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RHINOS ON RELOCATION
THE PURPOSEFUL SAFARI
Michael: Around 50 years ago, Kenya had more
than 20,0 00 black rhinos. But in the 1 970s and
1980s, 98% of them were killed by poachers.
It was a national tragedy, but in recent years
their numbers have begun to recover. They
need a lot of space, and some sanctuaries
are running out of it. This means there’s an
opportunity for Loisaba to help by providing a
safe haven for a breeding population.
Rita: Rhinos are a keystone species. We know
they used to be here, so it makes sense to
bring them back. Moving rhinos is technically
challenging and their presence will place new
demands on our team. But translocation is
increasingly crucial in modern conservation,
particularly in areas where wildlife corridors
are blocked and human-wildlife conflict is
escalating. For the first time since 199 9, no
rhinos were poached in Kenya in 2020. This
fills us with hope.
Michael: Even though there have been no
black rhinos in Loisaba for many years, some
community members still remember them
being here. Rhinos are part of our heritage.
There’s been a lot of preparation work
leading up to this point: we had to assess the
availability of food, water and tree cover, for
example, and prepare a suitable fence system
for our 2 1,000-acre sanctuary.
Rita: Because translocating rhinos is a delicate
process, it probably won’t be possible for tourists
to witness it while it’s happening. However,
at other times, visitors are welcome to meet
me and my colleagues. We use EarthRanger
software to log field updates from our rangers.
The data feeds into live maps we can access via
a touchscreen. In the future, Loisaba hopes to be
one of the few places to offer tourists the chance
to track black rhinos on foot, which will be really
exciting and help raise the funds needed to
sustain this project.
How to do it: Elewana Loisaba Lodo Springs,
Loisaba’s ecolodge, offers full-board
doubles from US$2,0 00 (£1,535). Includes
activities and transfers from Loisaba airstrip.
elewanacollection.com
In numbers: The Kenyan government
believes 2, 000 black rhinos are required for its
population to survive, despite growing threats
such as habitat degradation and climate change.
This year, the Kenya Wildlife
Service hopes to move 20
black rhinos from sanctuaries
nationwide to Loisaba, a vast
conservancy in the north of
the country. Its conservation
officer Michael Mugo Maina
and rhino officer Rita Orahle
explain why this big beast
relocation is a very big deal
Above from left: Raptors in a
tree, Loisaba; Loisaba rhino
officer, Rita Orahle
JUL/AUG 2022 87
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