Kenya’s black rhino population has made an extraordinary recovery, rising from just 384 individuals in the late 1980s to 1,059 today. This resurgence is a testament to decades of strategic national conservation efforts, underpinned by robust scientific research and policy support. The Institute has played a pivotal role in this journey, providing critical data that...Read More

In a bid to understand elephant populations’ numbers and distribution in the country’s forested ecosystems, the Institute, on May 28, 2025 embarked on the Mau Forest Complex and Shimba Hills elephant survey which applied the total line-transect dung count.  This approach estimates elephant population size by counting dung piles, while factoring in additional two key...Read More

TheInstitute, in collaboration with the University of Helsinki has released a new publication titled: Addressing Human-Elephant Conflicts in Taita Taveta County, Kenya: Integrating Species Distribution Modeling into Targeted Conservation Strategies. With nearly 70% of Kenya’s wildlife living outside protected areas, competition between people and wildlife over land and resources continues to intensify. Human-elephant conflict is...Read More

As part of the Institute’s strategic goal to strengthen collaboration, the Institute, on May 16th, 2025 hosted a delegation from the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC), led by Dr. Robert Aruho, Head of the Conservancy. The meeting focused on exploring potential areas of collaboration in wildlife research and training. The Institute’s Director, Dr. Patrick Omondi,...Read More

By Koech Gilbert Following the refurbishment of a modern research centre, major challenges facing wildlife within the Mara ecosystem will be addressed. Located in Narok County, South Western Kenya, Mara ecosystem is part of the greater Mara Serengeti Ecosystem. It comprises the Maasai Mara National Reserve (1,510 Km2), Community Conservancies and wildlife dispersal areas. Wildlife...Read More

In a significant step towards enhancing research and capacity-building efforts in the wildlife sector, the Institute signed a Framework of Collaboration with African Conservation Centre (ACC). The agreement was signed by Director, Dr. Patrick Omondi, and ACC Executive Director, Lucy Waruingi, marking a great move, that will see the two Institutions strengthening joint efforts in...Read More

On February 18, 2025, the Institute’s Director Dr. Patrick Omondi officially opened the Interventions in Wild Animal Health (IWAH) field course training at the Institute’s headquarters in Naivasha. The three-week training was organized by the Wildlife Health Bridge consortium, which includes the Zoological Society of London, the Wildlife Institute of India, the University of Edinburgh...Read More

In a bid to boost research efforts, on February 28, 2025, the Institute’s Maasai Mara Research Centre located at the Maasai Mara National Reserve was officially commissioned in the by Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, Principal Secretary State Department for Wildlife, Silvia Museia  and Narok Governor H.E. Patrick Ole Ntutu.  The centre aims to advance scientific...Read More

NAIROBI, March 22 (Xinhua) — Kenya has implemented robust measures to uphold green and sustainability principles during the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally, currently underway in the resort town of Naivasha, an official said Saturday. Patrick Omondi, director and chief executive officer of the Kenya Wildlife Research and Training Institute, said guardrails have...Read More

MARCH, Kenya, Mar 23 – The government has stepped up all the obligations on environmental sustainability plan to mitigate negative impact on the environment during and after the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally. Kenya Wildlife Research and Training Institute Director General, Dr. Patrick Omondi, says the government is placing emphasis on environmental care to...Read More