Ol Jogi Ranch, a wildlife conservancy in Kenya, sits at ground zero for what conservation manager Jamie Gaymer describes literally as a war. As organized crime syndicates and poachers have decimated populations of some of the world’s most endangered animals — particularly Eastern Black Rhinos — conservationists have had to take extreme measures, such as creating their own private army to protect the animals.
Mei Mei, an orphaned baby Black Rhino. Photo by Scott Sporleder.
This Ranch Is Fighting Poachers on the Frontlines to Save Kenya's Eastern Black Rhinos
As Gaymer explains, “It’s important to educate people on the importance of having wildlife, both for the country’s economy but also for future generations. It’s our obligation to ensure that other species do not go instinct.”
Ol Jogi is a 58,000-acre wildlife conservancy in Kenya. Their education mission brings in Kenyans who can witness wildlife species being cared for in their Wildlife Rescue Center. One recent star was an orphaned baby Black Rhino named Meime who was born in 2016 and found by rangers stumbling around the park, blind in both eyes.
Meimei was cared for over 5 months, fed special formula, and given special eye drops, eventually leading to a full recovery of her eyesight. She later began to forage again on her own, and Ol Jogi’s wildlife rescue and rehabilitation team will eventually release her back to the wild. To learn more about what you can do to help support wildlife conservation in Kenya, please visit Ol Jogi. 