Adopt an Ostrich Nest Program

We pioneered the Adopt an Ostrich Nest Initiative in Southern Kenya, where 237 juvenile Masai ostriches (Struthio camelus massaicus) have so far been safeguarded. We are now scaling the program in the larger Magadi Wildlife ecosystem as well as the nearby Amboseli wildlife landscape.

An escalation of illegal trade activity on ostrich eggs in 2020 led to this community-led initiative, where community members and school youth identify, adopt and monitor ostrich nests in the ecosystem during the breeding season. Students are trained on the ecology of the Masai ostrich and how to collect daily data on the number of eggs laid.

This intervention has helped stop the illegal trade of ostrich eggs in the area. It has also enhanced citizen science: community members are more interested in learning about ostriches, and students — using data they have gathered over several years — can tell the average number of eggs laid by an ostrich, how long the juveniles take to emerge from the nest, track the age, lifespan and population of ostriches in the area, and monitor habitat changes, amongst other parameters.