SOLIO RHINO PROJECT - Update March 2006

 

SOLIO RHINO PROJECT - Update March 2006

Headlines….new birth recorded…. Number up to 90….979 sightings in first 3 months….plan to move 30 rhinos to neighbouring ranch…plenty more work to do



Monday March 20th was a day to remember in Solio as we saw a healthy, recently born, black rhino calf running across Twiga Plain with its mother. Since we started the rhino monitoring programme last November, we have only recorded one previous birth and that calf unfortunately died from disease. But not this calf which had ranger Evans and I making for the safety of our vehicle as it made its way into the bush!

The mother was also a new female to us and the pair were designated the numbers 91 and 92. With two ‘natural’ deaths we have gone from the 65 we reported in October, to 90 black rhinos positively identified through photographs as of March.

The new monitoring team has done a great job in finding and identifying the rhinos and, on analysing the information collected, we found they had made 979 sightings between December and February. Some days we record over 30 different rhinos seen which is fantastic. But it is not easy and there is a long way to go yet before all rangers are confident in accurately identifying all the rhinos.

To help with this, photographs were taken of all the new rhinos found and some better replacements for many of the rhinos we had found before. These were combined into new field identification booklets which each patrol team carries with them. The ranger team was introduced to the booklets at a training session held at the end of the project period and they were absolutely delighted with them.

Some changes were made to the radio operations which enables sightings to be recorded directly on to the rhino monitoring computer. With a smart piece of Excel macro programming, we are now able to press a few buttons and update all the control sheets automatically.

90 black rhinos in around 17,000 acres is by far the highest density of rhinos in any reserve in Kenya and probably Africa. But with such success comes problems. The high numbers are eating away their own food resource and if nothing is done, they will start to suffer – especially the rate of breeding. Development of the neighbouring Ol Pejeta Ranch into a Conservancy has resulted in their rhino area being extended from 25,000 to 75,000 acres and they are offering ideal, new black rhino habitat. We plan to move 30 of the Solio rhinos into Ol Pejeta which will significantly help relieve pressure on the food resource. This requires major funding which is being sought.

We are at the beginning of rhino monitoring in Solio. There are some 100 white rhinos which are still to be individually identified and we are under constant threat of poaching if we do not keep the monitoring at a high standard. It has only been with your support that we have achieved so much, so quickly. There is still more to be done and that means we have to keep asking you to support the work. You can see from the results, that your generosity is being well used.

Felix Patton
Solio Rhino Monitoring Coordinator
March 2006