Set on the shore of Lake Victoria, the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary is just a ten minutes drive from the city center. When one enters through the gates, one will quickly notice a serene environment, lush bushes, and trees with birds perching here and there.

The sanctuary hosts a large number of free grazing impalas, the rare Sitatunga antelope, Zebras, and the vervet monkeys.

The caged animals include lions, leopards, buffalo, Ostrich, guinea fowls, and the baboons.

This sanctuary is one of three in Kenya that was established to protect and rehabilitate wild animals as well as educate the public on wildlife conservation efforts. Others are the Nairobi Safari Walk and the Nairobi orphanage.

Paul Omondi, the warden in charge of the Sanctuary says: "The reason why we have the orphanage and the safari walk and the impala sanctuary is that it is a refuge for the rescued wildlife, probably from human-wildlife conflict or problematic animals, the injured, and the orphaned. So the sanctuary is a way of offering them a home.”

Here, unlike in the national parks, one will have a rare opportunity of seeing some of the animals up-close. The sanctuary is home to hundreds of impalas which boasts of the largest population followed by the Zebras.

While taking a walk through the sanctuary, we observed herds of these herbivores which were busy grazing in the morning hours taking advantage of the cool breeze on the shores of the lake.

Kisumu sun can be unforgiving, and it is based on this that Mr. Omondi encourages those who are interested in interacting with the animals as they feed, to always make it to the sanctuary in the morning before they retreat into the bushes away from the scorching sun.

"In terms of conservation fees for entry into the sanctuary, we charge adults Kenyans, Ksh. 200/$2 while children pay Ksh. 100/$1. For non-residents, we charge Ksh.2000/$20 and children Ksh.1500/$15." said Omondi.

The low seasons for tourists both local and international are between January and April. The peak season runs between July and August while the high season remains to be September and December.

However this year, the Sanctuary saw reduced numbers of visitors due to restrictions that were put in place by health authorities in an effort to halt the coronavirus pandemic spread.

Lifespan in the cages vis a vis the wild

Life in the wild is tough coupled with a rough terrain where only those who are swift survive.

But as CGTN's Halligan Agade discovered, animals in this sanctuary seem to be enjoying life to the fullest because they are accessed to food and treatment unlike their counterparts in the wild.

No wonder then Mr. Omondi submits that those in the wild have a shorter lifespan as compared to the caged ones, with the big cats for instance the lion likely to live up to 15 years even more in the cage.

"In the wild you know it is survival for the fittest but under captive management, the animals within the sanctuary tend to live longer because they are looked after, they are fed and treated."

But there is another danger lurking in the shadows for these caged animals. Obesity. Just like humans, if caution is not taken, the Warden says, some animals especially the carnivores can be obese and this calls for the services of a veterinary expert to keep monitoring them since they do not run after their prey which is a form of exercise. This natural activity is only available in the wild.

"In terms of the feeding program, we're guided by our Veterinary team who come to inspect the animals on a monthly basis just to check the condition of the sanctuary, condition of the animals, the feeding regime, and the treatment regime."

Controlled breeding

But it is not just obesity that is to be considered for the big cats, but the uncontrolled numbers of the herbivores like the Impalas must also be in check to control inbreeding to conserve a generation to make sure it does not face extinction arising from impure breeds.

"When we have a lot of animals like the impalas, we trans-locate them to Ndeere Island National Park. This is done in consultation with the species and research department in Nairobi. This is done to reduce the numbers and also give the excess numbers new habitat or new homes and also as a way of reducing inbreeding among the impalas that we have within the sanctuary."

Interestingly, it is only the herbivores that can be translocated to the wild, however, for the carnivores, it doesn't happen.

"In captive management, in terms of the wild, it is a bit different for the lions that are under captive management. They are under cages, and they are fed. When you take them to the wild, they will have to fend for themselves and this is a habit they will have to learn. This poses a great danger to them in terms of survival and also existence." Omondi adds.

But thanks to this sanctuary the endangered animals now have a place to call home.

Free-ranging and captive animals are not the only attraction here, but bird-life, indigenous forest, swampy papyrus areas, grassland, rocky view area, nature trails, and sundowner viewpoint is also on the card for nature lovers.