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The black rhinoceros or hook-lipped rhinoceros is a species of rhinoceros, native to eastern and southern Africa including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Although the rhinoceros is referred to as black, its colors vary from brown to grey. These species is now sometimes referred to as the  hook-lipped rhinoceros beacuse of  its pointed and prehensile upper lip, which it uses to grasp leaves and twigs when feeding (the white rhinoceros has square lips used for eating grass). The black rhinoceros can also be distinguished from the white rhinoceros by its size, smaller skull, and ears; and by the position of the head, which is held higher than the white rhinoceros, since the black rhinoceros is a browser and not a grazer.

Conservation status :

The black rhino is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to IUCN, black rhino population declined by a staggering 97.6% from 1960 to the 1990’s, primarily as a result of poaching. In 1993, there were estimated to be just 2,300 black rhino living in the wild, but thanks to conservation efforts across Kenya and southern Africa, populations have risen to over 5,000 today. In Kenya the population of black rhino has doubled for the first time in 35 years following conservation efforts.

In Kenya : 

The current black rhino numbers stands at 1000, according to report by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), two-fold increase from 350 in 1983 when the population was at its lowest in the country as a result of intense poaching. Kenya has the third largest population of rhinos at 1,200, after South Africa and Namibia. Kenya once had nearly 20,000 black rhinos. By the mid-1980s, fewer than 400 remained.

- Ol Pejeta Conservancy is home to the largest population in East and Central Africa.Ol Pejeta’s black rhino population has reached 183 individuals, including 23 calves born in 2025 (17 black rhinos and 6 southern white rhinos), one of the strongest growth surges they’ve ever recorded.

- In 2025, Nairobi National Park has a population of 126 black rhinos, making up the majority of the park's total rhino population of about 175. The park's black rhino population has recovered significantly but is now exceeding its ecological carrying capacity, leading to the consideration of translocation to other areas. 

- Lake Nakuru National Park has an estimated black rhino population of around 89 individuals, according to a 2022 report, although no more recent specific figure is available. 

- Solio Ranch has a population of over 200 black and white rhinos, with specific estimates for black rhinos being around 70, though the exact 2025 figure is not precisely specified.

- The black rhino population in Tsavo is estimated to be about 200 individuals, which is around 20% of Kenya's total black rhino population. These rhinos are found primarily within the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary and the surrounding Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) in Tsavo West National Park, a critical stronghold for the species. Recent efforts have focused on securing and expanding this habitat to support future growth. 

- The exact 2025 black rhino population for Aberdare National Park isn't publicly available, but conservation efforts are stabilizing the population, which remains small and faces challenges. While Kenya's overall black rhino population is over 1,000, with 853 identified in 2025, the specific number within Aberdare is part of ongoing monitoring in the park's Eastern Salient. Conservation is focused on security from poaching and habitat management.

- The black rhino population in the Masai Mara is estimated to be between 35 and 60 individuals, although these numbers can fluctuate as some rhinos cross the border into the Serengeti in Tanzania. Conservation efforts, including ear-notching, GPS tagging, and real-time monitoring, are ongoing to protect this critically endangered species.  

- Segera Rhino Sanctuary: Received 21 black rhinos (11 females and 10 males) in May 2025 as part of a government effort to create a new breeding population and establish Kenya's 18th black rhino sanctuary.

- In 2025, the Lewa-Borana Landscape has a black rhino population of approximately 130, with a total of 273 rhinos (130 black and 143 white) in the combined area. This figure is a success for conservation, as the population has grown from an initial 15 rhinos to the current number since 1983. The growth is attributed to successful conservation strategies and the birth of new calves. 

- In 2025, the black rhino population at Loisaba Conservancy grew to at least 23 rhinos, with the addition of two calves born in February 2025 and 21 rhinos that were translocated in early 2024 to establish a new breeding population.