Protecting wildlife is an expensive business. Convention has it that the cost of protecting wildlife habitat literally doubles with the presence of black rhino, such is the poaching pressure upon these animals. Currently it costs us approximately US$ 22 per acre (US$ 52 per hectare or US$ 5,100 per square kilometre) to secure the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. While we aim to develop the majority of this funding from our tourism operations, tourism is a “fickle” business and these revenue flows can be susceptible to periodic downturns. To that end we consistently work to develop donor funding and partnerships as a means to guarantee the security of our wildlife. Following are some of the methods we use to safeguard the Conservancy and our local communities:

1. Tracker Dogs and Aircraft: We currently have two Bloodhounds which act as major deterrents. These dogs are bred specially to follow human scent and are used to follow-up any incidents of insecurity. 95% of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy's dogs’ work is done in the surrounding communities. The Conservancy operates a Piper Subercub, a small, light aircraft. This is used predominantly for security surveillance, rhino monitoring and game counts across the Conservancy and surrounding wildlife areas.
2. Armed Teams: We currently operate 4, 4-man armed teams. These are self-sufficient, mobile teams able to spend extended periods of time in the field. These teams have been trained to operate day and night and to respond to incidents, not only within the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, but in conjunction with local authorities outside of the Conservancy. It is our intention that these teams will become Kenya Police Reservists (KPR) giving them the power to operate as policemen.
3. Rhino Patrols: As a side benefit to the intensive security for the threatened black rhino, we are also able to provide a blanket cover for all the tourist facilities, staff, infrastructure and other key species within the Conservancy. We currently work to a coverage rate of one rhino patrol team to 3,500 acres within the core conservation area. The patrol teams’ key objective is the monitoring of the black rhino in the form of data collection and security.
4. General Security: General security teams operate in areas outside the main conservation area. These areas still carry valuable concentrations of wildlife such as the endangered Jackson’s hartebeest. The monitoring of wildlife and the security of Ol Pejeta’s logistics teams, which operate within these areas, is essential.
5. Cattle Herders: The Wildlife & Security Department works in close collaboration with the Livestock Department in the monitoring and reporting of key species and incidents relating to security. As cattle herders are stationed in the field they provide eyes and ears and have proved extremely useful when it comes to the monitoring of black rhino.
6. Fence: The Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s fully electrified perimeter fence, not only demarcates the Conservancy’s boundary but also, importantly, prevents human-wildlife conflict. Through the prevention of human-wildlife conflict relations with communities have been strengthened. Another benefit of the fence is the huge reduction of incidents in cattle rustling. Historically, Ol Pejeta has been a transit point for cattle rustlers from the North. However, since the construction of the new electric fence, incidents have been reduced dramatically. Ol Pejeta currently has a fence attendant for every 7 kilometers of fence who conducts maintenance and provides security in the form of insurgence detection. The fence is monitored 24 hours with a response team based at the control offices to respond to any incidents at night.
7. Communities: The Ol Pejeta Conservancy works closely with surrounding communities on incidents related to insecurity through the provision of tracker dogs, transport and close relations with local authorities. This close working relationship with our communities, in return, provides security to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the form of information gathering and recruitment opportunities.

For more information on Ol Pejeta's Wildlife & Security Programme, please contact Batian Craig at wildlife@olpejetaconservancy.org.