Research, reports and evidence

Rhino Ark Charitable Trust is a trust established in Kenya under the Trustee Act (Cap 167) and registered under the Non-Governmental Organisations Coordination Act, 1990. Its main objective is the preservation of Kenya’s mountain forests (water towers) and their rich biodiversity.

Main offices are at the Kenya Wildlife Service Headquarters Complex on Langata Road in Nairobi. There is a field office for the Aberdare / Mount Kenya ecosystems in Nyeri, and branch offices in the UK and USA.

Rhino Ark is a non-profit Kenyan conservation Trust formed in 1988 by conservationist Ken Kuhle to address a massive conservation crisis in Kenya’s Aberdare mountain forests. Rampant poaching of rhino and African elephant was at an all-time high, and adjacent farming communities faced constant wildlife raiding. The initial aim was to build and maintain a protective electric fence to contain wildlife within the national park and curb illegal logging and poaching.

Vision: ensure that humans are living in harmony with habitat and wildlife. Mission: assist the Government of Kenya in conserving Kenya’s water towers through effective, result-oriented programmes that involve and support adjacent local communities within a public/private partnership framework.

Electrified game-proof fences offer practical solutions to the dual challenge of protecting wildlife and forests from destruction, and keeping highly productive farmland safe from marauding wildlife. Expert studies, including Dr Thomas Butynski’s Aberdare fence placement study, confirmed the necessity of a physical barrier to reduce human-wildlife conflict while protecting habitats and biodiversity.

Rhino Ark fences stand seven feet above ground and descend three feet below it. Lower sections use tight-lock mesh to deter burrowing wildlife. Above ground, upright posts are hot-wired to prevent climbing animals. Animal grids are sited where fences traverse roads.

No. It is a psychological barrier. Energizers send well-controlled strong but short-lived pulses that do not cause bodily harm, but are sufficiently unpleasant to act as an effective deterrent.

Rhino Ark directly supports the community-based Bongo Surveillance Programme (BSP) through funding and logistical support of BSP team activities.

The Aberdare fence has cost approximately KSh 800 million (about US$ 8-10 million historically reported) to construct. Maintenance continues through forest-adjacent fence attendants and partner technical committees.

The Mount Kenya Electric Fence is planned at approximately 450 km to encircle over 2,700 sq km. As publicly reported, over 316 km have been built. Construction is carried out by members of forest-adjacent communities under KWS technical supervision.

The Mau Eburu Electric Fence protects Eburu Forest within the Mau Complex: about 43 km of electrified fence with corridor openings toward Lake Naivasha. The programme combines conflict reduction, community engagement and mountain bongo monitoring with partners including the Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo.