#CONSERVATION FRATERNITY IN #SHOCK AS 8 #RHINOS DIE WHILE BEING RELOCATED BY #KWS
(Posted 13th July 2018)
(File photo of the endangered Eastern Black Rhino)
Eight out of fourteen rhinos earmarked for relocation died, and going by information received, some time ago already, with the Kenya Wildlife Service being blamed for sitting on the information, almost as to conceal it, instead of observing good disclosure practice which demands to tell as and when such incidents occur.
The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife too remained shtumm until foreign media opened the floodgates when breaking the news – which back home in Kenya were kept under wraps for reasons yet to be established.
Wildlife activists called the death of 8 rhinos a ‘complete and utter disaster‘ and demanded an independent investigation to establish the cause of the deaths beyond any reasonable doubt.
Save the Rhino International too went on record expressing their shock and sadness over the incident, which the CEO of the organization called a ‘tragedy‘.
Relocations of rhinos, and other game, have happened in the past on a regular basis not only in Kenya but other range countries too and periodically does an animal die in transit – though the death of 8 out of 14 has been unprecedented and, given the long silence before the news broke, raised multiple levels of suspicion and rumours, not helpful for KWS of course which is in a period of transition now that the former increasingly isolated and controversial Chairman Leakey has finally been replaced.
