New Rhino sanctuary in Aberdare revives hope for Black Rhinos

Amid the dense montane forest, Steep valleys, and mist-draped hills in the Aberdare salient, a quiet yet ground-breaking conservation project is taking shape.

Workers are racing against time to complete a 40 square kilometre Black Rhino sanctuary, an ambitious initiative spearheaded by Rhino Ark in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Once finalised, the sanctuary will mark a significant milestone in the country's ongoing efforts to protect the critically endangered Black Rhinos, one of the most threatened species.

Statistics from the National Wildlife census 2021 show that the Black Rhino Population stood at 897 individuals, a hopeful rise from 853 the previous year.

Although this growth is promising, the black Rhinos remain critically endangered, constantly threatened by habitat loss and poaching.

"In partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service, we are jointly establishing the 40-square-kilometre black rhino sanctuary. Already, 19 km of perimeter rhino fencing has been completed, along with supporting security infrastructure", said Christian Lambrechts, the executive Director of Rhino Ark.

According to Christian, the sanctuary is set to host its first rhinos in the coming months through a carefully planned translocation process.

"The first translocation of rhinos is expected in the coming months, marking a major step in endangered species recovery efforts, " said Christian.

The sanctuary is fortified not only with solar-powered electric fencing but with a pioneering technology that reflects a growing convergence between conservation and science.

In collaboration with IT Revolutions, an Australian-based tech firm, Rhino Ark is integrating artificial intelligence AI into wildlife protection

One of the biggest Challenges in the Aberdare salient is an unusually high population of spotted Hyenas, a natural predator of young Rhinos.

"One of the threats to endangered wildlife species in the Salient is the presence of a very large population of spotted hyenas. To mitigate the risk of hyenas preying on black rhino calves, which could undermine the success of the sanctuary, IT-Revolutions has developed an AI-based hyena detection system to be placed on each of the six corridors connecting the sanctuary with the rest of the Aberdare, "said Christian

According to Christian, once a hyena is detected coming near a corridor, the system will trigger an ultrasonic beam to deter the hyena.

"The system is still in the experimental stage, but has the potential to control hyenas' intrusion in the sanctuary. In addition, a network of sensors has been installed to monitor in real time key features of the sanctuary, including fence voltage and water level in the river, among others", he said.

Christian says this is part of Rhino Ark's continuous commitment to develop and implement new solutions to address challenges in the management of Kenya's montane forests and its wildlife.

The Cost of this AI technology is estimated at USD 65,000 a generously donated to Rhino Ark IT Revolutions.

"A big thank you to David Salzgeber, CEO of IT-Revolutions and his team, who invested much time in developing this technology and donated it to Rhino Ark.. A donation worth USD 65,000, he said.

As the fences rise and the first Rhinos prepare to take their steps into this carefully protected landscape, there is a sense of cautious optimism.

"Conservation is not static, it must evolve with the challenges we face, we must protect our wildlife jealously, "said Christian.