy. Now safeguarding over 21 million acres of nature in 22 different countries, touching the lives of 750,000 people and protecting over 30,000 plant and animal species, The Long Run has become the largest organisation of its kind worldwide.
ABOUT THE KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is a state corporation mandated to conserve and manage Kenya's wildlife, and to enforce relevant Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (WCMA, 2013) laws for the Kenyan people and the world.
There are a plethora of challenges facing wildlife and biodiversity conservation in Kenya, such as climate change, habitat degradation and loss, forest depletion, tourism market volatility, changing land use, human-wildlife conflict brought on by population growth, and wildlife crime.
KWS manages about 8 per cent of the total landmass of the country, which comprises 23 National Parks, 28 National Reserves and 4 National Sanctuaries. Also, under KWS management are 4 Marine National Parks and 6 Marine
Rachel Roth
Imagine PR
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