- The sensitive operation is guided by protocols that must be followed to the latter to ensure the survival of the species
- This translocation had to be pushed to a later date, following the advice of vets who said Laikipia was too hot
Image: REUTERS
A KWS helicopter roared into the air on Tuesday morning with one mission: to dart three blackrhinos and prepare them for translocation from Nairobi National Park to Laikipia’s Loisaba Conservancy.
By 6am veterinary officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute meticulously prepared darting drugs to sedate the rhinos.
The sensitive operation is guided by protocols that must be followed to the latter to ensure the survival of the species.
Before the exercise began, there was a short briefing on dos and don’ts.
Three cages were prepared for ferrying the animals in two trucks to their new home.
Black rhinos weigh an average 1,760-3,080 pounds. They are 10 to 12 feet long and stand as high as 60-63 inches at the shoulder.
They are not really black, but grey like the white rhinos. They are called ‘black’ rhinos to distinguish them from the ‘white’ (coming from Afrikaans wordfor ‘wide’/white mouth).
The immobilisation was presided over by senior veterinarian Isaac Lekolool.
During the briefing before the exercise, Lekolool called for teamwork and discipline.
He warned against overcrowding near the animals, saying that would endanger both participants and the darted animal.
At 9 a m, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua arrived to preside over the exercise.
Present were Tourism PS John Ololtuaa, Wildlife PS Silvia Museiya, KWS director general Dr Erustus Kanga, KWS board chairman Walter Koipaton and other senior KWS officials.
Loisaba Conservancy CEO Tom Silvester joined them.
This translocation had been postponed after vets said Laikipia was too hot.
They also said darting the species in the hot sun might compromise their health, so the sedation had to be conducted at dawn when he temperature was lower.
The translocation aims to correct mistakes made many years ago and more recently, in July 2018, all 11 rhinos died after translocation to Tsavo National Park because of poor planning, salty water and other factors. One was killed by a lion.
“At one time in this country, we had more than 20,000 rhinos. Today, we are proudly walking and talking about the number of rhinos that we have. We only have 1,004 black rhinos and 971 white rhinos,” Mutua said.
The CS said the protection of the species has yielded results.
He said were it not for efforts by the state, rhinos would have gone extinct and children would be reading about them in books.
Mutua said it is sad that some countries still permit game hunting of rhinos.
“Let us protect what God has given us; let us protect and conserve the animals,” he said.
Before the 11 black rhinos died, “we did not pay attention to what the experts told us to do. I was briefed as and I’m expecting this time my team is well prepared.”
Mutua said the animals need a lot of space.
“Right now, they are getting crowded where they are. When they get crowded, that is when problems arise. That is when they start dying; that is when they start having territorial fights,” he said.
Mutua said the translocation will ensure the country continues to grow its populations and keep gene pools varied and healthy.
He said the country is not going to introduce any form of hunting.
“The only hunting anybody can do in this country is using a camera, not a gun. We are not going to kill the animals. We are going to make sure that we conserve the animals and we have to continue growing their numbers,” Mutua said.
The CS said the government is dealing with the problem of human-wildlife conflict.
Kenya is a world leader when it comes to conservation of iconic species.
He said the country is blessed with wildlife and landscapes that are stunning.
The free visa regime will increase the number of tourists.
Kanga said KWS and the Wildlife Research Training Institute had assessed all the risks before embarking on translocation.
He said the population of rhinos had increased due to interventions by the state and non-governmental organisations.
"International Union for Conservation of Nature protocols have been incorporated into this exercise,” Kanga said.
He said due to increased populations, territorial fights were common.
For the first time in 20 years, the country has had less than 1 percent rhino poaching in 2017–2021 and zero poaching in 2020.
Rhino sanctuaries must have intense security to curb the risk of poaching.
Such spaces should also allow rhinos to demonstrate their natural behaviors, including migration between territories and genetically diverse breeding must be encouraged.
The increasing population of rhinos, especially the black ones, is now giving scientists sleepless nights.
In black rhino sanctuaries, territorial fights are becoming a big challenge. In the wild, rhinos, especially black ones, are extremely territorial.
Males in particular will fight other males in their territory, often inflicting injuries and sometimes killing rivals.