A ROLE MODEL FOR COMMUNITY-LED CONSERVATION

In northern Kenya’s Samburu County lies Sera Wildlife Conservancy, a vast stretch of wilderness where conservation and community are woven tightly together. Covering more than 840,000 acres of rocky hills, dry savannas, and freshwater springs, Sera is remarkable not only for its wildlife but for the people who own and manage it. The Samburu community has been the driving force here since 2001, building one of the clearest examples in Africa of what can be achieved when local people take the lead in safeguarding their heritage.

Sera’s reputation rests in large part on its rhino programme. Nowhere else in East Africa has a community taken on the responsibility of caring for these critically endangered animals in their own sanctuary. Ten black rhinos were brought back in 2015, and the numbers have steadily risen since, with calves born and not a single poaching loss recorded. In 2024 white rhinos joined the herd, a further sign of confidence in Sera’s management and the strength of the Samburu’s commitment. An ambitious experiment has become a proven success story, watched closely across the continent.

The story of Sera reaches beyond rhinos. Elephants, Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, lions, leopards, and countless other species move through its mosaic of habitats. Ancient rock art and sacred sites add a human depth to the landscape, reminding us that people have lived here for millennia. Conservation at Sera is not separate from daily life: it is part of how communities sustain themselves, create jobs, educate their children, and find ways to adapt to the pressures of climate change.

That said, the path has not always been easy. When major sources of outside funding collapsed in 2024, Sera faced its greatest test. Ranger teams went unpaid, patrols faltered, and the sanctuary itself was in jeopardy. It was a stark reminder that even the most successful community projects remain vulnerable without steady support. WildLandscapes and other partners stepped in to bridge the gap, covering urgent costs and helping restore stability. Since then, attention has turned to building resilience from within: professionalising financial systems, improving fundraising, and opening new avenues for tourism and carbon revenue. Slowly but surely, Sera is regaining its footing and charting a course towards greater independence.

Today, over a hundred Samburu men and women earn their livelihoods through the conservancy, from rangers trained to national standards to women running small businesses linked to beadwork and rangeland restoration. Thousands of children have received bursaries for schooling, and community-led grazing plans are helping to keep the land productive in the face of harsher droughts. The benefits are tangible, and they reinforce why this conservancy matters so deeply to the people who call it home.

Sera stands as a beacon of hope in a region too often overlooked, showing that conservation can thrive when trust, local knowledge, and long-term vision come together. Its rhinos are thriving, its people are leading, and its future, though still fragile, is one worth investing in. By supporting Sera, we help to safeguard not only an extraordinary landscape and its wildlife, but also the principle that those who live closest to the land are best placed to protect it.