Tsavo, Kenya
Summary
Tsavo Trust is a field-based, action-oriented Kenyan not-for-profit conservation organisation established in
2012 and headquartered in the Kamungi Conservancy, southern Kenya. We work in close partnership with
the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) to protect the
wildlife and biodiversity of the Tsavo Conservation Area (TCA) — one of Africa's largest conservation
landscapes at over 42,000 km². Our mission is to safeguard biodiversity and empower communities in the
greater Tsavo ecosystem.
The TCA is home to approximately 40% of Kenya's elephants — including the world's last sustainable
population of Super Tusker elephants — 18% of its black rhinos, and endangered species including wild
dogs, cheetahs, hirola antelope, and Grevy's zebra. The Village Experience plays a vital role in connecting
Tsavo Trust to donors across the United States who share our commitment to protecting this irreplaceable
landscape.
Past Accomplishments
Wildlife Conservation Programme
Tsavo Trust provides KWS and WRTI with robust aerial and ground support to protect elephants, rhinos,
and carnivores across the TCA. Our aerial unit — operating Super Cub and fixed-wing aircraft plus a
helicopter from a KCAA-registered airstrip — conducts landscape-scale surveillance, anti-poaching
patrols, rhino monitoring, and emergency response. Seven joint KWS/Tsavo Trust ground teams carry out
biodiversity protection and monitoring operations across both national parks and surrounding areas.
Key results from our wildlife protection work:
- 98% reduction in elephant poaching since 2013
- Zero black rhino poaching since 2017 and zero Super Tusker poaching since 2019
- Super Tusker population grown from 21 individuals in 2013 to 48 in 2025 — a 129% increase
- 11,530 wire snares removed since 2013, conservatively preventing the same number of wildlife
deaths
- 84% prosecution success rate for wildlife crime — 2020 to 2025
- 28 black rhinos immobilised and tagged in 2024 to support rhino monitoring in Tsavo West
- Carnivore monitoring established for wild dogs, lions, and cheetahs across the TCA
Community Conservancy Programme
Since 2015, Tsavo Trust has worked with the WaKamba community from Ngiluni and Kamunyu villages to
develop the Kamungi Conservancy, which borders Tsavo West National Park and is home to Tsavo
Trust's own headquarters. Today, 385 households are enrolled as conservancy members. The
conservancy acts as a critical wildlife buffer and a model for community-led conservation in the TCA.
Community investments delivered through the conservancy include employment for over 65% of Tsavo
Trust's staff, a 33-km elephant exclusion fence that has reduced human-elephant conflict by 82%, water
infrastructure serving thousands of community members, healthcare support to two local dispensaries,
education support for schools and scholarship students, and livelihoods programmes including climate-
smart agriculture, beekeeping, and home solar solutions.
Conservation Partnerships
Tsavo Trust collaborates with a network of trusted conservation organisations including the Zoological
Society of London, Save The Elephants, the Wildlife Conservation Network, the Taita Taveta Wildlife
Conservancies Association, and Maliasili, among others. We are a trusted implementing partner of KWS
and WRTI, and a proud contributor to national conservation objectives. Tsavo Trust also supports the
development of sustainable tourism in the Tsavo region through the Kamungi Bandas eco-accommodation
facility.
Current Project Needs
Tsavo Trust is navigating a challenging funding environment following the reduction of US Government
international support in 2025. Private and foundation support is more critical than ever. Current priority
areas include:
Aerial and Ground Operations
Sustained funding for Tsavo Trust's aerial unit and seven field teams to maintain anti-poaching, rhino
protection, and wildlife monitoring coverage across the full 42,000 km² TCA.
Black Rhino Recovery
Funding for security vehicles, ranger equipment, and operational costs to support the expansion of
Kenya's black rhino population in the Tsavo West Intensive Protection Zone — Kenya's most significant
black rhino habitat and one of the most compelling conservation opportunities on the continent.
Water Security
Expansion of sand dams, boreholes, and rainwater harvesting infrastructure in Tsavo's national parks and
Kamungi Conservancy to reduce climate pressure on wildlife and communities during increasingly severe
dry seasons.
Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
Expansion of electric fencing, predator-proof bomas, and community-based conflict response — protecting
livelihoods and reducing retaliatory killing of wildlife in areas bordering the national parks.
Community Development & Education
Continued investment in scholarships, digital literacy, school infrastructure, water access, beekeeping,
climate-smart agriculture, and solar energy — strengthening the long-term resilience and conservation
commitment of the Kamungi Conservancy community.