Protecting the Black Rhino by Empowering Women Rangers in Kenya
- Nature Conservation
- Protected Lands
- Wildlife Connectivity
- Land Corridors
- Women
- Education & Awareness
- Mammal Assemblages
- Biodiversity
- Daughters for Earth
- Sub-Saharan Afrotropics
- Afrotropics Realm
| Bioregion | Lake Turkana-Sudd Grasslands, Bushlands & Forests (AT21) |
| Category | Nature Conservation Our project categories represent one of three core solutions pathways to solving climate change. Energy Transition focuses on renewable energy access and energy efficiency. Nature Conservation includes wildlife habitat protection and ecosystem restoration, as well as Indigenous land rights. Regenerative Agriculture supports farmers, ranchers, and community agriculture. |
| Realm | Afrotropics The Project Marketplace is organized by the major terrestrial realms divided into 14 biogeographical regions – N. America, Subarctic America, C. America, S. America, Afrotropics, Indomalaya, Australasia, Oceania, Antarctica, and the Palearctic realm, which coincides with Eurasia and is divided into Subarctic, Western, Central, Eastern, and Southern regions. |
| Partner | ZEITZ foundation |
The One Earth Project Marketplace funds on-the-ground climate solutions that are key to solving the climate crisis through three pillars of collective action — renewable energy, nature conservation, and regenerative agriculture. This project aims to protect the critically endangered black rhino by training local women as wildlife rangers.
The African black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) has encountered considerable threats over the years, such as habitat loss, climate change effects, and poaching for its horn. The population decline has been drastic, with Kenya's estimated 20,000 black rhinos in the 1970s plummeting to fewer than 400 by 1984.
Although progress has been made, with Kenya's black rhino population nearly doubling for the first time in 20 years, much work remains to safeguard this critically endangered species.
Image credit: Courtesy of ZEITZ Foundation. Photographed by Crookes
Creating a Rhino Sanctuary Guarded by Women Rangers
The ZEITZ Foundation, situated at the Segera Conservancy in Kenya, is working to establish a sanctuary to expand the black rhino's range and enhance connectivity efforts. This project will support the all-women ranger unit in securing the sanctuary and protecting the rhinos.
The project's primary objectives include empowering at least ten local women as rangers, securing 20,000 acres for black rhino conservation by the end of 2024, and protecting a minimum of 25 rhinos in the sanctuary by 2030.
Image credit: Courtesy of Brian Siambi
Promoting Gender Equity and Women's Leadership
Founded in 2008, the ZEITZ Foundation adheres to a holistic "4C" philosophy that balances conservation, community, culture, and commerce. The foundation understands that conservation initiatives involve not only safeguarding wildlife but also empowering people.
As one of the first all-women anti-poaching ranger units, this project is entirely led and operated by women. It will promote gender equity in the local pastoral community and shift mindsets regarding women's leadership.
Image credit: Courtesy of Brian Siambi
Fostering a More Sustainable Africa for All
Protecting the black rhino extends beyond conservation; it also addresses climate change. As essential grazers, black rhinos consume vast amounts of vegetation, helping shape the African landscape.
Their conservation will also protect other species dependent on the same habitat. By guarding the black rhino, the ZEITZ team and rangers contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem and help mitigate climate change impacts.
The vision of success encompasses an increasing rhino population, enhanced well-being for the women rangers and their beneficiaries, and a more sustainable Kenya for all.
Image credit: Courtesy of Brian Siambi