The conservancy says its black rhino population has exceeded the estimated carrying capacity of its habitat, while dry conditions and shrinking acacia woodlands threaten food availability.
NAIROBI, Kenya – Ol Pejeta Conservancy has raised concerns over the future of its black rhino population after reporting a decline of more than 80 per cent in whistling thorn acacia, a key food source for the endangered animals.
The decline is even more severe in the eastern section of the Laikipia-based conservancy, where the acacia population has dropped by more than 90 per cent.
The loss of the vegetation has raised concerns about the ability of the available habitat to sustain the growing number of black rhinos, particularly as dry weather and continued browsing put pressure on the remaining food sources.
Ol Pejeta estimates that its habitat can sustainably support about 120 black rhinos, but its population has grown beyond that threshold.
The Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) is currently conducting an assessment to establish the conservancy’s actual ecological carrying capacity and guide future conservation decisions.
Dry conditions worsen rhino food shortage
The decline in whistling thorn acacia has been accompanied by the spread of Euclea divinorum, a bush that is less suitable for black rhinos to feed on.
The conservancy says the changing vegetation balance has made it harder for the animals to access their preferred food.
Dry conditions have further complicated the situation. Ol Pejeta recorded 298.4 millimetres of rainfall between April and October 2026, compared with an average of 528.8 millimetres over the same period between 2020 and 2025.
The rainfall recorded this year was therefore about 56 per cent of the historical average for the period.
According to board chairman Philip Coulson, the conservancy has started restoring degraded feeding areas while providing additional support to vulnerable animals.
Ol Pejeta has established an exclusion zone to allow acacia trees to regenerate without continued browsing pressure and planted more than 10,000 seedlings.
It is also providing supplementary food and veterinary care to rhinos requiring assistance, while monitoring their health and supporting research into their dietary requirements.
Ol Pejeta reports 17 rhino deaths
The habitat concerns come amid the deaths of 17 black rhinos at the conservancy between February 26 and November 12, 2026.
Five cases involved confirmed or suspected lion attacks, while other deaths were attributed to old age, disease, downer syndrome and drowning.
Three deaths remain unexplained, according to the conservancy.
Coulson said field teams were also investigating the status of two calves that had not been sighted recently.
Joint veterinary examinations conducted with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) reportedly found no evidence of poaching in the deaths.
The conservancy added that all recovered horns had been secured by the wildlife agency.
KWS and conservation partners explore relocation options
Ol Pejeta is working with KWS, WRTI and other conservation partners to identify suitable locations where some of its rhinos could be relocated.
The proposed relocations are intended to ease pressure on the existing habitat while ensuring that animals have access to adequate food and suitable living conditions.
The issue has also drawn attention from KWS, which recently held discussions with Ol Pejeta officials on measures to ease pressure on the conservancy’s rhino sanctuary and secure additional space for wildlife.
Ol Pejeta remains one of the country’s major black rhino conservation centres, but its latest warning underscores the ecological demands that come with a successful recovery programme.
