Call to name rhino after Lotemere in honour of his love for animals

He would stop everything he was doing to stare at the iconic species.

In the late 1970s, Lotemere passed on, leaving conservation of iconic species running in the veins of the family.

But, as fate would have it, one of the remaining rhinos that had been named after him was killed by poachers.

Fifty years later, 21 black rhinos have been re-introduced to Loisaba Conservancy, a move that has given the species a new lifeline.

On Tuesday, Lotemere’s grandson, Mathew Naiputari, witnessed what he termed his grandfather’s dream come true.

“The last rhino was in the landscape in the late 1970s. I happen to come from a conservation family where we had a conservationist— my grandfather Lotemere Naiputari. The last rhino was named after him because the old man was protecting the rhinos. When he died, because he died before I was born, that is when the last rhino was killed by the poachers. We thank God because his conservation spirit is following us,” Naiputari said.

Naiputari is the chairperson of the Koija Community Conservancy.

Following the translocation of 21 black rhinos from Nairobi National Park (3), Ol Pejeta (6), and Lewa conservancies (12), Loisaba now becomes the 17th rhino sanctuary in the country.

The translocation took place in an 18-day exercise executed by highly trained capture and veterinary experts from Kenya Wildlife Service and its partners.

Naiputari said they are overwhelmed by the pride they have as the host community.

He prays that the first rhino to be born be named after his grandfather.

“It is my prayer that the first male that will be given birth here will be named after Lotemere so that we fulfil his dreams. He is not here, but we are celebrating with him in spirit.”

Naiputari said community conservancies in the landscape are brought together by an association called the Laikipia Conservancies Association, which is a member-led organisation that comprises private and community conservancies.

“We are embracing each other in conservation.”

Naiputari said the landscape is a natural habitat for rhinos, adding that they should be conserved for future generations.

He said there are several benefits to having rhinos around the landscape.

“One benefit of conservation is security. KWS rangers deployed will increase our forces. The other benefit is economic. We are a community conservancy doing eco-tourism. We will get several clients to come to do game drives to see the rhino in the habitat. This will spur economic growth in this area.”

Kenya had 20,000 black rhinos in the 1970s before poachers decimated them for their horns, which were sold as decorative dagger handles in Arabia and medicines in the Far East.

By the time the KWS was established in 1989, rhino numbers had declined to below 400.