The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) in Kenya was established to develop resilient community conservancies that transform people’s lives, secure peace and conserve natural resources. These conservancies focus on collaboratively disbanding poaching routes, increasing ecosystem monitoring and management, assisting in the alleviation of human-wildlife conflicts, and the establishment of core conservation protection areas.

In 2012 Taronga established a partnership with Biliqo-Bulesa Conservancy, one of the largest community conservancies under the umbrella of NRT. The conservancy has an important population of wildlife including Elephants, Giraffe, Leopard, Greater and Lesser Kudu, Grevy’s Zebra, Ostrich, Buffalo and Lion. The aims of NRT and Taronga’s partnership are to improve the security of wildlife and to improve the rangeland health through sound environmental practices to support both wildlife and livestock. 

Another key component of the partnership is to support community needs by diversification of their revenue through tourism and development of bead work products for sale as leverage for conservation. Taronga supports the Beads for Wildlife project in our Zoo and online shops.