Ol Pejeta reaches new milestone with birth of 100th black rhino

Kenyan rhino numbers beginning to climb

October 2013. In the 1970s there were more than 20,000 black rhinos in Kenya, but the rise in poaching in the 1980s as a result of demand for rhino horn saw these numbers plummet to less than 400. In response to the drastic reduction of the rhino population, Kenya decided to set up specially protected and fenced sanctuaries for rhino conservation. The creation of these sanctuaries was designed to maximize breeding potential, using surplus animals to re-stock any new areas. Ol Pejeta is one such sanctuary.

Founder population of 20 rhinos

Between 1989 and 1993, 20 black rhinos were moved to Ol Pejeta, as a founder population to establish the black rhino sanctuary. Over the years, management worked tirelessly to care for its black rhino population; monitoring their habitat and providing security, thus enabling the Conservancy to obtain the distinction of becoming the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa. And while Ol Pejeta has suffered losses in the last few years due to poaching, on 1st October 2013, Ol Pejeta reached a crucial milestone. We recorded our 9th rhino birth this year bringing the total black rhino population in the Conservancy to 100!

The birth of the 100th black rhino on Ol Pejeta is truly cause for celebration as the Conservancy is now a Key 1 black rhino population on the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group categorization. It is the only black rhino sanctuary in East Africa and one of only eight sanctuaries in Africa with this distinction.

Rhinos continue to face the worst poaching crisis in decades and Ol Pejeta, like many other sanctuaries throughout the country, has not been immune to this threat, losing a black rhino earlier this year. Consequently Ol Pejeta have spent over KShs 70 million over the past 24 months to upgrade its security operations. Despite these challenges, concerted conservation efforts worldwide have seen the black rhino population rise to 5,055.

Continued

Grevy's zebra moved to Ol Pejeta

Translocating Grevy's zebras to boost the population in Northern Kenya

November 2012. Since the early 1990's, the Grevy's zebra population on Ol Pejeta has not grown for several years due to predation pressure and the small population size. So in September 2012, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in collaboration with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) translocated, Grevy's zebras from Lewa to Ol Pejeta.

8 female zebra translocated
Eight female Grevy's zebras were moved from Lewa to Ol Pejeta in a bid to create a viable breeding population and hopefully increase the number of Grevy's in the conservancy in the long-term. This move brought the total number of Grevy's zebras on Ol Pejeta to 21 individuals.

The translocation exercise started at 6 a.m. with a briefing by Lewa's Chief Conservation Officer, Geoffrey Chege, and Kenya Wildlife Service veterinarian, Dr. Matthew Mutinda. The team then set off in search of young female Grevy's without any foals which were considered suitable candidates for translocation. Once identified, the Grevy's zebras were darted, immobilized and moved into a translocation van where the tranquilizer was reversed to wake them up. It was an intensive exercise requiring immense team effort that lasted close to eight hours.

After all eight Grevy's were safely in the translocation van, the KWS team set off for Ol Pejeta. On Ol Pejeta, the Grevy's zebras were released into the endangered species boma, which is a predator proof enclosure aimed at consolidating the numbers of different endangered species and increasing their chances of breeding. Grevy's zebras on Ol Pejeta were separated from the common zebras last year and moved into the endangered species boma to prevent hybridization with the common zebra since their offspring are more often than not sterile.

The eight new Grevy's zebras were closely monitored by patrol teams in the boma over the first few days after their move. During the first three days, they grazed in a separate group from the resident Grevy's, however on the fourth day they had settled and were grazing together with the resident Grevy's zebras.

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy works hard to secure the future of all endangered species and increasing the population of Grevy's zebra in the Conservancy is a step in the right direction for the future of the species.

Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) are listed as endangered and can only be found in some parts of northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. The name Grevy's zebra was coined from Jules Grévy, former President of France, who, in the 1880s, was given one as a gift by Menelik II, Emperor of Abyssinia.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/grevys-pejeta.html

New airborne fast reaction force to bolster Ol Pejeta security

New security force to protect Ol Pejeta's wildlife

October 2012. It's been more than a year since a semi tame rhino called Max was gunned down on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, but this terrible incident marked a turning point for Ol Pejeta's security forces. In June 2011, recognizing the ever-increasing threat on rhinos, the Government of Kenya allowed Ol Pejeta to receive Kenya Police Reservist (KPR) status changing the way they protect our rhinos on the Conservancy - for the better.

Kenya policy reservists get training 

Under the command of the local police chief, 32 Ol Pejeta staff were issued KPR status, which gives them the right to carry automatic firearms, and are they are now the nucleus of what has become an independent department. Working closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kenya Police and other government agencies, Ol Pejeta's security department has grown since its inception last year and undergone extensive training.

All this has paid with a reduction in poaching incidents. This year there has been only one attempted poaching which was unsuccessful, unlike last year where five rhinos were poached.

New fast reaction force
In a further effort to curb poaching in the greater Laikipia region, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy has partnered with Space for Giants to support the Kenya Wildlife Service under the command of the Kenya Police, by providing an anti-poaching rapid response team. A team of five Ol Pejeta KPR are on stand-by, ready to respond via helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft or vehicle to any incident of poaching or banditry in the area. In the first two months of operations, a total of eight arrests have been made and six firearms recovered.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/pejeta-security.html