Mutara and Ol Pejeta partner to protect rhino, grow income

Government-owned Mutara Conservancy and the not-for-profit Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy have announced plans to partner and create more space for black rhinos to thrive.

Mr Richard Vigne, the chief executive of Ol Pejeta, said the partnership was aimed at securing more land with lush pastures and water to meet the growing population of black rhinos while ensuring security for tourists.

“As the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, we are rapidly reaching our carrying capacity and hence the need to create linkages with similar-minded conservancies to meet these needs — more revenue from tourism and a thriving wildlife population,” said Mr Vigne.

Ol Pejeta sits on 90,000 acres of land while Mutara is set up on 20,000 acres. The managers also agreed to use their resources to enhance propagation of indigenous Zebu and Borana cattle breeds.

The private-public sector partnership will maximise productivity of the land while conserving wildlife, Mr Vigne said. The two conservancies are home to many species of wildlife among them elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, giraffes, antelopes, zebras and wild dogs.

Mutara will also benefit from tourism and conservation ventures after the Monarch Group set up the luxury Jambo Mutara Camp-Laikipia on the property.

“Integrated to Ol Pejeta and linked through wildlife corridors, migratory species such as wild dogs and elephants will be permitted to roam across Mutara Conservancy at will.

‘‘This will also create more space for Ol Pejeta’s expanding black rhino population in support of the rhino propagation programme,’’ said Mr Vigne.

Ol Pejeta’s mission is to raise revenue through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprise for reinvestment in conservation and community development ventures.

Mutara is run by the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), a government parastatal.

The pact also allows guests living at Jambo Mutara Camp to have unfettered access to Ol Pejeta.