Expanded rhino sanctuary officially opens in Kenya

Kenya has officially opened an expanded Tsavo West Rhino Sanctuary, which now covers more than 1,235 square miles and representing what the Kenya Wildlife Service says is the world's largest sanctuary dedicated to rhino conservation.

Tsavo West National Park is located in southeastern Kenya, roughly halfway between Nairobi and Mombasa, forming part of the country's largest conservation landscape. President William Ruto formally opened the sanctuary early this month, describing the expansion as a strategic national investment combining wildlife protection, climate action, and sustainable development.

The enlarged sanctuary includes the former 35-square-mile Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, which had exceeded its ecological carrying capacity. The expanded space consolidates 150 black rhinos from the former Ngulia Sanctuary with 50 from the Tsavo West Intensive Protection Zone, creating a founder population of 200 animals, the largest intact black rhino population in Kenya.

Tourism and Wildlife cabinet secretary Rebecca Miano said the sanctuary will not only promote species recovery but also increase community benefit sharing and tourism opportunities within the region. The project aims to boost the annual black rhino population growth rate from 5% to 8%, with plans to generate more than $45 million in tourism and conservation revenue by 2030.