Kenya Wildlife Service announce plans for relocation of Nairobi Animal Orphanage

The Kenya Wildlife service has rolled out plans to relocate its 62-year-old Nairobi animal orphanage due to an increase in the number of rescued wildlife it houses as a rising human population leads to more frequent conflict with the country's wildlife.

Kenya’s Wildlife Service has unveiled its master plan for the relocation of the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.

The move will give the 62-year-old orphanage more space, something it desperately needs to accommodate the growing number of rescued, injured and confiscated animals it houses and improve welfare standards and visitors’ experience.

"Human-wildlife conflict is our biggest challenge in our conservation journey and human-wildlife conflict is being largely caused because the interface between people and wildlife has declined, our population has shot up to the current levels of close to 60 million and the size of Kenya has remained the same, so demand for space, there is competition for demand for space," Erastus Kanga, Director General Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said at a press conference on Friday.

The new facility will be built on 89 acres of land in Nairobi National Park, a huge upgrade from the 7 acres the orphanage currently occupies.

But the plan has its critics, namely conservationists concerned about the impact on the park and the animals that live there.

But the Wildlife Service says no the decision was made after careful consideration and insists that no indigenous forest will be cleared.

The new facility will allow the orphanage to improve animal welfare, Kanga said, adding that metallic cages will be replaced by natural cages, according to international recommendations.

"The new Nairobi Animal Orphanage is a forward-looking investment in conservation education and public service ensuring that Kenya remains a leader in wildlife stay-at-home while meeting the demand of a growing population and increasing human interactions.”

Of the 89 acres, 8 will be set aside for rescue and rehabilitation.

Construction is expected to take about 18 months and will cost 3 to 4 billion shillings. Kanga said the facility will not be privatised.