Introduction to the Tsavo East rhino monitoring programme, Kenya

 

Tsavo East National Park covers an area of about 12,000 km2, 40% of Kenya's parks' total area. This vast Park lies in low semi arid country at the eastern edge of the inland plateau, north of the main Mombasa-Nairobi road and railway. Much of the Park is level, open country with scattered rocky ridges and outcrops. Due to its size, the Park is one of the world's wildlife and biodiversity strongholds.

The Yatta plateau, a long, flat-topped lava ridge, runs along the western boundary of the park. Beneath it flows the Athi river which joins the Tsavo river, just above the Lugard falls, to become the Galana river, a permanent river that cuts right across the Park. The seasonal Tiva and Voi rivers are important features of the Northern and Southern sectors respectively. There are scattered seasonal pools, swamps and dams, but relatively few sources of permanent water. With a rich diversity of favoured food plants, vegetation cover based on fertile volcanic soils and a bimodal rainfall pattern, Tsavo is one of the best habitats for rhino in Africa. It forms a key component of Kenya’s efforts to recover and breed up viable populations of black rhino over the next few decades.

53 rhinos were reintroduced to Tsavo East National Park over a 10-year period, for a free-release programme. Some of the translocated rhinos were fitted with horn implant transmitters aiding monitoring, but these had a limited lifespan.

At the end of December 2001 and at the beginning of 2002 there were a series of poaching incidents, with seven known deaths of rhinos. Since then, following a change of leadership, the constant anti-poaching patrols had significantly deterred poachers.

However, the sheer size of the National Park, and the scarcity of human habitation between the Park and the border with Somalia, has enabled poachers to continue to present a threat to the safety of both the rhinos and the rangers. In January 2003 rangers intercepted a poaching team, killing one, capturing the second, while the third got away. In June 2003, two rangers and two poachers were killed in a sustained gun battle. In August 2003, a male black rhino was killed by poachers (two were subsequently arrested and charged) and in April 2004, two more rhinos were killed. There are no known deaths of black rhino since then, although the KWS team continue to intercept poachers.

In September 2004, Chester Zoo provided funds for the purchase of a new vehicle. Following delays in procurement by the KWS, the vehicle – a bush-modified Toyota Landcruiser – was finally handed over in July 2005. Chester also contributed £5,969 in 2005 towards vehicle running costs (fuel and maintenance).

There are now three vehicles in use by the rhino monitoring team: the new Chester Zoo one; the old SRI one, which has just been in for extensive repairs; and the old FoC one. With this fleet, the KWS team is now much better able to:

• Transport the rangers to likely locations for monitoring work
• Carry out regular anti-poaching patrols
• Respond to any reported emergencies or poaching incidents
• Downgrade the old vehicles to security / water-filling / staff movement duties

In addition, since the official retirement of Richard Kech from the KWS in March 2004 (the KWS were unable to afford to retain his services), SRI has been paying his salary, medical costs, rations etc. Chester Zoo has already contributed £1,395 to cover the period January-March 2006 inclusive. His current contract expires in March 2007, after which Kech will move to the Chyulu Hills.