Lions attack sole rhino survivor of bungled Kenyan park relocation

[Geza Ulole]

Lions attack sole rhino survivor of bungled Kenyan park relocation
Ten black rhinos died last month in Tsavo East park due to conservation officers’ negligence
Reuters in Nairobi
Thu 26 Jul 2018 17.37 BSTFirst published on Thu 26 Jul 2018 17.36 BST
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A female eastern black rhino stands inside a crate, waiting to be transported to Kenya’s Tsavo East national park. Photograph: Dai Kurokawa/EPA

The only rhino to survive a bungled relocation to a Kenyan wildlife park has been attacked by lions, Kenya’s tourism minister, Najib Balala, has said.
Ten out of 11 black rhinos died last month in their new home in Tsavo East national park after being moved by the state wildlife service, prompting protests from conservation groups around the world.
Balala said an independent inquiry had found that negligence by conservation officers was to blame for the deaths. The report found the animals had succumbed to stress and poisoning from drinking salty water, he added.
“Unfortunately, the 11th rhino has been attacked by lions. Yesterday it was treated. So far we are monitoring this 11th rhino. It’s a sad situation,” he said.

Eight of 14 rhinos die after move to Kenyan national park


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Six conservation officers have been suspended following the inquiry, he added.
“Even one rhino is a huge loss. So we are sad and we are disappointed in some of the officers who should have taken responsibility. They didn’t take their work seriously. They were casual in their job.”
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), whose employees handled the relocation, did not respond to calls for comment.
Poaching has risen in recent years across sub-Saharan Africa where armed criminal gangs have killed elephants for tusks and rhinos for horns. Often the animal parts are shipped to Asia for use in ornaments and medicines.

Last male northern white rhino is put down


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In May three black rhinos were killed by poachers in Meru national park in Kenya, a country heavily dependent on wildlife tourism.
The world’s last male northern white rhino died in Kenya in March, leaving only two females of its subspecies alive.
Kenya had 20,000 rhinos in the 1970s, falling to 400 in the 1990s. In 2017, the number had risen back to 1,258 – 745 of them black rhinos and 510 southern white rhinos, according to KWS.

Lions attack sole rhino survivor of bungled Kenyan park relocation

MY TAKE
Hapa kuna kitu i dont buy the story! i need evidence..

 

[pingli-nywee]

You need evidence??? You guy! Acha kuvutia bange chooni mzee! 😀

 

[MAKANJAMNA]

Simba wa Tsavo wamefanya mambo..

 

[Geza Ulole]

You need evidence??? You guy! Acha kuvutia bange chooni mzee! 😀

Mind u KWS r wildlife professionals n there is no way they can be that reckless to introduce a single rhino in such a hostile environment without a 24 hrs watch over it. This loss plus the death of 10 is well planned n stage managed. Count my words this is an inside job.

 

[LightYagami]

Najib Balala should be fired.

 

[Geza Ulole]

You need evidence??? You guy! Acha kuvutia bange chooni mzee! 😀

Kenya
Insiders say rhinos victims of turf wars and were poisoned
By Mercy Adhiambo and Carolyne Chebet
Published: Jul 27th 2018 at 20:56, Updated: July 27th 2018 at 20:56

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel load a tranquillised female black rhino in to a box during a rhino translocation exercise In the Nairobi National Park, Kenya, June 26, 2018. (Courtesy)
Fresh details that the 10 endangered rhinos that died at Tsavo East National Park were poisoned have emerged.

Sources at the park ruled out findings released by Tourism and Wildlife CS Najib Balala that said the animals died because they consumed saline water.


Insiders however revealed that the animals started showing signs of distress as soon as they arrived at the park, suggesting that tranquilisers used could have been poisonous. Others have suggested they may have been poisoned immediately after they were put in the boma at Tsavo East.

ALSO READ: Heads roll after KWS rhino deaths fiasco

They said it beats logic that rhinos at Tsavo East would suddenly be affected by saline water, yet the ones at Tsavo West are in good health. They added that the ecosystem is the same, and if rhinos were to be affected by salinity, then it would not be in select parks. They also found it odd that only rhinos would be affected by saline water in an ecosystem shared by other species.

Intense fights

The officials pointed fingers at what they termed as constant wrangles and disagreements between management at KWS and wildlife conversation organisations that have infiltrated the wildlife sector. “The death of the rhinos is pure sabotage. These groups have been fighting, so the rhinos were killed to prove a point,” said one official.

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The unprecedented deaths have now degenerated into an endless blame game by conservationists. Yesterday, Balala blamed and suspended six KWS officials accusing them of negligence. He said that they did not do assessments before moving the animals. “These included poor co-ordination and communication among officers that were responsible for pre-translocation studies, including biomass assessments; environmental impact assessments and water quality assessments.”


The suspension was followed by an uproar from the Kenya Veterinary Association (KVA), which questioned validity of the research. Through its chairman Dr Kahariri Samuel, KVA said David Zimmerman who was part of veterinarians who compiled the report is not registered to practise in Kenya and his findings can only be treated as those of a layman. Zimmerman is a South African veterinarian and was appointed by Balala to help with investigations.

“If there is any professional negligence on the part of veterinarian, it can only be handled by the Kenya Veterinary Board, which is by law mandated to regulate the veterinary professionals,” said Dr Kahariri. Tsavo East Senior Warden Felix Mwangangi, who was suspended said he was not involved in the investigations, and was only informed of the cause of death by the ministry.

ALSO READ: Revealed: The rot that could bring down KWS

World Wildlife Fund-Kenya, the organisation that partnered with KWS in the rhino translocation has also been dragged into the controversy as questions are being raised on how they got into the deal that was reported to have cost about Sh100 million.

Martin Mulama, programme coordinator of rhinos at WWF says they came in as funders of the project, and had no reason to doubt KWS who had assured them that suitability tests had been done. “This was an ongoing project. We had worked with them before and they even gave records to show tests had been done,” he said.

Earmarked herd


Researchers questioned why the translocation was conducted before an environmental study. “Before translocation, assessment should be conducted on food and water availability in the new area. A few numbers of the earmarked herd is often moved and monitored for a few days to ascertain their condition before the other herd is translocated,” said Researcher and Conservationist David Thuo.

Dr Richard Leakey, former chairman of KWS board of trustees is blaming the Tourism Ministry. He said the board had opposed the translocation because Tsavo East could not sustain the rhinos.

ALSO READ: Unexplained rhino deaths a blow to conservation efforts

The translocation was a much publicised charade, but the death has been a hushed affair that came to light after an official leaked the information to media.

During the translocation last month, Balala called it a key milestone in the conservation of the rapidly dwindling black rhino population. The numbers had taken a dive by more than 90 per cent over the last three decades and the only way to ensure they are safe from poachers was to put them in a monitored sanctuary where they could reproduce and meet the state’s target of having 830 rhinos by 2021, up from the existing 745.

Insiders say rhinos victims of turf wars and were poisoned

 

[eliakeem]

Wasije wakawa wanawasingizia lions bure KUMBE watu wamefanya YAO. Walitaka kupita na kipusa.