A black rhino baby has been born at Loisaba Conservancy, one month after the translocation exercise.
The Kenya Wildlife Service announced that Kibou - an eight-year old black rhino originally from Ol Pejeta Conservancy- gave birth to her first calf on October 16.
“Kenya Wildlife Service and Loisaba Conservancy are thrilled to announce the arrival of a very special new resident at Loisaba!” the agency said in a statement.
Mother and calf are doing well, but Kibou has been fiercely protective, making it challenging to get close enough for high-quality photos.
The calf was affectionately named Valentine, in honour of Loisaba’s “Welcome Home Rhinos” event held on February 14.
“This historic moment marks the first black rhino birth since the translocation earlier this year, bringing our population to 22 black rhinos. This translocation marks a significant milestone in the recovery of Kenya’s black rhino population, which has grown from 400 individuals in 1989, when the Kenya Wildlife Service was established, to over 1,000 today.”
Kenya now hosts the third-largest rhino population in Africa, following South Africa and Namibia.
KWS said the birth not only symbolises hope for black rhinos in Kenya but also reinforces the importance of connected protected habitats that support sustainable rhino populations.
Kibou’s journey to motherhood is a testament to the power of collaboration in conservation.
Erustus Kanga, KWS Director General, said Kenya’s renewed efforts in creating wildlife corridors and conservancies reflect a shift towards more inclusive conservation, ensuring local communities who coexist with wildlife are integral to the process.
“This first rhino birth at Loisaba since the translocation earlier this year reaffirms the importance of expanding and connecting protected habitats,” he said.
“By prioritising wildlife recovery and habitat restoration, KWS aims to establish thriving wildlife populations, particularly for endangered species, so they may endure for future generations.”
Loisaba’s CEO Tom Silvester, said the last rhino was seen in the conservancy in 1973.
Half of the conservancy’s 58,000 acres has good security and low-profile fencing that allows free movement of the rhinos and other wildlife species.
Black rhinos are solitary animals and without room to disperse, cannot be encouraged to breed.
In the wild, rhinos, especially black ones, are extremely territorial.
Males fight other males in their territory, often inflicting injuries on each other.
Fierce fights, in some cases, lead
to death.
