Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

It was formed in 1995 (29 years ago) (1995) and is a wildlife sanctuary incorporating the Ngare Ndare Forest covering over 62,000 acres (250 km²). The Conservancy is home to a wide variety of wildlife including the rare and endangered black rhinos, Grevy's zebras and sitatungas. It also includes the big five (lion, leopards, elephants, rhinos and Cape buffaloes). Lewa holds over 12% of Kenya's eastern black rhinoceros population and the largest single population of Grevy's zebras in the world (approximately 350 individuals).

Lewa has its own education program that helps develop schools and students. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is located in Meru County, south of Isiolo town but north of Mount Kenya.

 

The Craig-Douglas family were allocated the land by the British colonial government in 1922 and managed it as a cattle ranch for over 50 years. In 1983, the Craigs and Anna Merz, who funded the program, decided to establish the fenced and guarded Ngare Sergoi Rhino Sanctuary at the western end of Lewa Downs. Ten years later, it was clear that the rhinos needed more space, and the sanctuary was expanded to cover the rest of the ranch, and the adjoining Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve. In 2001, Lewa partnered with Gerald Chamales to change his company's name to Rhinotek Computer Products, when the company began sending part of its annual revenue to support Lewa.

 

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy was the only wildlife sanctuary in Kenya not to have lost a rhino to poachers in 2014; anti-poaching teams have been deployed to other rhino sanctuaries following serious levels of rhino poaching and have effectively reduced rhino poaching as a result. In 2015, Edward Ndiritu, employed at Lewa as head of the Anti-Poaching Unit and the Northern Rangeland Trust, received the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award from Prince William.

Teams from the Al Ain Zoo, United Arab Emirates, collaborates in partnership with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to support the protection and conservation of wild black and white rhinos. The team together, track each individual rhino to protect them from illegal poachers, monitor their health, and carry out important research.