As Kenya marks World Wildlife Day, conservationists warn that wildlife spaces are shrinking despite significant recovery efforts for threatened species. Climate change and human expansion are reducing natural habitats, increasing human-wildlife conflicts.
Wildlife corridors—land strips that connect separated habitats—offer a potential solution. These corridors allow animals to move freely, reducing conflicts with farmers and supporting population growth. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, located 260 kilometers (161 miles) north of Nairobi, has been expanding to link Mount Kenya’s forests to rangelands in the north.
Lewa’s elephant population has grown from 350 in 2014 to more than 450 in 2024, while rhino numbers have also increased. However, rising wildlife populations put additional strain on ecosystems, making habitat expansion essential.
“As conservationists, you have to be looking at these trends, relate them to climate change and human-wildlife conflicts, and think ahead,” said Dominic Maringa, Lewa’s head of conservation. “You think ahead, open new corridors, connect your conservancy with others.”
The Kenya Wildlife Service reports similar trends nationwide, with elephant numbers rising from 16,000 in the 1980s to nearly 37,000 today. But rapid urbanization and population growth—Kenya’s population has doubled since 1989—threaten these gains. Key migration routes, such as the Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem and Nairobi’s Kitengela corridor, face increasing pressure.
Authorities are urging conservancies and landowners to maintain open corridors, while translocation efforts move animals from crowded areas to less populated ones. Without such measures, experts warn that habitat loss could undermine Kenya’s conservation progress.