Harnessing local knowledge to protect the free roaming black rhinos in the Kunene and Erongo regions of Namibia - let locals fill the boots.

Our aim is to protect the World’s Last Free Ranging Black Rhino population in the open access landscape of Kunene and Erongo regions in Namibia, taking a landscape-level approach by working alongside communal conservancies in the 25 000km2 area. For 40 years our trackers and conservancy rhino rangers have worked tirelessly in the rhino landscape to mitigate poaching, human-induced disturbance and threats to the species, contributing to the safeguarding of the black rhino population in the north-west. This population has been noted as a national asset to Namibia and is an income generating resource through rhino tourism and various employment opportunities created, contributing to livelihoods and income diversification, supporting the traditional livestock farming and agriculture. Communal conservancies in the Kunene and Erongo regions are recognised as rhino custodians allowing access to benefits for communities and expanding rangeland for rhinos.