Success in conservation is as rewarding as it comes, perhaps comparable to a lottery win, especially when it involves the birth of a baby Eastern Black Rhino.
Well done to the Sera team and keep up the good work!
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Sera Community Rhino Sanctuary Celebrate First Black Rhino Birth A black rhino calf has been born in the first community owned black rhino sanctuary in East Africa |
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| On 11th March 2016 a female black rhino in Sera Community Rhino Sanctuary, Kenya, gave birth to a healthy calf, and made history. This is the first black rhino to be born on community land in northern Kenya for over 25 years, and demonstrates the strength of the growing community conservation movement. The calf also represents the community’s hopes that the Sanctuary can nurture a viable breeding population of black rhino; that could eventually help repopulate other community conservation areas.
The new mother, a black rhino named Naitamany, was translocated from Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to Sera in May 2015, as part of a ground-breaking project to reintroduce black rhino to Samburu. The area was once a stronghold for the now endangered species. A collaboration between the Northern Rangelands Trust, Kenya Wildlife Service, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and others saw Sera Rhino Sanctuary become the first community owned and operated black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, and one of only a handful on the continent. The birth brings the current population to 11, with 10 more individuals expected to be translocated this year from other parks and reserves in Kenya. ‘She was about five months pregnant when she was captured and translocated to Sera‘ says the Northern Rangelands Trust’s Senior Research and Monitoring Officer, Antony Wandera. ‘We were worried she might lose the baby due to post translocation stress, but she settled in so well and has carried the pregnancy to term. The monitoring team were so excited to find the calf, and are planning a naming ceremony as soon as the sex can be determined‘. Edwin Kisio, Wildlife Monitoring Officer from Lewa, confirmed that this is Naitamany’s fourth calf. She was just under 6 years old when she had her first calf, and has an average inter calving interval (ICI) of 2.7 years. A productive female black rhino will have an ICI of between 2 to 3 years. The Sera Community Conservancy is a member of the Northern Rangelands Trust, an umbrella organisation that supports 33 community conservancies across northern and coastal Kenya. Sera is governed by a democratically elected board and run by local people, and works to transform local livelihoods through conservation and sustainable enterprises. They have dedicated rhino monitors, who patrol the area every day recording individual rhino’s movements, behaviour and health. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, one of the largest black rhino sanctuaries in East Africa, provides logistical and technical support to these rangers, as well as supporting the overall security and monitoring in Sera. According to International Union for the Conservation of Nature, populations of the Eastern black rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli) plummeted by 98% between 1960 and 1995 primarily as a result of poaching and hunting. However, Kenya’s population has increased from 381 since 1987 to a current estimate of 640. It is projected to rise significantly in the near future, especially with growing partnerships between government, communities and conservation organisations. ‘The community around, the Borana, the Rendille, the Samburu, come together to give animals and people peace. The many things we do as a Conservancy are removing people from poverty, to a better life’ said Pauline Longojine, Chairlady of Sera Community Conservancy in her comments. The Sera Rhino Sanctuary is jointly supported by Samburu County Government, USAID, The Lundin Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, San Diego Zoo, St. Louis Zoo, Tusk Trust, The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Zurich Zoo, Zoos South Australia and several private philanthropists. The Northern Rangelands Trust is an umbrella organisation that aims to establish resilient community conservancies that transform lives, secure peace, and conserve natural resources. There are now 33 NRT-member community conservancies across northern and coastal Kenya, home to over 400,000 people who are managing over 44,000 square kilometres of land and safeguarding a wide range of species and habitats. NRT is now widely seen as a model of how to support community conservancies, and its success has helped shape new government regulations on establishing, registering and managing community conservancies in Kenya. www.nrt-kenya.org |
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