Vipingo Ridge was designated as a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Wildlife Sanctuary in 2020.

This recognition includes a two year process to achieve our Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and for the Vipingo Ridge Wildlife team to be established.

In the four years since the ‘return home’ of a number of species the projects we are engaged in, including a very successful genetic diversity breeding programme of bloodlines of species from different human/wildlife conflict situations as designated by the KWS and monitored by the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI).

The ‘Making Space For Wildlife’ programme continues to grow. Here we share highlights of 2024 from our Wildlife Team. The experienced team consists of onsite Leaders, Rangers, Conservation Analysts and external consultants who have a number of key focus areas:

Key Wildlife Highlights in 2024

1. Wildlife Monitoring

The Rangers are an important part of our security team, supporting on animal management and the security duties. The team also undertake:

• Regular population surveys of key species.

• Daily patrols and monitoring.

• Veterinary visits every month.

2. Habitat Management

The work to rewild Vipingo Ridge has been ongoing for over 15 years. Thousands of native trees have been planted as part of creating important new habitats, particularly in areas of the former sisal farm.

• Reforestation and tree planting activities took place throughout the year, and during events such the National Tree Planting and World Environmental Day where native tree species were planted at a new site where we are creating a new indigenous forest.

• Waste management through waste collection during World Environmental Day and Mazingira Day at the Beach Club.

3. Training and Awareness Talks

We have had a very successful year training our team, focussing on the latest techniques and technology to do our conservation work better. We have also invested time educating the local community, aiming to spread awareness of protecting wildlife and the environment.

• International Day for Occupational Safety and Health-Awareness for the team.

• Basic First aid training and Basic Fire training.

• New technology training using the the EarthRanger software.

• Customer Service week training by Absa Bank, helping us align our conservation efforts with eco-tourism activities.

• Snake Awareness Training for the Ranger.

4. Eco tourism activitie

We offer a number of ways for the visitors to Vipingo Ridge to explore

• The new ‘Walk with Rangers’ activity which involved over 100 tourists booking and experiencing Vipingo Ridge on foot with a Ranger.

• We offered ‘Classic game drives’ to guests with a Ranger and a Driver provided to explore the Ridge. Over 90 guests experienced this activity.

• We also introduced a Bird-watching activity and in the final quarter of 2024 we introduced an e-Bike tour with the Rangers. A way to explore the Ridge on an electric bike, led by a Ranger.

5. Educational Trips

In 2024 we increased our activities to support the next generation of conservationists. We hosted a number of school trips, creating a fun and educational programme, tailored to suit different age groups.

6. Wildlife Population Growth

As part of our commitment to blend bloodlines and improve genetic diversity, we monitor and assess the breeding cycles and behaviours of the rescued animals at Vipingo Ridge.

• Increase in the populations of the species within the sanctuary from 191 individuals at the start of 2024 and reached 242 animals by December.

• Increased birth rate of newborns reaching 57 by 18th December.

7. Conservation Partners engagements and collaborations

In 2024 we strengthened our partnership with a number of key conservation stakeholders:

• Kenya Wildlife Service

• Wildlife Clubs of Kenya

• Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association

• Wildlife Research and Training Institute

• The Kilifi County Government

• The local community

• Kilifi Innovation Hub

• Ocean’s Alive

• Kuruwitu Welfare and Conservation Association (KCWA)

8. Celebration of Important Environmental Days

Our Wildlife Team lead on maximising national and international events to engage our stakeholders, this includes our partners and the community. In 2024 we engaged in a number of different activities:

• Beach clean-up in partnership with Ocean’s Alive.

• National Tree Planting Day activities with the Vipingo Ridge team, learning about the values of trees and protecting our landscapes.

• World Environmental Day included a mindful walk with litter picking. The Homeowners, Vipingo Ridge team and a number of Kilifi based stakeholders and youth organisations from across the region joined us to discuss the importance of protecting the environment for future generations.

• World Ocean’s Day was a focus on promoting the activities of our partners Ocean’s Alive and the KCWA. We engaged our Homeowners and team in activations to learn more about their work at the Coral Workshop and the Climate concious kitchen garden programme. Guests were treated to a number of films including an update on the Coral Bleaching event that happened in 2024.

• World Giraffe Day as the rescue home of three giraffes, Vipingo Ridge was the perfect venue for an exciting event highlighting the tallest residents at the Ridge. Honoured by the Kilifi Government, attended by the KWS and also the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya we had performances, presentations and even a fun giraffe quiz for the 150 guests. The Tower of Vipingo Ridge also made a special guest appearance.

• Mazingira Day this event was back at the beach for a very engaging event that welcomed senior members of KWS, the local partners of Ocean Alive and KCWA, as well as Women and Youth organisations focussed on the environment. From litter picking to shared visions of a better future, it was highly motivating for the 200 attendees.

The Wildlife team and the Rangers play an important role in the Vipingo Ridge team, and the progress as we continue to do our part to educate our stakeholders on the importance of protecting our shared future.

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