The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has announced plans to relocate and expand the historic Nairobi Animal Orphanage into a larger, modern wildlife rescue and conservation facility within Nairobi National Park.

The facility will be moved from its current 1.8-hectare site to a new 22-hectare conservation complex. Additional orphanages are planned in Kwale, Nanyuki, and northeastern Kenya to strengthen animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts across the country.

The KWS said the existing Nairobi Animal Orphanage, established more than six decades ago, is no longer adequate to support the scale and complexity of modern wildlife rescue and rehabilitation operations.

Erustus Kanga, director general of KWS, said the proposed facility will feature a modern wildlife hospital, rescue and rehabilitation centers, conservation education facilities, an aquarium showcasing Kenya's aquatic biodiversity, an immersive "Flying Over Kenya" auditorium, outdoor classrooms, boardwalks and improved visitor amenities.

The project comes amid growing pressure on wildlife conservation driven by population growth, habitat fragmentation and rising cases of human-wildlife conflict, which have resulted in more injured, orphaned and displaced animals requiring rescue and treatment.

According to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a Nairobi-based wildlife conservation charity, its anti-poaching teams working in collaboration with KWS removed 939 snares and made 85 arrests in January across several parts of the country, including two bushmeat poachers and 17 suspected bushmeat poachers.

"We rescue animals every day across the country. The demand for veterinary treatment, rehabilitation and temporary holding facilities has grown tremendously," he said.

Kanga said the expanded facility would significantly enhance Kenya's capacity to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife while also serving as a center for conservation education and veterinary training.

"If we are going to have 10,000 to 15,000 visitors coming there every day, imagine the revenue and livelihood support that will be created," Kanga said, adding that the facility could solve a quarter of the KWS' financial needs.

The new facility will also include an interpretation center and outdoor classrooms, conservation boardwalk, a conservation heroes monument, accessible facilities for people with disabilities, and modern visitor amenities, including parking, sanitation and visitor services.

It will be able to accommodate up to 20,000 visitors daily. The current facility becomes congested when visitor numbers reach around 17,000.

The facility will have separate zones for carnivorous and herbivorous animals, a design intended to minimize stress, improve animal welfare, and support more effective treatment and rehabilitation.

Construction has already begun with preliminary site clearance, and the facility is expected to become operational by August next year. It will be fully financed by the government.