Conservation Activites
Borana Conservancy spans 32,000 acres of pristine wilderness. The landscape is typical to the foothills of Mount Kenya and perfectly situated for wildlife, with suitable habitat for The Big Five, including rhino.
In 2013, a founding population of 21 Black Rhino were introduced. Once they were settled, Borana and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy were integrated to form one landscape; allowing the wildlife free reign over 92,000 acres of unspoilt African wilds. Together with Lewa, this ecosystem hosts a thriving community of over 250 rhino (both black and white), making this one of East Africa’s largest continuous rhino habitat and home to 14% of Kenya’s rhino population.
There are a range of conservation activities which guests of Borana Lodge are encouraged to take part in which give travellers a unique insight to the “behind the scenes” of conservation and how we take care of over nine highly endangered species who call Borana Conservancy home.
Borana Conservancy is proud to report zero poaching incidents in over nine years. This is in huge part due to the efforts of the team of male and female rangers who work tirelessly to keep Borana Conservancy and its wildlife safe. Guests are invited to accompany parts of this anti-poaching team on their daily activities, giving a true insight into life as a ranger.
Rhino Tracking
This is not your average bush walk, help with conservation on Borana by joining the team of scouts who track and account for all rhinos each morning, often encountering elephant, giraffe and other wildlife. The team must set out on foot from various locations across Borana to see and monitor each rhino on the Conservancy. By joining them on this venture, Borana Lodge guests are given the opportunity to learn more about the “behind the scenes” work that goes into the conservancy, how we track and identify rhino, and take the time to meet the team that keep the rhino safe.
RANGER Deployments
Each evening, armed members of the anti-poachoing unit are deployed to various vantage points across Borana Conservancy in order to survey and monitor the wildlife, the land and the perimeter. Guests can help by accompanying parts of the team out on these deployments and dropping them off where they will then spend the night. These rangers are out all night, every night, regardless of the weather or day of the year. This gives you the opportunity to learn about ranger training and the day to day lives of our anti-poaching team as well as spending time with the men and women on the front line of conservation.
Train Like a ranger
Participate in a one-of-a-kind fitness experience by joining the Borana Conservancy CrossFit sessions alongside our dedicated anti-poaching rangers. Challenge yourself physically while gaining an insight into the important conservation efforts as you train alongside these courageous individuals, giving you an insight into their world and fostering a deeper appreciation for their vital work in protecting wildlife.
Mazingira Yetu
In 2009, the Borana Education Support Programme (BESP) was founded to improve the lives of our neighbouring communities with access to higher education. The BESP provides support and bursaries for children at local schools, as well as salaries for teachers, upgrades to school infrastructure with the mission to create an appreciation for the surrounding wild landscapes and wildlife.
In 2022, the concept of ‘Mazingira Yetu’, or ‘our environment’ in Kiswahili, was born. Its goal is “to broaden, deepen and inspire understanding of conservation and its importance for the health of all those – human, faunal and floral – inhabiting the landscape”. The Centre is accompanied by The Mazingira Express, a modified school bus which gives local school children and community groups game drives across Borana Conservancy.
When visiting the Mazingira Centre you are given the opportunity to see conservation work in action, such as water storage, solar power, and tree nurseries. The focus of the centre and it’s curriculum is to teach visitors about the wider conservation issues on the Lewa-Borana Landscape, particularly land degradation and ecology, and pass the key messages on to their social circles, empowering the communities to take positive steps to protect the integrity of the ecosystem for years to come.
The centre not only acts as a learning envirnment but also a meeting place for women’s groups, local stakeholders and foreigners alike.
HEALTHCARE
The Borana Mobile Clinic is a remarkable initiative aimed at providing essential healthcare services to remote communities surrounding Borana Conservancy. The clinic, run out of a Land Rover, travels to ten locations on a two week rotation, reaching remote areas where people lack access to proper healthcare. Staffed by two nurses and a driver, the mobile clinic offers a range of services, including basic medical consultations, children’s inoculations, pre and postnatal counseling, family planning and health education.
For our interested guests we can arrange meetings with our nurses and visits to the clinic when it is at one of it’s stops.