With the birth of our 100th calf, the Lewa- Borana Landscape is now a Key 1 black rhino population, just the third in East Africa.

‘Key 1' rating is given by the IUCN’s African Rhino Specialist Group to identify significant populations that are stable, increasing and have achieved continental importance. We are optimistic about the future of this critically endangered species - we recorded ten rhino births last year and no mortalities.

Geoffrey Chege, Lewa's Head of Conservation and Wildlife, has steered various efforts in support of the black rhino's recovery on Lewa, Borana and beyond for the past 15 years. He says: "This has been a dream come true for us. We have steadily grown our rhino populations from 15 individuals in 1984 to the 100 black and 94 white rhinos we have today. Reaching the 'Key 1' milestone is a great motivation for our team."

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy covers 65,000 acres of pristine African wilderness. With dramatic views of snow-capped Mt Kenya to the south, and the arid lands of Tassia and Il Ngwesi to the north, Lewa showcases a range of wild habitats from highland forests, wide open grasslands, melt-water mountain springs and acacia woodland and supports over 440 bird species. More than 70 different animal species roam the vast grasslands at the foot of Mt Kenya.

Elewana Collection has two properties located in the Conservancy, Elewana Lewa Safari Camp and Elewana Kifaru House, which are the only two tourism properties owned by the Conservancy itself, with the aim of boosting the conservancy’s revenue through camp occupancy. All profits and conservancy fees generated by each camp are reinvested directly into the conservation and community efforts of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.