NAIROBI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Elephant and rhino populations in Kenya have increased compared to 2021, a wildlife research institute said in a report released on Thursday.
According to the report by the state-owned Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Kenya's elephant population rose to 42,072 in 2025, up from 36,280 in 2021, while the combined black and white rhino population reached 2,102, up from 1,812.
The National Wildlife Census showed that an estimated two-thirds of Kenya's elephants live outside national parks and reserves, sharing landscapes with humans.
According to the report, Kenya has recorded significant strides in reducing elephant poaching since the last surge, which occurred between 2008 and 2014 and affected all African elephant range states.
The report warned that the key threat to Kenya's elephant population is the increasing fragmentation of wildlife habitats due to human settlements and agricultural expansion into former rangelands.
The findings also indicated that the rhino population is distributed across 10 counties, with Laikipia County holding the largest number at 1,047 individuals. ■