The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has announced plans to relocate the Nairobi Animal Orphanage from its current location within Nairobi National Park to a new 89-hectare site opposite Bomas of Kenya, in a move aimed at improving wildlife welfare, conservation education, and visitor experience.
According to KWS, the orphanage, which was established in 1964, has served as a key rescue and rehabilitation centre for injured, orphaned, and distressed wildlife for more than six decades.
However, increasing visitor numbers, rising demand for wildlife rescue services, and changing international animal welfare standards have rendered the existing facility inadequate.
The new facility will feature larger and more natural animal enclosures, a modern wildlife hospital with surgical capability, quarantine and nursery units for rescued animals, and designated release areas to support rewilding efforts.
Improved visitor amenities, including walkways, rest areas, sanitation facilities, and controlled parking, are also planned.
KWS says the relocation forms part of a long-term conservation strategy that has been under consideration for years and has undergone environmental and regulatory approvals.
The agency further stated that the project is expected to create more than 500 direct jobs while boosting tourism and conservation education. The current orphanage site will be restored and rewilded to strengthen the ecological integrity of Nairobi National Park.
However, the project has sparked opposition from some conservation groups, who argue that the relocation could affect sections of protected land within the park and raise concerns about environmental impacts. Critics have called for greater transparency regarding environmental assessments and public participation in the approval process.
Despite the concerns, KWS maintains that the relocation is lawful, environmentally compliant, and necessary to meet modern conservation and animal welfare standards while ensuring the long-term sustainability of wildlife rescue operations in Kenya.
