You would think that 360 square kilometres of African savanna would provide
plenty of space for a population of approximately 127 rhinos, both black and white.
But that is not the case.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy, located within the Laikipia District of Kenya - home to almost 50% of Kenya’s black rhino population - has for some time been grappling with the question of what is to be done to find more space for its rhino population.
For apparently, their large empty grazing grounds - all 360 sq km of it - are not enough to support this growing population of rhinos. Right now there is enough space. But in a few years there won’t be. So the Ol Pejeta management team are looking ahead, the management says.
Rhinos are territorial animals, so they need enough space to establish their territories. In a few years, animals will run ‘into each other’ and will start fighting for territories. This is why it is really important to start looking ahead to expand the rhino habitat.
Now good news has come to Ol Pejeta - and to all who value Kenyan wildlife - in that the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) has agreed to set up the Mutara Conservancy on 20,000 acres of land bordering Ol Pejeta Conservancy for integrated wildlife, livestock and tourism operations.
Ol Pejeta will assist to manage these operations. This, according to the Ol Pejeta management, “is a step which will lead to the creation of a private public sector partnership working to maximise the productivity of the land, whilst conserving wildlife at the same time”.
During my recent visit to Ol Pejeta, I was enchanted by the Laikipia landscape: its rich grasslands and thick bushes that are home to many of the species. Elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, giraffe, antelope and zebra can all be found here - and many others.
Mutara lies to the North of Ol Pejeta. Yet, until recently, this land was not managed with tourism and conservation in mind.
Now, with the proposed link to Ol Pejeta, which will involve wildlife corridors, migratory wildlife species such as wild dog and elephant will be able to freely roam across the Mutara Conservancy.
But, back to the rhinos. Ol Pejeta houses both black and white rhinos. When one categorises the rhinos as black, many would think that the white rhinos are white in colour. But that is not the case. They are differentiated by what they eat, their body structures, their weight, where they prefer to live and behaviour.
The white rhinoceros or square-lipped rhinoceros is the largest species of rhinoceros that exists. It has a wide mouth and is the most social of all rhino species. A popular theory of the origins of the name “white rhinoceros” is a mistranslation from Dutch to English. The English word “white” is said to have been derived by mistranslation of the Dutch word “wijd”, which means “wide” in English. The word “wide” refers to the width of the rhinoceros’ mouth. So early English-speaking settlers in South Africa misinterpreted the “wijd” for “white” and the rhino with the wide mouth ended up being called the white rhino and the other one, with the narrow pointed mouth, was called the black rhinoceros.
Now with the proposed creation of the Mutara Conservancy, there will be more space for the conservancy expanding black rhino population. As black rhinos are the prime target for poachers, their numbers are monitored frequently to keep count of their population growth and progress.
“As the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa we are rapidly reaching our carrying capacity. Consequently, in support of national objectives, we will need to secure new habitat in future as our rhino populations expand. We hope that in time the Mutara Conservancy can be used to supply these requirements,” says Richard Vigne, Ol Pejeta’s CEO.
