Horses and gym upgrades as Mugie prepares for the rhinos’ return

In the far north-west of Laikipia, where the Plateau gives way to Kenya’s northern drylands, Mugie Conservancy stretches across ~50,000 acres of open grasslands and tangled acacia woodlands. Elephants move through its valleys, lions patrol the rocky ridges, and endangered Grévy’s zebras graze on the open plains. Today, it is one of Laikipia’s most important wildlife corridors, linking neighbouring conservancies and migratory routes across the wider ecosystem. 

Nearly a quarter of a century after its last indigenous black rhino had disappeared, Mugie’s history as a rhino custodian began in 2004. At the time, Kenya was still rebuilding from one of the worst wildlife catastrophes in its history. During the poaching crisis of the 1970s and 1980s, the country’s black rhino population collapsed from around 20,000 animals to fewer than 400. In response, Kenya developed an ambitious strategy built around smaller, heavily protected areas where rhinos could breed safely under intensive monitoring and security. 

Following the success of pioneering sanctuaries such as Solio and Lewa, the owners of Mugie Ranch dedicated 22,000 acres to create the Mugie Rhino Sanctuary. In July 2004, 20 black rhinos were translocated from Nairobi National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, and Solio Ranch to establish the population. The rhinos soon thrived here, where abundant browse, reliable water, and intensive protection created ideal breeding conditions and 19 births were recorded between 2004 and 2012. However, by the late 2000s, poaching syndicates were pushing further into northern Kenya as the illegal value of rhino horn surged internationally. In 2009, Mugie suffered its first major rhino poaching incident. Security was intensified immediately with ranger numbers increased, surveillance expanded, and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) deployed additional armed support teams into the area. 

Tragically, the pressure only mounted. Following a series of further poaching incidents throughout 2011 and 2012, Mugie and the KWS made the difficult decision to remove the 24 remaining rhinos to other conservation areas, including Ol Jogi Conservancy and Ruma National Park. In January 2012, the last black rhino, a mature bull born in 1976 known as Baraka, was captured and translocated. Once more, Mugie was without rhinos. 

Today, the Conservancy remains actively involved in Kenya’s national rhino recovery efforts. It is a part of the new Kenya Rhino Range Expansion initiative, and plans are underway to reintroduce black rhinos to Mugie by 2028. More than a decade after the last rhinos were dispersed, the landscape is once again preparing for their return. 

Getting a landscape “rhino ready”, however, begins long before the animals arrive. It requires infrastructure, security, monitoring capabilities and, perhaps, most importantly, ranger teams capable of covering vast and often difficult terrain day-in, day-out. Support from ForRangers has focused on strengthening exactly that. One grant has funded the purchase of a dedicated ranger gym. While this may seem like a modest intervention amidst the grand scale of rhino conservation, the physical demands placed on rangers in landscapes like Mugie are immense. Patrols regularly cover rough ground, steep escarpments, river crossings, and long distances in extreme heat. Rangers love a well-stocked gym in which to work out, and having facilities like this encourages them to maintain and improve their fitness, which is so central to their wellbeing and operational effectiveness. 

Since construction, Mugie’s rangers have become visibly fitter and stronger, and morning training sessions have become part of the daily rhythm of camp life. Just as importantly, the facility created a shared space that has strengthened morale and team cohesion. In conservation, where burnout and exhaustion are constant risks, these investments in wellbeing can have a significant impact. 

Alongside this, ForRangers has also supported the initiation of Mugie’s Mounted Patrol Unit, helping transform the way rangers move across the Conservancy. Mounted patrols have dramatically expanded the team’s reach, allowing scouts to travel between 20 and 30km per patrol compared to roughly 6 to 13km on foot. Areas that were once difficult to access can now be monitored more consistently. The horses have also changed the nature of patrol work itself. Rangers have noted that the wildlife appear calmer around mounted teams than vehicles, allowing rangers to observe more natural animal behaviour and gather better information from across the Conservancy. 

“The horses have completely changed how we patrol,” one mounted patrol unit member explained. “We cover more ground, reach places we never could before, and wildlife stays calmer around us. We now see what’s really happening across the Conservancy, not just along the roads.” 

ForRangers is privileged to be a part of the process of rebuilding Mugie’s capacity as a future rhino custodian. More than a decade after the last rhino departed, preparations for their return are no longer abstract plans. Across the Conservancy, from mounted patrols moving through remote valleys to rangers gathering before dawn for training sessions, that future is already beginning to take shape.